LABOR REFORMS
Workers Bill of Rights
Wages
All wages shall be tied into inflation as a minimum +1% annually
This means if annual inflation for a given year is 3%, the effective wage increase for a worker for the next year shall be 4% of salary at a minimum
All profits from business shall distribute 50% of net profits to workers on a minimum of a quarterly basis, pro-rated if employment stops before that quarterly mark.
All time worked over their scheduled time shall be 1.5x hourly wage regardless of full time, part time, or contract status
For a 5-day work week the following additional provisions shall take place:
All hours worked on a 6th day, shall be 2x the hourly wage
All hours worked on a 7th day, shall be 3x the hourly wage
For a 4-day work week the following additional provisions shall take place:
All hours worked on a 5th day, shall be 1.5x the hourly wage
All hours worked on a 6th day, shall be 2x the hourly wage
All hours worked on a 7th day, shall be 3x the hourly wage
For a 3-day work week the following additional provisions shall take place:
All hours worked on a 4th day, shall be 1.5x the hourly wage
All hours worked on a 5th day, shall be 1.5x the hourly wage
All hours worked on a 6th day, shall be 2x the hourly wage
All hours worked on a 7th day, shall be 3x the hourly wage
Any wage incentives such as Shift Differential shall be in effect for the duration of the employment of the individual, even if they are asked to work a shift that has a lower, or no shift differential.
Conversely if employees without a shift differential are tasked to work on a schedule that has one, they will receive the shift differential and all other benefits associated with it for the entire duration of their scheduled time
All wage information for positions must be clearly stated, and easily accessible by employees, or prospective hires, including fully transparent on job boards.
There must be a fair system, that is transparent and easily accessible in place to track compensation for every position within an organization
Discussing wages shall continue to be federally protected, and any unfair wage practices shall be met with heavy fines, and prison time for the Business C level personnel
Engaging in undocumented hiring, intimidation, and wage theft shall result in the business owners, leadership, and hiring department to be heavily fined, and charged with jail time, while the victims will be given the opportunity to obtain work visas and recuperate their lost/stolen wages.
The minimum wage shall be raised to $26.50/hour for all jobs, across all businesses, regardless of revenue, or profit margin.
Tipped wages shall be similarly raised to $26.50/hour
Commission positions must pay all employees a minimum of $26.50/hour for hours worked, and commissions earned
Annual raises must still stay in line with inflation +1%
Companies that offer $26.50/hour or more should continue to do so, but are not allowed to cut the wages of any employees because of this reform
In order to support small businesses, making < $1,000,000 in annual revenue, the federal government shall pay the difference in current wages up to $26.50/hour.
Additionally the federal government will offer business planning services, at no cost to the small business, to develop a strategy in which the business can sustain itself with the $26.50/hour minimum wage.
Benefits
A new federal standard for minimum benefits shall be put into place to include the following:
Unlimited sick time off
30 days of PTO, which can roll over indefinitely
2 years fully paid paternity leave
All break times shall be paid including 2 15-minute breaks, and 1 30-minute lunch
Commuting time shall be compensated
Discrimination based on distance from work shall be met with existing anti-discrimination laws
Commuting times and distances shall be compensated according to their distance from the work site, but shall not count as regular working hours
Specifically, a person that commutes to work 30 minutes one way shall not be allowed to work 7 hours and then leave again while being considered at work for a full day. This is to ensure the fairness of those who live closer or further from the job site being compensated proportionately but not being less present at the job site
All industries shall have an employee relations staff so that employees can address grievances with their employers, managers, or supervisors without reprisal and without being outright dismissed or reprised or retaliated against.
These personnel will solely exist to enforce federal labor laws, mediate disputes, and advocate on behalf of the worker.
