Moron of the Day: George Miller (D-CA)

George Miller (D-CA) is the chairman of the House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee promoting a new bill to require employers to pay five days sick leave to any person the employer requests staying home due to illness.

Although probably not its worst flaw, the bill would actually promote the spread of swine flu. Why? The obligation to basically kicks in only when the employer requests that the employees stay home. So, the swine flu infected employee, instead of staying home on his or her own comes to work so the employer can tell them to stay home. If the employee calls in, here is the likely cat-and-mouse game:

Employee: "I'm feeling sick. I might have the swine flu, should I come in?"
Employer: "Use your best judgment."
Employee: "well if you are not telling me to stay home, I am coming in."
Employer: "I trust your judgment to do what is best."
Employee: "Well, then, I am coming in."
Employer: "Be seeing you."

Employee comes to work and spreads the swine flu.

What happens if the employee's doctor instructs the employee to stay in bed? Is that the employor telling the employee not to come in to work?

What if the employer has a general policy that employees with with communicable diseases not to come into work? Who has to prove that the employee had a communicable disease?

This foolish bill is full of unintended consequences. It is just like the big government Democrats to micromanage employers.

But here is the worst part. The country is facing severe unemployment. So what is Congress doing? It is considering yet another bill that punishes employers by increasing the costs of having employees. In a time of high unemployment, is it really wise to be an acting ill that discourage employment?

Moron of the day. Well deserved.