Hey, European here. I apologize for the rant, just bear with me for a couple of minutes.
Since I have a feeling I'm not the only one on this subreddit, I have been thinking that we Europeans (everyone else is invited to join in if they feel like it!) should start addressing more the fact that most of the times, when our friends from the US talk about “work benefits” they are actually talking about worker's rights.
We should state more clearly that paid leave, healthcare and unlimited sick days (with free doc certificate because universal healthcare duh) at the very least, are RIGHTS, not benefits.
I know many people from US have got used their whole lives to use the term “benefit” when it comes to such things, but words are power guys.
There's an Italian saying (that comes from the Bible) that goes like this (rough translation): more are killed by the tongue than the sword.
Think about saying “I want my rights!” instead of “I want my benefits!”. It does sound different, right? It sounds better IMHO.
If someone calls you entitled for claiming your rights, they will be the jerk in anyone else's eyes. Maybe there's a chance the public discourse will actually change then, or maybe my hope is too naive.
Just food for thoughts, enjoy your day everyone.