These personnel will work with Union officials as part of their duties, or may be utilized in lieu of Union officials respectively without violating Union Rules or Contracts
Retirement
With the quality of life, and longer life span of citizens and workers it is reasonable to respect the concerns of industries that they will be unable to afford retirement for employees who live for 20 or 30 years past their retirement age. Therefore, the following provisions shall be put into a place:
Federal Retirement System
Social Security taxable income caps shall be abolished
Social Security shall become the new American Retirement System
Social Security shall no longer be taxed
Social Security deductions shall be uncapped
Social Security shall be eligible for payout after a minimum 20 years of combined employment
At 20 years total employment, Social Security shall be paid out at a rate of 50% of the highest salary earned during that time
At 25 years total employment, Social Security shall be paid out at a rate of 60% of the highest salary earned during that time
At 30 years total employment, Social Security shall be paid out at a rate of 70% of the highest salary earned during that time
At 35 years total employment, Social Security shall be paid out at a rate of 85% of the highest salary earned during that time
At 40+ years total employment, Social Security shall be paid out at a rate of 100% of the highest salary earned during that time
Employment shall include any military service, elected, or appointed service, or similar activity, and includes any time spent as a stay-at-home parent
Stay at Home Parenting or Full Time Guardianship Considerations
To encourage the most precious element of human life the following provisions and accommodations shall be henceforth established for those individuals seeking to raise children, start families, or support family members with children full time
Register with the DOL office, or equivalent local agency to notify the intent of becoming a full-time parent, or guardian
For the duration of that time, whether months or until all children, dependents, or wards turn 18, persons covered under this provision shall be considered to have worked a job whose salary would equal $70,000 annually with associated pay raises in accordance with economic historical inflation rates, and mandatory wage increases, for the entire duration of their full-time status.
This provision shall be considered for all aspects of re-entering the work force, and retirement compensation considerations
In the case that the guardianship is for care of an adult who is unable to live on their own, or an elderly family member, there shall be no age limit consideration and individuals shall receive additional support from any associated agencies respectively
Employment Guarantees
In order to guarantee a strong work life balance, the ability to live a full and meaningful life, or to pursue building a family, the following guarantees shall be in effect:
Guaranteed Predictive Scheduling
No schedule changes shall be made without 2 weeks prior notice
Schedules that alternate between daytime, and night time hours in the same week shall incur hardship pay at a rate of 3x the base compensation for the entirety of the schedule regardless of part time, contract, or full-time status
1 week of Employer sponsored adjustment time must be granted for all affected employees of a shift schedule change
Emergency exceptions shall be allowed such as
National Crisis
Public safety
Emergency exceptions must be resolved within 6 weeks and all hourly workers affected shall be paid at hardship rates: 3x their hourly wage for the duration of the emergency
Additionally, any incurred overtime will still abide by the 1.5x, 2x, and 3x rule at the rate of the hardship pay including any shift differentials. This could result in a mandatory 9x from base pay compensation per this provision
Time Keeping and Work Hours
Time keeping shall begin at the point of arrival of the employee at their worksite.
This means if an employee is scheduled to work from 6am – 2pm, and they arrive at 5:55am, their 8-hour shift begins at 5:55am and ends at 1:55pm, and any time worked over that 8-hour period can be used to determine eligibility for overtime hours.
Employees have the right to adjust their arrival and departure times by their early arrival or stay over time to ensure 32 hours total
All software that monitors or manages time keeping must account for all times recorded as they are recorded.
No automatic time deductions
No rounding of hours
Layoffs or Firing
When firings or layoffs are justified all employees:
Are to be given 30 days’ notice with documentation outlining the justification
Have the right to appeal the decision, and receive appointed legal support
Shall receive 30 days of severance pay, including any incentive pay regardless of termination or layoff, in addition to unused PTO, Sick or Vacation time
These provisions supersede any and all applicable “Right to Work” or “At Will” statutes
Training
Job Training must be standardized, applicable to all personnel equally, accessible through either hard copy on site, or digital copies on a company server.
All industries must create, and integrate a training program that designates qualifications for personnel to become certified trainers, and are then the sole personnel allowed to conduct training on tasks, responsibilities, or other work-related activities.
