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Clarity comments on Open thread, Nov. 09 - Nov. 15, 2015 - Less Wrong Discussion

3 Post author: MrMind 09 November 2015 08:07AM

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Comment author: Clarity 09 November 2015 08:51:44AM *  1 point [-]

I've been looking into labour laws lately after hearing that job insecurity, lack of organisation justice and other work stressors are as bad as second hand smoking, quantitatively. I'm biased towards the right and assumed, by extrapolation of idealistic economic models, that minimum wages are downright bad. Not to mention coersive and taking away delicious profits from those capable, deserving and able to use it in the public interest.

But a little research suggests they may not be so bad. suggests some employers are not competitive enough to cut employment in response to minimum wage). Expert opinion suggests that it would and does occur in response to minimum wages on a larger naturalistic scale however.

Whatever the case may be, the private sector often does things better and less coersively than governemnt. I wonder if kinds of government regulation could be replaced by enterprising individuals starting say a 'minimum wage of $20 across this organisation' type thing and compete on that basis for high quality employees or consumers?

Thoughts?

Comment author: [deleted] 13 November 2015 03:42:33AM 1 point [-]

Whatever the case may be, the private sector often does things better and less coersively than governemnt. I wonder if kinds of government regulation could be replaced by enterprising individuals starting say a 'minimum wage of $20 across this organisation' type thing and compete on that basis for high quality employees or consumers?

In many countries, trade unions negotiate industry-wide wage agreements in the absence of national wage laws, but in the presence of anti-union-busting laws.

Comment author: ChristianKl 09 November 2015 11:23:02AM 0 points [-]

I wonder if kinds of government regulation could be replaced by enterprising individuals starting say a 'minimum wage of $20 across this organisation' type thing and compete on that basis for high quality employees or consumers?

It likely depends very much on the organisation. I don't think Google would have a problem with that policy.

Comment author: Elo 09 November 2015 09:12:18AM 0 points [-]

a cross-employee policy affects all employees. however it affects them individually. selfish people (and there are enough of them) will only see the benefit once; and to themselves. Everyone might agree that this policy would be a good one; but every person only "feels" it once. The magnitude of the policy affects a larger scale than it personally "feels" like it does. So it would be a hard sell.

having said that - Ford (I think) decided that he wanted his employees to be able to buy his cars. so pushed the wages up and the car prices more affordable.