Solution of the Day: Contracted Employment

Like most Americans, the recent economic recession has had me doing a lot of thinking about this country's financial system, government, jobs, etc. I have been wondering what could be done to better secure employment in this country. Currently, the employers have all of the power. Essentially, your employer owns you - they purchase you when the hire you and then you become their responsibility. Employers are expected to pay you a living wage, supplement the cost of medical insurance, provide/contribute to a fund for your retirement, pay you for taking time off, pay you extra for working extra hours, pay to support you in the event you should be terminated, be liable for your mistakes (legally and financially), deal with unions, etc., etc. That's a lot of crap! I am the first to scream that the money makers and the money machine itself in this country are corrupt and broken but there is little reason for them to walk straight under the burdens this country places on the employers of this nation. A "chicken or egg" argument can be made here: were all of these burdens placed on industry as a result of corruption, or did their corruption lead to these burdens being placed upon them? My guess would be that it's a little of each but how it happened is another thing. The fact is that American employers have way too much responsibility for the individual employee placed on them.

Personally, I don't like anyone having this much influence over my failure or success in life. I understand that it's not all that avoidable for most employers in this country but I think it is possible to give control of individual destiny back to the individual while at the same time, relieving employers of responsibilities that shouldn't be there's in the first place, by converting to a Contracted Employment concept. If EVERY job was per contract, then a substantial portion of the money that employers currently spend on things other than employee salaries, could go directly towards salaries. If every employee is his/her own independent contractor, then it becomes their own responsibility to buy insurance, a retirement plan, unemployment insurance, etc., etc. Initially, you would think that this would be too costly for the individual which is why it is necessary for the large corporations to provide for these costs but the fact is that the individual can do for their self, exactly what the corporation does for them, by doing what they do to make these costs affordable.

Employers are able to survive the many costs associated with having employees by collectively bargaining. Individuals can do the same thing. The only real change that would happen under a Contracted Employment system would be the person responsible for caring for the costs associated with working in this country. I believe it would be far more fair and sensible that the individual has responsibility for his/her own life. Contracted Employment could engender a sense of ownership of the work the individual does as well as a true sense of partnership, as opposed to ownership, with the employer. I believe that people would take seriously the work they do, regardless of what it is, if they own that job. Jobs would be bidded for - not just interviewed for. As we all know, contracts stipulate clauses for the benefit of both agreeing parties. Thus; you wouldn't just be justifying your qualifications to an employer, the employer would have to meet your criteria for employing your services. Another benefit to having a contract is that the company would HAVE to provide the stipulated benefits enumerated therein. Currently, in most states, employers have the right to terminate employees at any time and for any reason with minimum to no consequences. Employment would definitely be better secured if contracted. Anywho, it's just a thought.