Training must cover all duties and responsibilities
Training must cover all hazards, and safety considerations with their respective role, duty, or responsibility
Training must be carried out by an employee who meets the qualifications of certified trainer for the role or duty being trained
Tools, Equipment, Uniforms
All employers who require mandatory uniforms shall provide one set of uniforms for each scheduled work day, for a week of labor, of the employee
5 work uniforms for a 5 day week, 4 work uniforms for a 4 day week, and 3 work uniforms for a 3 day week
All employers must provide, at no cost to the employee, all:
Tools
Safety equipment
Including prescription safety glasses
Including shoe inserts
Including prescription hearing safety equipment
Stationary and other office supplies
Respirators, or other air quality control equipment
Safety harnesses, and other fall equipment
Other tools, materials, or accessories to ensure safe, and ergonomic working conditions
Ergonomic work stations, desks, or accommodations
An example would be a chair for employees working on their feet for a majority of their work day
An example would be an ergonomic mat for workers on an assembly line to reduce foot, ankle, and knee fatigue
Workplace Accommodations
All work places shall provide access to restrooms, and other sanitary needs
All work places shall accommodate breastfeeding mothers
All work places shall have religious accommodations that are dignified
All work places shall have disability accommodations that are dignified
All work places shall provide clean drinking water at a minimum in common areas, accessible to all employees
No job sites shall restrict or monitor the use of restroom time by their employees
No employer has the right to monitor employee social media, or other personal activities
Exceptions to this rule would fall under national security, proprietary rights, or if the employee is a direct representative such as a Director, PR person, or similar. A standard employee, outside of their scheduled working hours, shall never be considered a direct representative of the company.
Employer, Manager, and Supervisor Relations
Workplaces shall be free of verbal abuse, threats, sabotage, and bullying of any kind.
As much as possible, jobs should maximize the fulfillment and development of the people doing them and should minimize drudgery and stagnation.
Productivity shall be measured by the completion, competence, and quality of assigned tasks, duties or responsibility.
It is not up to the employee to find work to do, perform “Busy Work”, or otherwise seem “engaged” if there aren’t any duties to perform.
This shall also not reflect on the employee as a way to justify docking wages, curtailing time, or otherwise impacting the employees’ rate of pay.
Downtime should be considered as an opportunity to reward employees with full pay and early release from work
Employers that make promises to their employees about pay, benefits, promotions, and responsibilities shall honor those promises, even if made verbally
Promotion requirements shall be well established, universal, and free from bias
Wage increases shall be well established, universal, and free from bias
Duties and Responsibilities shall be well established, universal, and free from bias
Incurring additional duties or responsibilities outside of your original duties and responsibilities shall incur a 5% wage or salary increase for each individual duty or responsibility inherited
Reprisal, and Retaliation shall have lesser requirements to prove
If even 1 act that can be reasonably construed as an act of reprisal or retaliation occur, this will be enough evidence to prove it has taken place
Employees have the right to record incidents as evidence
These incidents should be recorded to include: date, approximate time, individual(s) involved, and the incident itself
Leadership personnel must make every effort to meet the professional needs of their employees, including taking their work life balance, personal health, and other relevant accommodations into consideration when making business or enterprise decisions.
Leadership personnel shall be evaluated every 6 months to determine their employee relations abilities.
Specifically, this means that Manager, Supervisors, or any personnel in charge of others must be effective at managing their responsible parties. In practice, receiving complaints from a significant portion of their work force for poor leadership, retaliation, failure to adhere to promises, etc. shall result in their removal from leadership and must undergo leadership training by an approved agency, pass with sufficient marks, and shall be on a 12 month probationary period thereafter for any future leadership role.
Leadership must fill all short falls in their respective areas of responsibility.
Plainly put, there shall no longer be an allowance for short staffing, understaffing, lean staffing, or similar business practices.
Universal Injury, Illness, or Disability Support
Ensure seamless access to healthcare services, including emergency care, specialist consultations, surgeries, and rehabilitation therapies.
Promote injury prevention initiatives, education, and public awareness campaigns to reduce the incidence of accidents and injuries.
For the entire duration of the injury, illness, or disability, the worker shall receive full compensation, including access to promotions, raise, bonuses, training, and other earned or guaranteed rights, privileges, or benefits outlined in their position
Workers who end up permanently disabled, suffer from a debilitating illness, or worse, in their line of duty directly or indirectly, shall be permitted to retire at a rate of 1.5x their current highest base salary for the remainder of their days, with additional medical support guaranteed
Should a worker die during their regular duties, due to direct or indirect actions of the worker or the industry, survivor benefits shall be paid in full at a rate of 1.5x the salary of the fallen worker until the survivors natural lifespan