this post was submitted on 20 Jun 2025
1056 points (99.2% liked)
Work Reform
12665 readers
916 users here now
A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.
Our Philosophies:
- All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
- Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
- Workers must join together and fight back for what is rightfully theirs.
- We must not be divided and conquered. Workers gain the most when they focus on unifying issues.
Our Goals
- Higher wages for underpaid workers.
- Better worker representation, including but not limited to unions.
- Better and fewer working hours.
- Stimulating a massive wave of worker organizing in the United States and beyond.
- Organizing and supporting political causes and campaigns that put workers first.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Yeah, and unfortunately, like you said, that entire practice is fully illegal in the states. However, most employees are unwilling to report it and then file the evidence of why it was done. Because while there is no mandatory vacation time in the US, if you are provided It as a benefit, it must be something that you can use. And if they are regularly denying your PTO because they don't have the people to be able to cover it, then they are denying you a benefit which they are legally obligated to provide since they offered it as part of your benefits.
The amount of times that people just decide, oh well it's only PTO. It's no biggie. I don't want to rock the boat. It's insane. Like my mom lost over 600 hours of PTO because the business closed up and she didn't fight that they needed to pay it. She doesn't put two and two together that she's overall getting paid less because she has the benefit of having that PTO. So if they were to not offer the PTO, they are just paying less.
Your PTO, if offered, is part of your benefits package, meaning that it's part of your hourly wage calculation. So if you are given PTO and then not being allowed to use it, you are voluntarily being given a demotion.
... and this is why non corrupt unions need to exist.
A single person likely can't afford the legal costs or even just simply the time and headache of pursuing justice, and there is just a massive ass backward culture in the US of it being rude to discuss money and finances with basically anyone...
Get the masses fighting with each other, distrustful of each other, so they don't rally against the real, common enemy.
Oldest tactic in the book, divide and conquer, but you'd have to undo over a century of brainwashing that has now just become a cultural norm amongst morons who think one day they'll be able to be the asshole boss.
Or, even just that if they acquiesce to every absurd demand and insult, they'll be seen as a reliable employee. The reality is that none of that matters, we are all just homogenous human capital to them, especially so at such unspecialized, entry level retail jobs.