We struggle with this at the hubby job. It seems that after new ownership, new management, and a churning of mid-level employees who actually knew what was what, we are saddled with people who believe they should command Independent Contractors to perform specific duties for which no contract provision and appropriate remuneration are provided. Recently, someone was bullied and threatened with being fired for pointing out that they were not under contract to perform as commanded and that our contracts are out of date. This is not like corporate or traditional employment where there are specific job duties and that hideous phrase, "and other duties as assigned."
Our response has been to limit add-on whim work that came about when one advertiser wanted a different distribution method and to cease to do almost all extra/sub work which is underpaid and subject to absurd delivery terms. I made a light-hearted attempt elsewhere in this forum to lay out what could be the foundation for a union (in a right to work state, no less!) and/or the basis for re-education regarding the job that hubby and his IC colleagues have performed for many years.
Hubby was not threatened with being fired, but he has incurred so many falls on icy properties-- including one where he smacked his head on an ice-covered concrete driveway-- that years ago I demanded a change. I insisted that we stop doing that type of work and switch to the countryside routes and one small in-town route. As a result, our fuel costs and mileage have increased substantially, but our slips and falls due to ice and other hazards have decreased and we are mostly risk-free. When we sub on some properties, we have a high risk of encountering ice and other hazards.
Change has been needed for decades, and I can chart some thirty years of some of the issues. Should this job's IC's now unionize? Gah! After all I was taught by anti-unionizers, I can hardly believe that I am considering this idea. At the very least, hubby and I will seek legal input before hubby signs a new contract. I have added a budget category for "experienced attorney who can review the promised but still unseen proposed new contracts for the hubby job."
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2021 01:30PM by Shop-et-al.