Exploitation of the American Worker

There used to be a time when people could make an honest wage and feel valued for it by their employers. Unfortunately, that time has come and gone with our plummeting economy and the fall of unions all across America. Companies are squeezing more and more out of each employee while giving less in return. No longer can workers even hold true that basic constitutional labor laws and personal rights to privacy are being upheld due to the de-regulating of American business practices and the rise of disclaimers on company letterhead. Today, employees are exchanging their autonomy for a paycheck out of fear they will lose their jobs, healthcare, and livelihoods all together!

As companies get away with denying employee’s basic right to lunch or piling on so much work it is imposible to take a break, while forcing workers to come in early or stay late without proper compensation, it is the American Worker who suffers. Employees today are expected to do the job of 2 or 3 workers because employers are unwilling to hire the actual amount of workers needed for any given job. From retail to healtcare, government to finance; no industry is left out of this intricate web of deceit and exploitation. The more companies are allowed to exploit workers by keeping them below benefit eligbility or over working them thereby compromising safety, well-being, and basic rights, the more business will continue to push the envelope. By deminishing providing proper compensation for over-time or real-time paid for time at work, employees are becoming more and more tired and resentful.

Not only are a rising number of employers violating labor laws in record numbers, but they are getting away with it too. Just this year alone, with millions of Americans out of work, companies are downsizing at record speeds despite receiving federal money to sustain and even increase the workforce. The ever competitive nature of American Business and the increased level of greed from upper management are contributing to the exploitation of the American Worker. With the rising costs of healthcare, childcare, food, gas, and housing at all time highs, average employees are forced to work longer and longer hours or even mulitple jobs just to make ends meet. This gives all the power to employers who have twice the amount of applicants to choose from and can replace disgruntled workers easier than ever.