Does there need to be a reason for our country to align with todays times? We are in 2023 and we are still working with “employment at will”? We are making young people take 100s of 1000s in student loans and then we don’t even mandate basic work benefits.

I came to the US from Europe and they talked about “benefits” and I thought wow they offer more than what I was getting in Europe! Little did I know that I had to even negotiate my vacations! I had to be happy that they offered sick days, disability or covered part of my health insurance! A restaurant worker in Europe gets all that without even asking. They are mandated by each country and the EU.

We keep talking about equality but we don’t have paid maternity leave??? How can you explain that to a European? I work in Switzerland now and talk to many Europeans. Every time someone has a kid and is out on maternity/paternity I am the running joke. They keep referring to me and laughing that I got 0 days and had to work and get on calls from the hospital the next day my wife gave birth!

I now have a contract and 4 months notice. 5 weeks vacations, unlimited sick days and there’s a law against working Saturdays after 6pm, Sundays and National holidays. Also I have to take by law 2 weeks vacations in a row. Overtime is paid and we are encouraged to take time off if we have any overtime. There’s a system where we have to log the hours we work each day.