> Pay for work not time spent on the computer
This is the right solution, but of course is harder for some occupations - call center, sewing buttons, and more mundane work. Where 'bad' employers can push up the amount of work expected.
This is the right solution, but of course is harder for some occupations - call center, sewing buttons, and more mundane work. Where 'bad' employers can push up the amount of work expected.
I used to work in a brush factory when I was a teenager (during school holidays). It was basically 8 hours of grabbing a metal clip and s row of brush hairs, slide the latter into the former, put the assembly under a press, put the result in a box. I made the day interesting by getting my movements down exactly so I would get into a flow and even almost dissociate (it was better than it sounds, I was not a sweatshop child laborer). The regular workers would regularly remind me not to 'overwork' myself, and after a few weeks, those 'reminders' turned into near bullying (probably because I was upping the level for what was 'normal' output levels).
Was I a bad employee or bad colleague in that case? I don't think so, but ostensibly some others thought differently.
There's a lot of unwritten rules in factories - I recall being told about how when a big heavy engineering turbine or what have you was close to being delivered ,work slowed right down until the magic brown envelopes arrived.
And my source commented even the tea boy got £750 - this was the 70's so a lot of £
Sure, if by "most items" you really meant "most items at a sustainable rate that won't cause long-term injury, for enough hours to qualify for benefits such as health insurance at a pay-scale sufficient to live on, on a schedule that allows taking care of non-work obligations, etc. "
Instead, businesses are optimized to hire those who can do the most for the least pay, are desperate enough to not complain about the working conditions, and burn them out without much concern over any externalities.
Particularly galling to me are the "35 hours a week is a part-time job that doesn't qualify for health benefits" (which makes it very difficult to get and keep a second job), and the "we pay in 15m increments rounded down just to make sure you aren't a full time employee" dodges.
When workers are paid per piece directly it can sometimes mean they will be paid less than the minimum wage.