Does Bigfoot Exist?

Does Bigfoot exist?  Is there an alien skeleton in a lab at Area 51? Will the world ever figure out that the Kardashians aren’t interesting? Does the California legislature hate employees? Sounds crazy, but like all conspiracy theories there is some interesting evidence.  Examples?

• In the interest of “protecting” employees, the Wage Orders make it very difficult for employees and employers to agree to a 4(10) schedule that allows employees to take every Friday off.Apparently grown adults cannot make that decision for themselves, it requires a draconian “election” process, fraught with legal risk for the employer. Result:  we advise employers to deny any request for those work/life balance-friendly schedules.
• The Wage Orders also make it virtually impossible for an employee to take an “on duty” meal period. Some employees like to “eat on the go” and get paid for the time (and go home earlier). The complexity of the “exception” allowing that to happen discourages all but the bravest (or dumbest) employers from allowing it. Instead, those employees have to clock out for at least (30) minutes whether they want to or not.
• Safety bonuses? Production bonuses? No way.The “regular rate” calculation (probably inspired by Einstein’s theory of relativity) causes such an accounting morass that employers all across California have simply abandoned creative ways of giving employees bonuses based on results.
• How about getting rewarded for individual effort? Nope.Piece rate compensation (similar to capitalism, i.e. work harder get paid more), has been solidly defeated by the Legislature, courts and Labor Commissioner – replaced by “payment for non-productive time” (Socialism).  Result: why work harder when you’re getting paid the same amount as the lazybones working next to you.

These are just a few of the examples that make me question what California really thinks of its employees. Either (A) the legislators secretly dislike a majority of our workforce, or (B) they continue to pass laws without sufficient analysis, forethought, or experience to foresee the negative consequences on their supposed constituents.

Bigfoot? Doubtful. Aliens? Probable. Kardashians? Insufferable. California legislators passing constructive labor laws? Urban legend.