New SLAVERY in America. 25 cents/minute??????

Discussion in 'Economics' started by misterno, Feb 2, 2011.

  1. Unbelievable

    http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_03/b4163032935448.htm?campaign_id=rss_topDiscussed

    On a recent Tuesday morning, single mom Tammy DePew Smith woke up in her tidy Florida townhouse in time to shuttle her oldest daughter, a high school freshman, to the 6:11 a.m. bus. At 6:40 she was at the desk in her bedroom, starting her first shift of the day with LiveOps, a Santa Clara (Calif.) provider of call-center workers for everyone from Eastman Kodak (EK) and Pizza Hut (YUM) to infomercial behemoth Tristar Products. She's paid by the minute—25 cents—but only for the time she's actually on the phone with customers.

    By 7:40, Smith had grossed $15. But there wasn't much time to reflect on her early morning productivity;
     
  2. There are lots of people who'd kill for a $15/hour job they could work from home.
     
  3. Really, how's that slavery? They could be flipping burgers at Wendy's for minimum wage.
     
  4. BSAM

    BSAM

    But, you can probably sneak and have a couple of fries every once in a while.:p
     
  5. Read it AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    It is not $15/hr it is 25 cents/minute of talking not 25 cents/minute of devoted time.

    So 60 minutes X 25 cents = 15 dollars/hr formula is not working here.

    That is why it is called SLAVERY IN USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Understand? Capiche?
     
  6. Wha? Slavery? Have we become that far removed?

    Anything voluntary is not slavery. Let me say it one more time, ANYTHING VOLUNTARY IS NOT SLAVERY.
     
  7. I did read it again. In 1 hour she made $15.

    Anyway, it's not slavery since it's not involuntary servitude. It's just a different flavor of piece work which is not illegal for contractors AFAIK.

     
  8. itsame

    itsame

    Yeah seems fine to me. If you work for an hour, you get paid $15 (60 minutes X $.25). Not if you sit at your desk for an hour, you get paid $15. Seems fair to both parties

    It works the same way for lawyers and CPA's when they bill clients. They get paid hourly. So if their rate is $300 an hour but they only bill .5 hours. They only get paid $150.

    Gets rid of the lazy/unproductive employee model.
     
  9. BSAM

    BSAM

    Wait a sec.....

    Are you saying that ANYTHING VOLUNTARY IS NOT SLAVERY?
     
  10. Why, yes I am....I am indeed!

    ANYTHING VOLUNTARY IS NOT SLAVERY!

    There is no such animal as a WAGE SLAVE. The term is an oxymoron.
     
    #10     Feb 2, 2011