Employee Benefits During The 1920's

Concern for profits in the 1900s drove industrialists to take advantage of their employees. By requiring people to work longer for less pay the economy benefited, but unsafe working conditions, undocumented labor, and sweatshops prevailed to the detriment of the workforce. For example, the 1920s was an era of growth, discovery, and prosperity. During this decade, radium became well known for its gradient reflection and medicinal purposes. Later on, businesses were made aware that the element emitted lethal radiation, yet failed to take precautions, putting many at risk, causing painful cancer deaths for thousands leading to a thorough investigation which led to the establishment of government agencies like OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health

As a result, OSHA was approved in 1970 and provides guidelines that businesses must follow in order to keep their employees safe. Judson McLaury explains the atrocities of the 20th century which motivated the government to form agencies like OSHA. “That same year William B. Hard, a muckraking journalist, published an article in Everybody's Magazine titled, Making Steel and Killing Men,’ based on his firsthand investigations of a Chicago mill. Hard estimated that every year, out of a workforce of 10,000 workers, 1,200 were killed or seriously injured” (McLaury). Many industrialists mistreated their employees by denying them basic rights. In order to control the power an employer withholds, the government designed federal and local organizations similar to OSHA. The series of rules and regulations put in place by these organizations help businesses maintain safe working conditions and foster trust in employer-employee relationships. For those who don’t follow the rules and regulations placed, OSHA has the federal right to fine the business or shut it down. Usually, per OSHA’s standards, businesses should have a brief meeting describing the hazards that

During the COVID-19 outbreak, many businesses were forced to shut down in order to contain and reduce the spread of the virus. Before reopening, businesses collaborated with federal and local government agencies to ensure the safety of employees and clientele. According to OSHA, “Employers should also consider working with local public health authorities to provide vaccinations for unvaccinated workers in the workplace.” Businesses providing vaccinations for employees allow fellow employees to be safe and also provide easier access to the vaccination. Many took this opportunity to reopen under safer circumstances. Although many employees were vaccinated, the unvaccinated were still at risk because the virus could easily be transmitted via specific individuals. In order to prevent this, the government ordered businesses to take some precautionary measures without forcing individuals to get vaccinated. To avoid spreading the virus, OSHA recommended a series of instructions a business should employ before allowing employees in the building. “OSHA suggests that employers consider adopting policies that require workers to get vaccinated or to undergo regular COVID-19 testing – in addition to mask wearing and physical distancing – if they remain unvaccinated.” Thus, they are provided both a safer workplace environment and an alternative for