Quote:
Originally Posted by Xanthe
I'm not trying to make excuses for a sucky workplace, only saying that it's not surprising or unsual given the context of seasonal/temporary employment. What folks in other countries have to realize is that worker protections and benefits in the USA are completely different for full-time and part-time permanent employees than they are for those who are working on a temporary basis.
|
It's neither systematically true that temp workers are only in it for short-term money nor that full-time people get better standards.
Many states in the US are "at will" which means you don't have an employment contract. Employers can fire you at will, for any reason (other than discrimination). That means they're also able to provide sparser and sparser benefits (as long as the other local employers are doing it), which creates a downward spiral. My employment protection is no different than a part-time or temporary worker (my benefits are however better).
I work for a company where I was awarded two weeks vacation each year for my first three years employment and wasn't allowed to take a single day of vacation time those same three years. I was only allowed to start taking vacation when I switched to a different department than my starting department. I could use sick time but that was under different standards than vacation time, and only 6 months after my temp period ended, AND this sick time includes usage for catastrophic weather conditions. That means if I didn't (and still don't) want to have to drive to work in a literal blizzard, I need sick time left in my pool.
I started working for this company as a temp (and was a temp for 7 months). During my temp period I was not allowed to miss a single day, nor be more than 8 minutes late, even once. Remember that mention about driving through blizzards? This employment path is not because (like someone else implied) I'm a less-than-optimal employment candidate. My employer is a locked garden, the only ways in to the company are through "temp to perm" or contractor positions that only may eventually lead to permanent employment. Even more frustrating, the temp-to-perm (and contractor) positions do not have a clear conclusion date. The minimum time is 6 months, however temp positions of 8-12 months are the defacto standard.
Reading what other people are posting
, I find these are surprisingly generous standards (said with *no* sarcasm)
. At least I do get sick and vacation time. No wonky points systems for me!