Babysitters Have Rights, Too — Lots and Lots of Rights
California is descending from business-hostile to parents-hostile. No, really:
Under AB 889, household “employers” (aka “parents”) who hire a babysitter on a Friday night will be legally obligated to pay at least minimum wage to any sitter over the age of 18 (unless it is a family member), provide a substitute caregiver every two hours to cover rest and meal breaks, in addition to workers’ compensation coverage, overtime pay, and a meticulously calculated timecard/paycheck.
Failure to abide by any of these provisions may result in a legal cause of action against the employer including cumulative penalties, attorneys’ fees, legal costs and expenses associated with hiring expert witnesses, an unprecedented measure of legal recourse provided no other class of workers – from agricultural laborers to garment manufacturers. (On the bright side, language requiring an hour of paid vacation time for every 30 hours worked was amended out of the bill in the Senate.)
Unbelievable.
No, wait — totally believable for the morons in charge of the once-great Golden State.
It’s almost as if they are trying to drive California off the cliff.
“Trying”? We are already there.
Did they call it the “Killing restauraunt and theater industries act of 2011″? Would be nice if it had an honest title.
I think more likely they’d call it the “Elimination of adult babysitters act of 2011″.
I’ve always thought the vast majority of babysitters were junior-high age anyway. Perhaps in my circle the college age kids are doing things more like “going to college” or “working at a real job”.
At my son’s old preschool here in Colorado, many of the teachers moonlight as babysitters. They’re pre-screened, dependable, trained in CPR and all the rest. They’re also almost all in their 20s or 30s. One time, the school administrator let it slip that the part-time teachers can make more money at night than they do at the school. I suspect things aren’t much different for part-time preschool teachers in California.
If this California bill becomes law — and it looks like it will — those part-time teachers will be the last people anyone calls for babysitting. Even though they are almost uniquely qualified for the job.
I’m ready to take a star off the flag.
I’m sure this was brought to you by the lobbyists for institutional child care (Day care, etc.) looking for lucrative after-hours business.
Close. Look at the language. It also applies to adult caregivers, who will be unable to provide affordable services in-home, forcing more seniors into unionized group homes. This is a payoff to organized labor. If it’s a jobs killer, look for the union label, baby!
Just wait untill the care providers have to comply with all of Title 22 CCR.
Life long resident, born in the Central Valley almost 6 decades ago. Leaving in September, for good.
When the law is corrupted into an ongoing assault on our rights and liberties, respect for the rule of law itself will not long endure.
The bill doesn’t exclude family. Merely IMMEDIATE family..
From the text of the bill..
“Domestic work employee” does not include any of the
following:
(B) Any person who is the parent, grandparent, spouse, sibling,
child, or legally adopted child of the domestic work employer.
So.. Aunts, uncles, Cousins, Nieces, Nephews, 2nds, etc.. All are included under this insanity and will have to be covered by this law.
So those cousins and Nieces/Nephews back from college looking to make some extra money.. There you go.