This post may contain affiliate links, which means I shall receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure statement for more information. [If you would prefer to watch this speech on YouTube please click here]
Citizens of the Republic,
Welcome back – So, what we are seeing now in our country with the Great Resignation?
A scrambled, ad hoc response from various industries trying to entice Americans back to work with promises of better benefits in an attempt to address an underlying systemic issue which we have failed to address for years.
Americans have no time off.
For as we discussed in our previous episode, the United States of America is the only modern, industrialized nation, which does not have an annual paid leave policy.
In sum, we have no Federal law which requires employers to provide a minimum amount of paid time off to their employees. Contrary, to say, pretty much, the rest of the world. See, List of Minimum Annual Leave By Country, Wikipedia.
Which is mind-boggling when you consider in this hyper-partisan age where everyone is fighting about everything, this issue has broad popular appeal which crosses party lines.
In fact, a recent survey from the American Council of Life Insurers shows that 71% of all voters, including 84% of Democrats, 63% of Republicans, and 60% of Independents, like myself, support our country adopting an annual paid leave policy, where employers are required to provide paid leave to their employees. See, Megan Leonhardt, The $3.5 trillion budget promises Americans 12 weeks of paid leave – and workers are all for it, September 23, 2021.
Look at that America – we actually agree on something!
So, why are we waiting around for an ad hoc, discombobulated response to this issue?
Why are we assuming that company A, that offers a generous 20 days of paid leave to its employees, which let’s say produces widgets, a hypothetical product, is going to be able to prosper, under an economic environment where employees from company B, which let’s say transports the goods, and employees from company C, which stocks the shelves, provide little to no paid time off for their employees – whatsoever.
Wouldn’t you under the circumstances abandon companies B and C to work for company A?
Well, that sounds all well, and good – until we figure out that not everyone can be a widget producer because there is nobody left around to transport the goods, stock the shelves, check you out over the counter, cook your meals, wait on your tables, or buy the widgets.
Systemic problems. Require systemic solutions. The United States of America needs an annual paid leave policy for hardworking Americans across all industries.
For how can a society which operates off the principle of checks and balances – have no check on whether an employer is required to provide you with paid time off.
A society that has no checks, has no balance – or in this case, no work life-balance.
So, what do we need? Just two weeks.
For if our sister democracies, in Europe, and Australia, can guarantee their people 20 days of paid leave per year, how it is objectively unreasonable for hard-working Americans to ask for just ten days? See, Which countries get the most Paid Time Off? DailyMail, August 15, 2019. See also, Mark Johanson, Life in a no-vacation nation, November 6, 2014.
So, if you believe, as I do, that this policy matter needs to be raised in our public discourse, please like, subscribe, ring that notification bell, share with your friends – and stay tuned, for more videos on this subject.
Feel free to tag us here on your social media accounts at hashtag Citizen of the Republic, alongside the hashtag, Just Two Weeks.
Finally, if you are interested in learning more about this problem, please refer to the cited materials below, the first of which has a world map which highlights this issue.
This is James David Miller, relinquishing the stage but not the field.
Be well, be safe, stay strong, and keep the faith America.
Content Disclaimer: This post may link to publicly available materials, facts, figures, or statistics, from outside sources. These links are provided as a courtesy to the reader and to give credit to the source that provided this material to the public. The author of this post claims no copyright over these materials. The use of such materials, facts, figures, and statistics, by the author of this post, should in no way be construed as an express or implied endorsement by these sources of the contents of this post. The opinions and interpretations regarding those materials expressed herein are solely that of the author, James Miller, President, Citizen of the Republic, LLC.
© 2021 James Miller, President & Founder, Citizen of the Republic, LLC. All rights reserved.
