Wednesday, April 18, 2007

What if John Edwards worked at Wal-Mart

Fantastic article. I hope Edwards reads this and remembers if he makes it past the primary.

What if John Edwards worked at Wal-Mart?
Ordinary wage-earners face obstacles in trying to care for ill spouse
ELLEN BRAVO
McClatchy Newspapers

Pundits opine over whether or not John Edwards should suspend his presidential campaign in the face of his wife's recurrence of cancer -- a personal decision that's none of our business. But here's something that is our business, every one of us: what happens when ordinary workers' loved ones become sick with cancer, or for that matter, the flu?

Imagine that John Edwards worked as an associate at Wal-Mart -- or any other non-union retail outfit -- stocking shelves 35 hours a week. Most weeks he's scheduled for 40 hours or more, but because he doesn't work those hours year-round, he's not full time and not eligible for health insurance.

John has been on the job more than a year and is covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). That means he can take up to twelve weeks off to care for his seriously ill wife. Problem is, the time is unpaid. With the loss of income from his wife's job while she undergoes treatment and medical bills piling up, he can't afford to take much leave. Only 8 percent of workers in the private sector get paid family leave, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics -- and John isn't among them.

No paid sick days
If John wants to hold Elizabeth's hand during chemo, he'd have to hope the appointment falls on a day off. Because of the unpredictability of his schedule, John often doesn't know until a day or two ahead of time which days and what hours he'll be working in the coming week.Why doesn't he use his own sick days?

John has some, but in his store you're not allowed to use your sick time unless you yourself are ill. As an hourly employee, none of his sick days are paid -- like half the workforce, three-quarters of low-wage workers, and five out of six part-timers. Taking off would not only cost John a day's wages, but could trigger disciplinary action.

Or John could be one of the growing percent of workers at Wal-Mart and other employers whose weekly hours are kept at less than 25, removing him from FMLA coverage. That means he's not guaranteed any leave, even unpaid, even to be with his wife after surgery, even if her condition deteriorates.

If John worked at a firm with fewer than 50 employees, or was classified as a freelancer or independent contractor, the FMLA wouldn't cover him no matter how many hours he worked.
John might have a sympathetic supervisor who lets him take off when Elizabeth needs him, making up the time when he can. But even kind supervisors report to higher-ups who often put the kibosh on kindness. And with Wal-Mart's new sick day policy, as reported in the Wall Street Journal, John would be required to call an 800 number rather than speak with his manager directly.

Business lobbyists tell us the workplace is family-friendly. Of course, many small business owners would know John personally and generously help out.
And an increasing number of larger employers have policies that cover these situations, because they know paid leave cuts down on the high cost of turnover, boosts employee loyalty and adds to productivity.

But millions of people in this country live just like this hypothetical John Edwards. Many companies have no family leave policies; where policies do exist, they often depend on management discretion.

Legislation can help
In imagining John Edwards as an ordinary wage-earner, we could fill in many other employer names. Family values too often end at the workplace door.
Sen. Ted Kennedy and Congresswoman Rosa deLauro have introduced the Healthy Families Act, which would require employers with 15 or more employees to offer seven paid sick days. The bill includes part-time workers and care for a family member as well as one's own illness. Sen. Chris Dodd is working on a bill that would establish a paid leave fund for workers nationwide needing family or medical leave.

Let's send our prayers to the Edwards family, and honor whatever decisions they make. And then let's work to make sure we have public policies in place to guarantee that nobody will have to choose between caring for a family member and keeping a job.

Ellen Bravo is the former director of 9to5, National Association of Working Women, and author of "Taking on the Big Boys, or Why Feminism is Good for Families, Business and the Nation" (Feminist Press, 2007). Write her at br

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