Wednesday, August 31, 2011
I wish they all could be California rules
Not.
Only Jerry Brown stands between "date night" and the Democrats, who have passed a bill to regulate wages, hours, and work rules for all domestic workers:
Under AB 889, household “employers” (aka “parents”) who hire a babysitter on a Friday night will be legally obligated to pay at least minimum wage to any sitter over the age of 18 (unless it is a family member), provide a substitute caregiver every two hours to cover rest and meal breaks, in addition to workers’ compensation coverage, overtime pay, and a meticulously calculated timecard/paycheck.
Failure to abide by any of these provisions may result in a legal cause of action against the employer (“parents”) including cumulative penalties, attorneys’ fees, legal costs and expenses associated with hiring expert witnesses, an unprecedented measure of legal recourse provided no other class of workers – from agricultural laborers to garment manufacturers.”
The Alinskyesque response would be to bring lawsuits against prominent California Democrats for technical violations of this ridiculous law. And, by the way, it is an extraordinary burden on two-earner families, many of whom will no longer be able to afford child care, or will conclude that it no longer makes sense for the economically trailing spouse to work. Not only will you destroy the nanny job, the workforce loses experienced employees.
Small-business blogger Warren Mayer, however, thinks that this is an excellent idea:
I know this is exactly the kind of thing you would expect me to oppose, but I have decided this is exactly the kind of thing California needs. I am tired of average citizens passing crazy requirements on business without any concept of the costs and injustices they are proposing, and then scratch their head later wonder why job creation is stagnant.
I want to propose that California do MORE in this same vein. Here are some suggestions:
Read the suggestions.
4 Comments:
By 
, at
Wed Aug 31, 09:38:00 AM:
My thinking is that this simply prices everyone 18 and over out of a baby sitting job.
Unless it is already illegal to hire younger teens to baby sit in California.
I don't know what parents will do about nannies, but my guess is there will be a lot less of them.
By 
Dawnfire82, at
Wed Aug 31, 03:43:00 PM:
Looks like a clear drive to push parents into using established day-care centers, which are already under significant regulation.
Or, alternatively, to push families into being single-earners.
Score one for both the 'it takes a village' progressives and traditionalists!
/sarc
By , at
Thu Sep 01, 09:49:00 PM:
Warren went way overboard though on the things that home owners should need. This is one I can see legitimately falling upon the people to follow through on, as they are in fact doing the exact same thing a company is doing, which is hiring someone. Warren also thinks they should need liquor licenses just to buy alcohol for their own personal use. Now that is not like what a business does.
By , at
Fri Sep 02, 10:20:00 AM:
The best thing about California -- it makes some of the bizarre regulations in New Jersey (where I live) appear sane by comparison.
