News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on NLRB rules graduate students are employees. Parent comment

Re:NLRB rules graduate students are employees by galdosdi on Tuesday August 23, 2016 @07:10PM (#12348515)
So what? So if I work at a McDonald's, do I lose my protections as an employee there simply by using some of my income to buy some hamburgers from them, too?

The fact that I'm a customer too doesn't stop me from being an employee simultaneously.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:NLRB rules graduate students are employees by brianwawok on Tuesday August 23, 2016 @09:42PM (#12349093)
But could McDonald's pay you below minimum wage because the free hamburger you got at lunch was worth $1 an hour?
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:NLRB rules graduate students are employees by maxlybbert on Wednesday August 24, 2016 @01:25AM (#12349863)
Well, in many states a restaurant doesn't have to pay minimum wage as long as tips make up the difference. And it certainly is legal to charge restaurant employees for food (it's common to give a discount, and/or offer some items for free).

Granted, McDonald's employees aren't tipped, and unless somebody eats an incredible amount, their food bill won't cut into their paycheck all that much, so McDonald's isn't able to really lower its labor cost all that much. But you could see something similar to the hypothetical at a much classier restaurant.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:NLRB rules graduate students are employees by brianwawok on Wednesday August 24, 2016 @10:30AM (#12352285)
But by law at the classier restaurant, they have to pay minimum wage.

If minimum wage is $8 an hour and the server has a base wage of $4 an hour.. by law, if they had no tips - they would need to be compensated to go up to minimum wage.

No protection like this for PhD students

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:NLRB rules graduate students are employees by galdosdi on Wednesday August 24, 2016 @01:43PM (#12353786)
Yes, exactly my point. Therefore why should grad students be any different? Is there anything in the labor laws that specifically mentions scientific research and hamburgers and different rules for the two?
[ Parent | on HN ]