SENATE BILL: The Productivity Equalization and Worker Employment Act (OTPD)

[bgwah]

I'm giving this the PPT slot.

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Sponsor: bgwah

[Marokai Backbeat]

I'd like to offer the following amendment:

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[CatoMinor]

yeeeeaaaaaaah,uh,  about thaaaaat...I'm gonna go ahead and say I do not support this bill.

[bgwah]

I'd like to offer the following amendment:

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Why the per day requirements? I think many people would prefer a half-day on Friday. And some people already do 10 hours, 4 days a week to cut down on their commute costs.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Yeah, strike those. That was just a product of my obsession with a neat average. Other than that, my amendment remains!

[bgwah]

Why is 35 better than 32?

[Ban my account ffs!]

I'd like to see a provision that defines overtime pay in a graduated fashion.

For hours worked over 32 hours, for example, pay is mandated to be 1.5x the regular hourly wage (the hourly wage is defined for salaried workers as their weekly wage divided by forty).  For hours worked over 40 hours per week, pay is mandated to be 2.0x the regular hourly wage.

I'd shy away from daily caps because, as Bgwah pointed out, many people choose to work longer days fewer days per week to cut down on commute time and to spend more time with family.  That is a win-win for Atlasia and will be easier to achieve for workers with a reduced workweek.

The point of such a bill is to reduce stress levels on Atlasians which is nearing a tipping point in this economy.  It will also reduce unemployment as employers hire more employees to fill the gap.

Further, I would give which ever senator proposes an exception for small businesses a gold star.  Keep the hourly work week for small businesses 40 hours for all businesses with, say, fewer than 50 employees (regardless of income).

[Mopsus]

My primary concern with this bill is that it will decrease the productivity and competitiveness of Atlasian businesses in the global marketplace. Hmm... I might be able to support reducing the workweek to 36 hours for an individual employed full-time, but I don't think that the workweek should be significantly shorter than it is among our competitors in the rest of the developed world.

[bgwah]

Marokai & Snowguy, would something like this work?

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[Marokai Backbeat]

Sure, that seems reasonable.

[bgwah]

Alright. I'll interpret that as you withdrawing your amendment in favor of this one.

Anyway, my amendment is friendly, 24 hours to object, etc.

[Yelnoc]

(from the peanut gallery again)

Why would you cut down the productivity of workers in large companies but leave them unchanged for workers in small businesses?

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Why are reducing things by these increments of four? Are half-days really that much better than the workday being simply shortened by an hour?

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

From a purely economics standpoint, what good is this bill?

[bgwah]

From a purely economics standpoint, what good is this bill?

Technological advances have greatly increased worker productivity. During the recession many companies have downsized and realized re-hiring is not necessary due to productivity gains. This results in higher unemployment.

The workweek was regularly decreased with increasing productivity in the past.

[bgwah]

Why are reducing things by these increments of four? Are half-days really that much better than the workday being simply shortened by an hour?

It's not necessarily a half-day... We're not specifying how many hours can be worked per day. That will mostly be up to the employer and employee. You may have heard how some worked four 10-hour days when gas prices got really high, so they could cut down on their commute costs. Though I imagine half-days would be a popular choice. And if it got down to 32 hours, a 4 day workweek would probably be popular.


Oh yeah and the amendment has passed.

[bgwah]

This bill is now at a final vote. Please vote aye, nay, or abstain.

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Aye.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Aye

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Aye.

[Napoleon]

Aye

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Aye

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

nay

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Nay

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Aye

[bgwah]

This has enough votes to pass. Senators have 24 hours to change their votes.