If we want to understand why this country has so many draconian safety regulations we need only wait for the next fire on a drilling platform and learn about the alarms turned off so that the crews could sleep. Or we can wait until there is a cave-in at a mine & hear about the hundreds of short-cuts taken and violations for which the mine was cited over the years.
It is not always that clear in employment law – I have said before that if it weren’t for the industrial revolution we wouldn’t have as many laws. But employers chained women and children to sewing machines and they worked 18 hour shifts in locked, airless rooms. For a pittance.
If this country had a history of treating its employees well, then maybe by now employees could decide if they need a break every 2 hours; and maybe it would be left to the employer and the employee to decide what schedule worked best for them both.
So if our current regulations are a response to the past, I wonder what will be the legacy of the current employment relationship.
