"The human story needed to be told, the full story, not just financial exploitation, but the devaluation of human life that can happen under the control of an employer..."
-- Robert Canino, US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Working life can be healthy & productive; teamwork toward a better world. But too many workers are unable to find such jobs. Instead they accept poor work with little opportunity. Such labor can quickly mire a worker into a cycle of permanent dependence. They're then highly susceptible to depression and illness; families & communities also suffer.
Employers are hurt when labor cannot be trusted. An entitlement or victimization mentality among workers can fester for years as a sour attitude and lack of job loyalty, but also erupt as a crippling lawsuit that closes an enterprise and puts everyone out of work. No society can operate long with a large proportion of wretched poor. President Obama has sadly devalued the word "hope" -- but aspiration must somehow be nurtured throughout society.
The Nordic model of workplace health has developed from solidly-grounded education. Sweden's Social Democrats, for all their problems, built a far-sighted system of community organization in support of basic human rights. The more egocentric & mercenary Moderate Party now pushes privatization. Plum benefits then accrue naturally to the wealthy & well-connected. Pervasive merchandizers peddle dreams - and often don't deliver as promised. Our communities become "buyer beware" zones - with more choice and more scams. All painfully learn to be guarded, cautious consumers. Fortunately, Sweden's foundations are not too easily eroded.
