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Comment by eganist | Hacker News Reader

> attaching benefits to employment sucks.

I don't know that this is something I can agree with. Benefits as value-adds from employers stems from what's effectively collective bargaining power. This is the thing most people can't articulate about their desire for benefits tied to employment - they know how much more expensive it'll be for individuals to negotiate the same rates regardless of how much more they might make directly.

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> they know how much more expensive it'll be for individuals to negotiate the same rates regardless of how much more they might make directly

I think he was referring to public health care systems. Dependence on employers for access to healthcare is the opposite of collective bargaining power. Every year, half a million Americans [1] file for bankruptcy due to medical issues. It's a lot easier to quit or switch your job when your family's financial future is not on the line.

[1] https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/11/this-is-the-real-reason-most...

The most powerful collective negotiator should be the government which represents the entire population. But the Republican stance since Reagan has been that the government should be small enough to drown in a bathtub.

If its not small enough, they do their best to crank up the water and tie weights to the government.

Yes, in the current environment, you are in a much worse position for negotiating as an individual. But if benefits were never attached to your job, then everyone would be in the same boat and better options for individuals would emerge. Better yet, let the government take over payment.

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