By Steve Levy
Our state leaders in Albany often pass ridiculous laws that overregulate and overreach.
At first blush, one may think they’re doing it again through the Sit Act, a proposed law that would require employers to provide an opportunity for employees to sit down from time to time, in cases where employers unreasonably demand they stand during the duration of their working hours.
You might have trouble thinking off the cuff about what jobs would be applicable here? I can tell you one that comes to mind in my family.
For many years, my mom was one of those workers at Costco who was stationed at a kiosk serving food samples to customers. She would unpack pizza bagels or hors d’oeuvres, stick them in a microwave, and then place them on a plate for people to sample.
She would often return home exhausted, massaging her legs and complaining about how this seemingly effortless job was having a deleterious impact on her health. I couldn’t understand why, until she told me that management refused to give her and the other mostly senior citizens who were the food demonstrators the option of sitting down at these sites.
I repeatedly asked what purpose was served by requiring senior citizens to stand for five straight hours, when they could be so much more comfortable resting in the chair. There was no logical answer. This was simply their policy that they refused to budge on. I often kiddingly said to my mom that she and the other seniors needed to form a union to protect their rights.
I was never one to support too much interference by the government in policies set by a private employer. They may have very real reasons why they have a certain policy. But for the life of me, I couldn’t think of one logical reason why the folks running Costco would force senior citizens to stand up for five straight hours when they could comfortably be sitting in a chair handing out this food.
My mom passed away eleven years ago, but apparently that same cruel and indefensible policy still exists in various workplaces. Maybe this is one of those rare cases where government intervention makes sense.
Give workers a break. A sitting break. It won’t cost employers a dime, and it won’t have any negative impact on productivity. In fact, it will probably increase.
Steve Levy is President of Common Sense Strategies, a political consulting firm. He served as Suffolk County Executive, as a NYS Assemblyman, and host of “The Steve Levy Radio Show.” He is the author of “Solutions to America’s Problems” and “Bias in the Media.” www.SteveLevy.info, Twitter @SteveLevyNY, steve@commonsensestrategies.com