With how much capitalist propaganda we've all been fed over the years, its not surprising that /r/antiwork gets a ton of questions regarding labor laws every week. However, I find that many of them are the same couple of questions, and there's room to answer them while still not allowing them to divert the conversation to rehashing the same ground over and over. Besides, as much as the righteous indignation is satisfying, it's not really progressing the movement and is an easily utilised button for any bad-faith actor who wants to keep the conversation centred around single workplaces instead of larger scale improvements.
For example:
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I put in my X notice but my boss isn't accepting it / wants Y notice / is threatening to Z if I quit. Is this legal? In 99% of cases, the answer is “No, it isn't. Notice periods are a courtesy and those threats require a lawyer, the police, or the department of labor depending on which flavor they are.”
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My boss is making me do
thing, is this legal? Most of the time, answer is no, but this probably needs a more detailed article breaking down common labor/OSHA laws by territory as they vary. -
I'm in X situation, how do I get out? Maybe not an auto-close, but another country/state/territory breakdown of “high level” labor laws – is it a one/two party consent state, are there mandatory notice periods, what the rules are behind changing shifts, constructive dismissal, how overtime is treated, if its illegal for owners to take out of the tip jar, etc etc etc, would be a helpful tool.
Anyway, I know that these questions are a byproduct of how screwed up the worker/boss dynamic has become over the last few decades but I can't help but feel that the more time we spend on these individual cases, the less room there is for planning and execution of campaigns for more comprehensive improvements.
Anyway, feedback welcome.