Provincial Legislation Proposal

[Çelís del Þeracour]

Azul.

I have a suggestion for a Provincial Legislation that will set the standard for all of Talossa and I believe it will put Ataturk on the map.

I noticed that our Province - and our Nation is in need of Labor Laws for those who are employed within our borders and for those who are paid by Talossan employers in Talossan Currency. This is an opportunity to create a labor culture for all employees within this Province that will create a desire among those living in other Provinces to wish to relocate to Ataturk and will help set the standard for National Labor Laws (but we can do it first).

In a former life in another country (the US) and under a former and much more boring name - this type of activity would have been inline with my profession. I would like to spearhead this project with input from my fellow Ataturkeys.

If I am suggestiing this in the wrong manner or in the wrong forum or at the wrong time please forgive and advise me.

Çelis del þeracour,

[Çelís del Þeracour]

So, I have been trying to find information on my new Province, I believe that Brad, you are our Senator but who is our Governor. I would like to request an audience with the Governor if possible.

Thank you!

[Brad Holmes]

I think I'm the "governor", but we usually use the term Constable or Cunstaval.

By all means, spearhead away! I'm about 4 weeks away from my first dandelion, so I'm a bit distracted.

Break.

To the rest of the Atatürkeys, we need to do ANYTHING. As the Premier of our House of Commons has been MIA for quite some time, the first thing we need to do is convene the House of Commons and elect a new Premier.

[Çelís del Þeracour]

How very exciting for you, Brad! I understand that you have a lot on your mind. I will watch for any future news concerning our Province. I look forward to seeing the baby pictures (I'm sure you will share, won't you?)

[Sir C. M. Siervicül]

thebrad said:

By all means, spearhead away! I'm about 4 weeks away from my first dandelion, so I'm a bit distracted.

Congratulations, Brad! How exciting.

[Çelís del Þeracour]

My Provincial Legislation Proposal:

The Ataturk is the Best Place to Work Act

Whereas: Ataturk has been a small and ignored Province in Talossa and everyone needs to know how awesome it is to be a citizen of our Province, and

Whereas: Most of our citizens are employees and not rich entrepreneurs, and

Whereas: We like our jobs but we also want to have a balanced life, and

Whereas: I don't think a single Talossan Employer in the Province of Ataturk is going to argue with any provisions of this act, and

Whereas: Other nations have more balanced life labor laws than the Nation that Surrounds Talossa (the US) and that isn't fair, and

Whereas: This Provincial Labor Code will be talked about in all of Talossa and will raise us to prominence - or make us the laughing stock, but either way we will be noticed.

Therefore: The Province of Ataturk shall have a labor code that provides the following to all employees within our borders who are employed by Talossan Employers and paid in Talossan Currency:

1. Talossan Holidays should be recognized by the employer and provided as paid time off, except in the case where there is an urgent business need or the need to protect the health and welfare of our citizens (i.e. Hospital Employees, Police Officers).
2. Beyond the Nationally recognized Talossan Holidays, employees should have the right to select up to 8 additional Holidays that they wish to receive premium pay. This code eliminates the setting of holidays around the religious beliefs of the majority.
3. The Ataturk work week shall be limited to 30 hours per week. Any hour worked after 30 shall result in paid time and a half to the employee as applicable to Non Exempt employees.
4. Employers must offer flex scheduling and telecommuting options to their employees if at all applicable to their type of work.
5. Employers must allow a 30 minute break every four hours to allow employees to check their email and stuff.
6. Employers must allow employees to take time off to attend important family related events such as parent teacher conferences, coaching little league, etc.
7. Employers must provide a minimum of 4 weeks of paid vacation to new employees with increased paid vacation as the employee's tenure with the company increases.
8. Employers must ensure that they have adequate coverage to actually allow their employees to use their vacation.
10. Employers should give out a vacation bonus when the employee is planning to go on vacation so that their vacation time is not just spent cleaning the house or watching TV because they don't have the money to take their kids to Disney World and their kid is the only kid in the school who hasn't been to Disney World, and by the way, their kid wants to know when they can have a cell phone and my husband says when you are nine and then I had to blow up because that is ridiculously young and now I am the bad guy.......but..I digress,
11. Employers must provide medical, dental, vision, life insurance and retirement benefits to their employees.
12. The minimum wage in the Province shall be set by the actual liveable wage.

And if we have any Talossan employers who want to chime in and ask what is in this for them, I will think of all of those things at that time.

[Cjara B]

On a side note do you know you have two number 10's and 9 is between them?

[Çelís del Þeracour]

Thank you. Corrected.

[Brad Holmes]

I'll bite.

