Due to the dystopian state of the US healthcare system, out of control inequality and corporate greed, people with medical conditions and disabilities are often targeted as cost saving opportunities as layoffs loom and spring raise season is upon us.
Imagine this, you’re a employee that has to take a 20-25k medication a month , If you pay cash/out of pocket. If you don’t get this medication , you become very ill and can even possibly die. If you are insured, this could be just a few dollars or even free depending on co-pays.
Your employer knows about your condition, might even have an accommodation on the books for it. You start seeing a pattern, you’re passed up on promotions and raises over and over again. Even as you are meeting the requirements of your role.
What’s going on ?
The employer knows you won’t leave to seek better pay/roles because most of (if not all) of your net worth would be gone in a couple months. Paying either for cobra or medications.
So you don’t possibly die…
So you’re “stuck” or the phrase I like to use is “Medical Extortion”. The fear of death/pain from their medical condition that is keeping them in a role/wage that is beneficial for the company but is well below market.So low a tenured employee with multiple years at a company could be making LESS than a new hire starting at the same role. After all its profits above all costs… With rising inflation, no raise equates to a pay cut. Companies just care about their bottom line, if they can extort a worker to keep their wages low, they will jump on the opportunity. They underestimate the effect this has on the employees and it’s insulting that they think we don’t know what they are doing…