this post was submitted on 27 Sep 2025

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Work Reform

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A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.

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All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
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Americans Are Using PTO to Sleep, Not for Vacation—Report (www.newsweek.com)

submitted 2 days ago by return2ozma@lemmy.world to c/workreform@lemmy.world

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[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

https://www.ueunion.org/org_steps.html

After the UAW strikes they fought for and negotiated a 25% wage increase over four and a half years, reinstated cost-of-living adjustments, and the elimination of the two-tier wage system. Additionally, the contracts improved retirement benefits and provided stronger protections against plant closures, marking significant gains for the workers involved.

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_United_Auto_Workers_strike

They also coordinated contract expirations for May 1st 2028, and the more labor unions who coordinated those dates the more collective bargaining can effect even with anti labor laws like Taft-Hartley.

[–] tehn00bi@lemmy.world 32 points 10 hours ago

My parents lived on a single income in the 90’s. Owned 2000+ sq ft house. Had an RV and we used to road trip most summers across the US. I’ve never had the opportunity to repeat their level of travel.

[–] Jhex@lemmy.world 21 points 10 hours ago (2 children)

Soon the headline would be "Americans using PTO to do grocery shopping and cleaning their house"... followed by "New Labour reform have Americans using PTO to use the bathroom during office hours"

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 5 points 4 hours ago

“Americans using PTO to do grocery shopping and cleaning their house”

That's EXACTLY what a staycation is. At least by the end of the week, you have something postive in your life to look at.

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 4 points 4 hours ago

[–] But_my_mom_says_im_cool@lemmy.world 13 points 12 hours ago

Who the hell can even afford a vacation?

[–] Sibshops@lemmy.myserv.one 3 points 9 hours ago

Oh yeah, that's me.

There are lots of times where I was up with the kids all night because they were sick.

[–] Bloomcole@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago

Good docile slaves

[–] Surp@lemmy.world 52 points 1 day ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (6 children)

My vacation is not moving for a few days in my apartment playing video games eating ultra processed frozen foods that were on sale Edit: for anyone saying this is an incredible vacation you need to think hard about how it's not. Years ago people used to be able to go places and do things. Now we're numb.

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 3 points 4 hours ago

Even I, someone who loves videogames, want to leave the house sometimes. I have been sheltering in place, to avoid spending money.

...it sucks.

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 3 points 12 hours ago

This backlog won't play itself!

[–] Deflated0ne@lemmy.world -5 points 12 hours ago

That sounds incredible.

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[–] demizerone@lemmy.world 11 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (4 children)

Waking up early for the fucking 8:30 AM meeting is the worst part of my life. I hate it.

[–] mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca 3 points 10 hours ago

sounds like easy money if you're paid that half hour to do nothing, basically

if you're salary, that's dumb af tho

[–] funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works 4 points 11 hours ago

ours is 8.37 every day, and management struggles to think of things to do at it.

[–] DarkAri@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

Maybe it's time to start thinking about another job?

We need money to live, but there is no amount of money worth losing your happiness over. Sometimes it's better to sell the house, buy a good used Toyota, and take a pay cut to get a significantly less stressful job. Also make sure you are practicing self care. Eating well, taking time to yourself to enjoy the things you want to do, even if it's just sleeping.

[–] LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

I legitimately chuckled at first but I can't tell if you're serious.

House? Toyota? I make well over median wage, save everything, and those things might as well be private jets to me.

My savings interest rate is some of the best countrywide and it's literally less than house price increase averages alone.

I have 5 yrs exp and an MSc in STEM and I haven't heard back from a single job application I've sent out even while I'm still employed after sending out at least 10 of highly personalized applications of CV + cover letter.

Everyone else I know - people who are frankly - way smarter than me live with parents and are unemployed with the exception of one person who lives with their parents and has no money, but is an accomplished academic researcher (maths I think) who gives talks at international events.

What are you smoking? What world do you live in? How do I get there?

[–] SLVRDRGN@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago

And on that note, I highly recommend a Prius! They are amazing companions.

