4 ms·

Denmark is known for its flexicurity model. We're not hard to ditch, and we're even easier to employ. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexicurity http://en.wikipe

by kalms 14y ago

Denmark is known for its flexicurity model. We're not hard to ditch, and we're even easier to employ. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexicurity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexicurity

Nursie 14y ago
Interesting. I think the (generous) social security provision is what's missing from the US at-will model.
- LaRakel 14y ago
  Europe is doing it's best to weaken social security as well, they can't afford to take care of people who have no job. "flexicurity" is an eupheumism invented by the EU for the central neoliberal tenet "you are now a product". It's not only making it easier to fire someone, it also reduces employees to the subjective opinion of the manager; whether or not you do your job properly is no longer the main issue, your personality is. The idea is that since you can get fired at whim, you'll be able to get a job faster and you'll be more productive, which is great because the economy is the only thing that matters in today's politics.
  - kalms 14y ago
    The term was coined by former danish prime minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen. Hardly a libertarian.
- _delirium 14y ago
  The very generous and un-bureaucratic short-term unemployment benefits really help as well, I think. For up to two years, you can get up to $3k/month unemployment without even having to deal with a government office, through an a-kasse, which are subsidized membership organizations you can join. They'll help you find work as well, and line up classes or unpaid internships if you need to gain skills/experience. It ends up smoothing over some of the friction that discourages people from changing jobs, because if you quit your job and take a few months to find another one, you still get a livable salary in between, so there isn't this huge fright of being between jobs that keeps many Americans from jumping even when it would ultimately be advantageous to do so (the fact that you don't lose health care coverage when you quit your job helps too).
  - sethg 14y ago
    Two years of unemployment benefits are considered “short-term”? Wow. In the US, benefits usually run out at 26 weeks. Congress took note of the Great Recession and extended that to 39 weeks, or 48 weeks in states with over-6-percent unemployment, but that extension expires at the end of this year. And Americans only get unemployment benefits if they are laid off; if you quit or are fired for cause, you’re screwed.
    - notlisted 14y ago
      If you're self-employed and even if you are able to make the same wage for 10 years, and pay taxes, you get zilch. Makes no sense to me. By the way, the max is 73 and 63 weeks (was 99) http://jobsearch.about.com/od/unemployment/a/unempextension.htm http://jobsearch.about.com/od/unemployment/a/unempextension....
      - sethg 14y ago
        Well, if you employ yourself and you could collect unemployment insurance after laying yourself off, some would consider that gaming the system.
        notlisted 14y ago
        If I work as a consultant for 10 years and on average make $100k a year, I have to pay taxes on said $100k, like everyone else. Actually as a self-employed person I pay more than those with jobs, yet if the economy or my business collapses and I get no clients for 6 months, why would I not be entitled to collect on what I've paid into the system? Someone who came right out of college, made $50k for two years, is entitled to double digit weeks of unemployment benefits. Edit: Egg on face. Just looked up the details, while I pay taxes, it seems none of these go towards unemployment insurance, unlike when you're employed, which is why the self-employed don't qualify. Lots of differences from state-to-state too, but in NY it's impossible to "participate" unless you set it up as an s-corp.
        14y ago

by kalms 14y ago

Denmark is known for its flexicurity model. We're not hard to ditch, and we're even easier to employ. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexicurity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexicurity

Nursie 14y ago

Interesting. I think the (generous) social security provision is what's missing from the US at-will model.

LaRakel 14y ago
Europe is doing it's best to weaken social security as well, they can't afford to take care of people who have no job. "flexicurity" is an eupheumism invented by the EU for the central neoliberal tenet "you are now a product". It's not only making it easier to fire someone, it also reduces employees to the subjective opinion of the manager; whether or not you do your job properly is no longer the main issue, your personality is. The idea is that since you can get fired at whim, you'll be able to get a job faster and you'll be more productive, which is great because the economy is the only thing that matters in today's politics.
- kalms 14y ago
  The term was coined by former danish prime minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen. Hardly a libertarian.
_delirium 14y ago
The very generous and un-bureaucratic short-term unemployment benefits really help as well, I think. For up to two years, you can get up to $3k/month unemployment without even having to deal with a government office, through an a-kasse, which are subsidized membership organizations you can join. They'll help you find work as well, and line up classes or unpaid internships if you need to gain skills/experience. It ends up smoothing over some of the friction that discourages people from changing jobs, because if you quit your job and take a few months to find another one, you still get a livable salary in between, so there isn't this huge fright of being between jobs that keeps many Americans from jumping even when it would ultimately be advantageous to do so (the fact that you don't lose health care coverage when you quit your job helps too).
- sethg 14y ago
  Two years of unemployment benefits are considered “short-term”? Wow. In the US, benefits usually run out at 26 weeks. Congress took note of the Great Recession and extended that to 39 weeks, or 48 weeks in states with over-6-percent unemployment, but that extension expires at the end of this year. And Americans only get unemployment benefits if they are laid off; if you quit or are fired for cause, you’re screwed.
  - notlisted 14y ago
    If you're self-employed and even if you are able to make the same wage for 10 years, and pay taxes, you get zilch. Makes no sense to me. By the way, the max is 73 and 63 weeks (was 99) http://jobsearch.about.com/od/unemployment/a/unempextension.htm http://jobsearch.about.com/od/unemployment/a/unempextension....
    - sethg 14y ago
      Well, if you employ yourself and you could collect unemployment insurance after laying yourself off, some would consider that gaming the system.
      - notlisted 14y ago
        If I work as a consultant for 10 years and on average make $100k a year, I have to pay taxes on said $100k, like everyone else. Actually as a self-employed person I pay more than those with jobs, yet if the economy or my business collapses and I get no clients for 6 months, why would I not be entitled to collect on what I've paid into the system? Someone who came right out of college, made $50k for two years, is entitled to double digit weeks of unemployment benefits. Edit: Egg on face. Just looked up the details, while I pay taxes, it seems none of these go towards unemployment insurance, unlike when you're employed, which is why the self-employed don't qualify. Lots of differences from state-to-state too, but in NY it's impossible to "participate" unless you set it up as an s-corp.
        14y ago