{"id":736,"date":"2016-04-25T10:33:45","date_gmt":"2016-04-25T17:33:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kagan.mactane.org\/blog\/?p=736"},"modified":"2016-07-01T13:55:32","modified_gmt":"2016-07-01T20:55:32","slug":"paying-a-fair-wage-is-the-opposite-of-slavery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kagan.mactane.org\/blog\/2016\/04\/25\/paying-a-fair-wage-is-the-opposite-of-slavery\/","title":{"rendered":"Paying a Fair Wage Is the Opposite of Slavery"},"content":{"rendered":"

I just found out about Alex St. John’s ridiculous article on VentureBeat<\/a> claiming that developers who object to working uncompensated overtime have “a wage-slave attitude”. Ummm, what?<\/p>\n

It sounds like he’s trying to use emotional terms and “snarl words<\/a>” to make people think that “whatever a ‘wage slave attitude’ is, it must be bad!” But look at what he associates with “a wage-slave attitude”: people asking for fair pay and decent working conditions. A 40-hour work-week with real work-life balance, instead of ongoing, uncompensated “crunch mode”.<\/p>\n

Asking for fair pay and decent working conditions is not “slavery”. In fact, it’s about as far from slavery as you can get. It’s the exact opposite<\/em> of slavery: being able to leave the workplace and go home is freedom.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Someone who tries to convince you that wanting a 40-hour work-week and proper vacation time is “a wage-slave attitude” — or is any<\/em> other undesirable thing, like “socialist” or “un-American” or “a poor work ethic” — is not<\/em> someone who has your best interests at heart. It’s someone who’s trying to confuse you,<\/strong> so that they can take advantage of you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, just to dispel any confusion:<\/p>\n