[–] JoeBigelow@lemmy.ca -1 points 11 hours ago (3 children)

The fuck part of 830 is early? Enjoy your breakfast and shitting a home I punch in at 630. At least I do get paid for my morning dump and shit post session

[–] LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 4 hours ago

I get up at 9:30 for my 9-5 WFH gig and it doesn't actually feel any better. You can get used to good things too and it doesn't render capitalism any less soulsucking.

[–] bitjunkie@lemmy.world 9 points 9 hours ago

This kind of "must be nice" reaction is exactly what the owner class wants: workers pissy at each other over how big their crumbs are, instead of at the perpetrators who feast on the bad situation they created.

[–] Mesophar@pawb.social 7 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Ok, but think of it in terms of normal start times vs needing to go in early, instead of the actual hour. If you usually start at 6:30 but had to go in for 6:00 for no reason other than a meeting that could have been an email, it sucks.

I used to have a 6:30 start time when I was younger, had an hour commute, and still had time for breakfast at home in the morning. It absolutely sucked and I hated it. Getting up for 8:30 start times still sucks if you're used to 9:00 start times.

[–] JoeBigelow@lemmy.ca 4 points 10 hours ago

That's a perfectly fair point, well taken.

Let's just say getting out of bed and leaving the house on somebody else's schedule to make somebody else money sucks in general.

[–] standarduser@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Pretty much. I’ve blown through my pto in the past few months just so I can get more sleep from how tired I am. Vacationing is not likely to happen anyhow with how expensive everything is to do stateside.

I just want more sleep man.

[–] DarkAri@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Sounds kind of like depression tbh. When I had a bout of depression recently. I was sleeping like 10-15 hours a day when I could, sometimes as soon as I got off work until I'd wake up, and it would never be enough. I'd be fantasizing about the bed all day lol.

There is usually some root cause to it usually if you don't have clinical depression. Mine was being trans and thinking the Nazis were going to try to kill all of us. Still true but I guess i feel a bit better now. Really just coming out. As I came out and told people much of that went away and I feel better now. I can play video games again which is cool.

[–] LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 4 hours ago

Based on your other replies I feel like you must be trolling.

[–] myfunnyaccountname@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 day ago

Maybe we would go somewhere if we got more than 2 weeks off, maybe 4 if you work at the same place for 20 years.

[–] pressedhams@lemmy.blahaj.zone 168 points 2 days ago (5 children)

Yeah, because I can’t afford to go anywhere in my time off. Sleep is the vacation.

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[–] phoenixarise@lemmy.world 80 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Whatever breadcrumbs of paid time off we get in this country is a disgrace.

[–] slaacaa@lemmy.world 33 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Watching from Europe, it’s astonishing.

We have adopted many parts of US business culture, luckily not this one.

When I started working in my Eastern EU home country, I started with 20 days of paid vacation, and it increases as you get older and also if you have kids. Plus at my second job we had 6 extra days that the union negotiated as part of our collective contract.

Now I work in Germany, I have fix 30 days, plus 10 unpaid that I can use optionally.

Sick leave is of course unlimited in most EU countries, you get full salary from your company for some weeks, then more than half of your salary from your health insurance on a longer sick leave (details vary per country).

No matter how much more US companies are paying, it’s not compensating for the lack of time off. “You can always earn an extra dollar/euro, but you cannot earn an extra minute”

I honestly wonder, how people can live like this - I’m of course talking about higher paid white collar workers, not those on poverty wages who wouldn’t have a choice in any country

[–] phoenixarise@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

We’re also wondering how we can live like this. Not well, I can tell you that.

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[–] Chivera@lemmy.world 59 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yeah we're taking a break from work. Some of us don't want to go out and have to keep waking up early.

[–] Joeffect@lemmy.world 26 points 1 day ago

Everything is to fucking expensive

[–] webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 79 points 2 days ago (5 children)

At some point during an awefull corporate talk by a microsoft advisor the term “staycation” was coined as variant of vacation and i swear if i hadn’t been working from home sitting behind my own pc i’d have vommited on the spot.

[–] CannonFodder@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago

What about 'workation'. That's where you take a pto day to get caught up on your actual work and not have to be interrupted by meetings or other coworkers.

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[–] lolola@lemmy.blahaj.zone 44 points 2 days ago (1 children)

All of mine are mental health days. Too depressed to work too damn often. I never accumulate enough to take a real break.

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