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Why Startups Are Making the Expensive Switch to Traditional Employment

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Re: Why Startups Are Making the Expensive Switch to Traditional Employment

#31
post #29

> "Under the contractor model, Lee says, the leaders at Luxe hadn’t been able to schedule workers for unpopular hours like late nights on Friday and Saturday; they could only bribe them to come online with higher rates of pay, as Uber does with surge pricing." Seriously? If someone is working Friday nights or Saturday nights, he SHOULD have higher pay. What it is with CEOs that they feel they are entitled to their wo…

Are you suggesting this to be the norm across industries? Like, the folks working the registers at Target on Friday night? What about Monday night? Or Wednesday night? How does that differ?

Friday nights in excess of a full-time work schedule, yes.

Re: Why Startups Are Making the Expensive Switch to Traditional Employment

#32
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you suggesting this to be the norm across industries? Like, the folks working the registers at Target on Friday night? What about Monday night? Or Wednesday night? How does that differ?

Friday nights in excess of a full-time work schedule, yes.

So this is just for hourly employees, then? Because in that case, I assume they'd be getting overtime regardless of the day of the week.

Re: Why Startups Are Making the Expensive Switch to Traditional Employment

#33
post #29

> "Under the contractor model, Lee says, the leaders at Luxe hadn’t been able to schedule workers for unpopular hours like late nights on Friday and Saturday; they could only bribe them to come online with higher rates of pay, as Uber does with surge pricing." Seriously? If someone is working Friday nights or Saturday nights, he SHOULD have higher pay. What it is with CEOs that they feel they are entitled to their wo…

Are you suggesting this to be the norm across industries? Like, the folks working the registers at Target on Friday night? What about Monday night? Or Wednesday night? How does that differ?

It doesn't differ and they should get payed extra. There is a cost to working late which somebody is going to pay no matter what.

Re: Why Startups Are Making the Expensive Switch to Traditional Employment

#34

The individual pays the cost. Today Uber drivers get like 80% of the fare. If Uber needed to pay benefits, give vacation time, etc, the pay rate would be much lower. That would all come out of the 80%. Just like how contract programmers bill a higher rate and get no benefits. Calling someone an employee doesn't suddenly create new money. I can't imagine uber drivers would prefer a lower rate of pay, but hey, I guess…

There's no intrinsic reason Uber's take is fixed at 20% - maybe their business can only viably employ humans (with all of their attendant needs like health insurance) with a smaller take.

Re: Why Startups Are Making the Expensive Switch to Traditional Employment

#35
post #29

> "Under the contractor model, Lee says, the leaders at Luxe hadn’t been able to schedule workers for unpopular hours like late nights on Friday and Saturday; they could only bribe them to come online with higher rates of pay, as Uber does with surge pricing." Seriously? If someone is working Friday nights or Saturday nights, he SHOULD have higher pay. What it is with CEOs that they feel they are entitled to their wo…

Are you suggesting this to be the norm across industries? Like, the folks working the registers at Target on Friday night? What about Monday night? Or Wednesday night? How does that differ?

It doesn't differ. And it is the norm in most Western countries outside the US.

Re: Why Startups Are Making the Expensive Switch to Traditional Employment

#36
This pops out at me and raises an argument I frequently had with managers when I worked in restaurants.

>Managers will have to make sure workers are taking breaks.

I almost never wanted to take a break while working for an hourly wage. I realize I am an exception, and I do not intend to raise issue with the requirement that breaks be offered, but I do find it odd that it is someone's job to ensure that I do not do something I want to do, and that my employer would prefer I do.

When working hourly, breaks tend to entail time spent in an unappealing space, without much time to do anything worthwhile, and not getting paid to do so.

Particularly with waiting tables, even a 30 minute break in a slow time would probably lose me 1-3 tables which could translate to anywhere from $3-$30. At an hourly rate, that's a decent chunk.

If anything I'd prefer to work a shift that is simply a half hour shorter, so I could actually go home and do things I'd like to do, rather than sit in a dingy breakroom while losing money.

Re: Why Startups Are Making the Expensive Switch to Traditional Employment

#37
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you suggesting this to be the norm across industries? Like, the folks working the registers at Target on Friday night? What about Monday night? Or Wednesday night? How does that differ?

It doesn't differ and they should get payed extra. There is a cost to working late which somebody is going to pay no matter what.

Just so we are on the same page...when you say "working late" do you mean "working more than 8 hours on a given day" or "simply working outside of the 9am-5pm timeframe?"

Re: Why Startups Are Making the Expensive Switch to Traditional Employment

#38

The individual pays the cost. Today Uber drivers get like 80% of the fare. If Uber needed to pay benefits, give vacation time, etc, the pay rate would be much lower. That would all come out of the 80%. Just like how contract programmers bill a higher rate and get no benefits. Calling someone an employee doesn't suddenly create new money. I can't imagine uber drivers would prefer a lower rate of pay, but hey, I guess…

> Calling someone an employee doesn't suddenly create new money.

But not calling them employees somehow magically creates money out of thin air to be labelled "profit" for Uber, without any detrimental effects to the rest of society?

Re: Why Startups Are Making the Expensive Switch to Traditional Employment

#39
post #29

> "Under the contractor model, Lee says, the leaders at Luxe hadn’t been able to schedule workers for unpopular hours like late nights on Friday and Saturday; they could only bribe them to come online with higher rates of pay, as Uber does with surge pricing." Seriously? If someone is working Friday nights or Saturday nights, he SHOULD have higher pay. What it is with CEOs that they feel they are entitled to their wo…

Are you suggesting this to be the norm across industries? Like, the folks working the registers at Target on Friday night? What about Monday night? Or Wednesday night? How does that differ?

Well, it's not entirely irrational that a society might decide that having to work in a way contrary to the natural diurnal cycle deserves higher pay. (Yes, I am suggesting that perhaps our society's obsession with having things like retail stores available 24/7 might not be healthy.)

Re: Why Startups Are Making the Expensive Switch to Traditional Employment

#40
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you suggesting this to be the norm across industries? Like, the folks working the registers at Target on Friday night? What about Monday night? Or Wednesday night? How does that differ?

Friday nights in excess of a full-time work schedule, yes.

No one said that was the case.
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