From the NY Times:

With the Democratic Congress expected to move quickly to raise the minimum wage, many Democrats, women’s organizations and liberal groups are gearing up for a fight on another workplace issue: paid sick days.

This is another example of a policy that sounds good, much like increasing the minimum wage (I won’t flog that horse tonight).  It is part and parcel of the way socialist (I’m tired of saying liberal or progressive) politicians try to try to force “compassion” upon all of us.

Benefits that companies offer, including paid sick days, are offered as a way to entice desirable workers.  They are a core element of our free market system.

Some businesses choose to offer elaborate benefit plans, which entice the most talented employees.  Those plans are expensive, so the cost is passed on to either the worker in the form of lower wages or the consumer in the form of higher prices.  The company must offer a high quality product that commands a price premium over the competition to make this work.

Other businesses choose to offer less attractive benefit plans, which only bring in lower skilled, lower wage workers.  Those companies can either sell products at a lower cost or pay employees a higher wage to remain competitive.

Both business models serve a vital role in our economic system.  It is in vogue to bash the Wal-Mart low cost/low price model, but it has done wonders to enhance the standard of living for people at the lower income levels.  Those individuals are able to afford more because of Wal-Mart than they would otherwise.

The honest reality is that every worker has a fair market value - wages, benefits, everything.  That is the element of capitalism that seems unfair.  Socialists believe that every person is entitled to a certain level of freebies simply by virtue of being alive.  Capitalists believe that everyone earns what they receive (with exceptions for those who cannot do so).  Consequently some earn more than others.

The bottom line is that no one forces you to work at a place that does not offer paid sick days.  If you choose to take that job, then that is a decision you should live with and be responsible for.  If you have no better opportunities than companies that do not offer paid sick days then, I’m sorry, but you just are not that valuable as a worker.  Try making yourself a more marketable employee rather than begging government for a handout.

Back to the article…

A big problem with not having paid sick days, [Senator Edward] Kennedy said, is that many parents, not wanting to miss work, let their sick children go to school, spreading their illnesses. Mr. Kennedy said his bill would guarantee paid sick days to 66 million who do not now have them.

Let me translate.  People have children, I’ll call them responsibilities because that is what they are, and they aren’t willing to make the necessary sacrifices to tend to their responsibilities so they want nanny government to bail them out.  If you don’t have the financial resources or time to take care of children in a responsible manner then please don’t have children.

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This entry was posted by Brian on Tuesday, December 5th, 2006 at 11:51 pm and is filed under Communism/Socialism, Government. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Please note the copyright policy.