[David]

Originally Posted by ashton

After David's thought-provoking and deep explanation of his support for the law, I thought I would provide another view. This law is bizarre in many fashions. One of the most often heard answers that opponent's of a minium wage hike provide is that if an employee does not like their job or their pay, they are free to quit it and find another one. In fact in all matters regarding employment or employee's rights, the underlying rationale is that the government should play no role as the employee is employed at the pleasure of the employer and is free to leave or be terminated for any issue that may arise. This is one of the central tenants to Employment-at-will on any level.

The Federal Government has long held that employees are not required to have equal pay, health care, guaranteed overtime or other often raised issues based on the philosophy that it is up to the employer to provide and that this is not a serfdom, in which the employee is required to stay at the job if they are unhappy. Again, if you don't like it, you are free to leave.

This law is a complete about face. Under this law, employees have more power than the employer, but only for such issues as the Federal Government deems appropriate. If an medical worker does not agree with something, the employee is required to continue to pay them, not allowed to reprimand the employee and is essentially stuck with an employee who will not perform their job simply based on their disagreement with an issue. Particularly alarming is that this is specific to the healthcare industry. Ignore hot button issues and this is a rather shocking take on things. If a person is dying and someone disagrees with reviving them, the bill allows for that. If a person needs emergency procedures for any reason and a worker objects, on any basis, this too would be acceptable. The employer is faced with accepting liability for employees whose sole excuse for not performing procedures is that they don't agree with the procedure. While you can interpret to be religious, it allows for far more than that.

This law would require employers to have no say in what their employees are supposed to do or any recourse if the employee refuses to do something. It is a complete reversal and I would imagine that most employers are not going to be thrilled. This is the government providing a means by which employees can refuse to do their job all based on their opinion and renders the employer helpless in having any say over the employee in such cases.

I agree with this post.