Opinion: Instacart, Amazon and America’s terrible worker protections
Even in the middle of a pandemic, the United States remains the only First World nation not to require paid sick or family leave. The recent emergency legislation requiring such leave for the coronavirus exempted companies with more than 500 employees, and gave so many exceptions for other businesses that the New York TimesOne result? A number of customer-facing companies are offering paid sick leave to employees with the— but only with a confirmed diagnosis.
But none of this is new. The issues the coronavirus raises for workers have festered in our economy — and our lives — for years. A driver for a ride-hailing service, or a shopper or personal assistant working via an online platform, is not eligible for workers’ compensation — or, for that matter, assistance with medical bills — if injured on what for all intents and purposes is the job.
But the slipshod contempt from those in power toward working Americans, deeming their worth inferior to the quest for management profits, is an issue that long pre-dates Trump, and is one that will, unless we take action, continue after he exits the White House. It’s sick to think that it might take the coronavirus to force the American political and economic structure to acknowledge and address the reality of how we treat workers in the United States.
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