Disabled workers paid just pennies an hour - and it's legal

Jun 23, 2013 03:05

Some Disabled Goodwill Workers Earn As Little As 22 Cents An Hour As Execs Earn Six Figures: Report ( Read more... )

wtf, wages, labor, special needs, charities, disabilities

Leave a comment

Comments 20

(The comment has been removed)

vorquellyn June 24 2013, 05:40:21 UTC
GW is not a "job" it is much more an activity for the severely mentally ill that permits the clients more self-esteem and a far higher lifestyle than they would otherwise enjoy.When I was going through my state's program to show I was employable, I did my job assessment with Goodwill. This was a common thing with my state's Vocational Rehabilitation Services. I worked 20 hours a week for four weeks with no pay. It was a job. I had to show up at certain times, take breaks at certain times, demonstrate an ability and willingness to obey supervisors, and follow workplace dress codes and other rules. There were at least five other people going through job assessments at the same time I was. That's at least 100 hours a week unpaid labor ( ... )

Reply

escherzo June 24 2013, 14:33:53 UTC
GW isn't providing housing or medical care, no, but for some people on SSI being paid a minimum wage, or even anything close, would put them over the limit/disqualify them from some of the services they receive. My partner, for instance, can only have two grand in savings before he's required to pay back some of his monthly payments. A minimum wage job would put him over that limit in a month or two.

I'm not saying it's not fucked up that GW seems to be abusing the system, because it is--but part of the problem is SSI rules as well, imo.

Reply

skellington1 June 24 2013, 21:12:33 UTC
Yeah, I was wondering about that. There's a lot of room between "22 cents an hour" and 'minimum wage' that could be discussed, but not unless people are looking at the SSI rules too. Otherwise we're likely to try to do something good that ends up hurting people.

Reply


gambitia June 24 2013, 13:30:44 UTC
1938 law

Are the wages in 1938 dollars? Because that's what it looks like. $.22 in 1938 is $3.51 today, which while still under minimum wage, is less of a shocking pittance. This looks like a law that needs revisiting.

Reply

atheistkathleen June 25 2013, 21:11:37 UTC
yeah seriously

Reply


(The comment has been removed)

eveofrevolution June 26 2013, 04:27:04 UTC

Leave a comment

Up