What's in it for the employers? I like getting a break from my bosses, same as everyone else, and I look for opportunities to look out for my sailors and cut them loose early, but the fact remains: there is work that needs to get done and sometimes the workers must go above and beyond the minimum, without the necessity of extra incentives.

[Çelís del Þeracour]

thebrad said:

I'll bite.

What's in it for the employers? I like getting a break from my bosses, same as everyone else, and I look for opportunities to look out for my sailors and cut them loose early, but the fact remains: there is work that needs to get done and sometimes the workers must go above and beyond the minimum, without the necessity of extra incentives.

Well, I wanted to start by giving my fellow Provincial Citizens something to think about ..somewhere to start...now we can work to revise and polish and decide what is in it for the employers. So " TAG" you're it! What do you think should be amended and how do we write these to keep our employers happy?

[Çelís del Þeracour]

I think that we can keep the employers happy by not requiring them to pay any taxes.

[Brad Holmes]

Apr 10, 2008 8:44:56 GMT -6 Çelís del Þeracour said:

My Provincial Legislation Proposal:

The Ataturk is the Best Place to Work Act

...

1. Talossan Holidays should be recognized by the employer and provided as paid time off, except in the case where there is an urgent business need or the need to protect the health and welfare of our citizens (i.e. Hospital Employees, Police Officers).

Sure. Do the employees that sign up for the raw deal of working on holidays get time and a half or any other compensation?

2. Beyond the Nationally recognized Talossan Holidays, employees should have the right to select up to 8 additional Holidays that they wish to receive premium pay. This code eliminates the setting of holidays around the religious beliefs of the majority.

I like holidays just as much as everyone else. But 8?! I'm hard pressed to think of more than one or two religious holidays that aren't covered as national holidays or weekends already. If people want a religious holiday off, make them take it as personal time off.

Also, what if people are making up a religion, JUST to claim these holidays? Does it have to be one of the more recognized religions?

3. The Ataturk work week shall be limited to 30 hours per week. Any hour worked after 30 shall result in paid time and a half to the employee as applicable to Non Exempt employees.

Who is Exempt and Non Exempt?

Again, I like time off and all, but only 30 hours?! Tell me what's so bad about 40, before we chop over one workday per week.

4. Employers must offer flex scheduling and telecommuting options to their employees if at all applicable to their type of work.

What about small businesses that can't afford to support these options, even if they're applicable?

5. Employers must allow a 30 minute break every four hours to allow employees to check their email and stuff.

30 minutes every 4 hours? To dawdle? Does this also include their lunch hours, potty breaks and the like? They're only working 30 hours per week.

6. Employers must allow employees to take time off to attend important family related events such as parent teacher conferences, coaching little league, etc.

Sure. Count it against personal time. Or, allow the employee to make up the time early or late another day.

7. Employers must provide a minimum of 4 weeks of paid vacation to new employees with increased paid vacation as the employee's tenure with the company increases.

4 weeks per year sound reasonable. But increasing it as tenure increases does not sound reasonable. Soon the senior employees will be taking vacation at the expense of the junior employees because the volume of work won't decrease, but the number of workers will. If they want more vacation, they can buy it.

8. Employers must ensure that they have adequate coverage to actually allow their employees to use their vacation.

See above. Something will have to give.

10. Employers should give out a vacation bonus when the employee is planning to go on vacation so that their vacation time is not just spent cleaning the house or watching TV because they don't have the money to take their kids to Disney World and their kid is the only kid in the school who hasn't been to Disney World, and by the way, their kid wants to know when they can have a cell phone and my husband says when you are nine and then I had to blow up because that is ridiculously young and now I am the bad guy.......but..I digress,

So they're going to get more money *just* to go on vacation?! I have three words for the employees: Better financial planning. I know I've gone deep into my pockets taking leave. It made me think harder and plan better. And when the crap hits the fan, postpone the vacation, or bite the bullet and dig into the pockets. You can't pin this circumstance on the employers.

11. Employers must provide medical, dental, vision, life insurance and retirement benefits to their employees.

What about the small business that can't afford to do all of this? They can afford to pay a good wage, but they may not be able to meet all of these expensive perks. Also, what about part time employees? Are they to be covered this well too?

12. The minimum wage in the Province shall be set by the actual liveable wage.

As set by whom? And are we talking a non-leaky roof over the head, electricity, water, and food? Or are we talking two BMW's in the driveway and flat screen TVs in every room?

And if we have any Talossan employers who want to chime in and ask what is in this for them, I will think of all of those things at that time.

It's a start, but I think this breaks the employers before the work day even starts.

[Çelís del Þeracour]

Brad, I agree with all of your reviews. I really wanted to put some utopian ideas onto paper - not really realistic ones- and now work with everyone to adress the realistic aspects of the legislation.