Wage Rage..

   The minimum wage for all workers should be pegged to the poverty line and deflation. I think that workers who are employed at the minimum obviously are not skilled enough to command higher wages. A two tier system of wages may be appealing because younger workers have fewer responsibilities. A major drawback is that under such a system, employers may be unwilling to employ too many older workers and so age discrimination could result.

  The ERISA (employee retirement income security act) is indeed a complex act that mandating all employers to provide retirement benefits for employees. This might be seen as unappealing to smaller business that would have to spend monies to ensure compliance. I do think however that the laws should reflect the nature and abilities of smaller companies to pay and as such all employers should provide some form of retirement benefits for employees.  For one thing, social security in America is not looking any brighter with time, added to that if an employee has devoted substantial time working one job, some retirement benefits is needed for his/ her life after work. 

 A 40 hour work week is putting the interest of the worker on the front burner. OSHA regulations ensure safety for employees in certain industries, drivers for example will tire and we would not need a tired truck driver on our streets. Non exempt workers cannot work more than 40 hours in any week without overtime, there should be no ambiguity in the language regulating overtime and wage laws, for this reason no employee should be allowed to voluntarily work more than the mandated hours.

        For good relations I believe the at-will work law in some states can be fair to both sides. Not all cases are similar and arguments can be made on both sides- illegal termination and employees leaving in bad faith- all under the at-will doctrine. No employer should be allowed to fire an employee for no reason, absolutely not.  We would not want to go back to the 1930’s with regards to employer- employee relations.