Wisconsin’s exemption for small farms is one of many federal and state carve-outs that have historically left farm workers — and dairy workers in particular — with fewer rights and protections than others.
For most workers in Wisconsin who get hurt on the job, the state’s workers’ compensation system is there to cover medical expenses and pay a portion of their wages while they heal.
“One of the bedrock principles of worker’s compensation is universal coverage,” the state’s Department of Workforce Development, which oversees the workers’ compensation system, says on its website. “That means that virtually every employee is covered.”
But the law is different for farms, and many immigrant dairy workers — the backbone of one of the state’s most celebrated yet dangerous industries — don’t get this protection. Wisconsin exempts all kinds of farms with fewer than six employees not related to the owners from the requirement to have workers’ compensation coverage.
No state or federal agency appears to track how many of Wisconsin’s 5,700 or so dairy farms fall into that category — or how many workers go without coverage. Neither does the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, one of the state’s most powerful lobbying groups.
If you’re working for a place illegally why should you be guaranteed the benefits of those that work there legally?
Because they’re hired to do the same work? Honest question.
The whole point is to incentivize to be legal.
The problem is that the businesses are currently incentivized to hire illegal.
We need to punish businesses that hire illegally, and protect human beings.
Why not offer the coverage to illegal immigrants, but require the employer to pay a greater share of the compensation than if it has been a legal employee who got injured?
Illegal immigrants will just say “Hey, I won’t get hurt. I’ll work safely”. The employer needs to be punished, because as long as the quality of life in the US is better than it is in Mexico and other places a single flight away, employers will keep looking for illegal immigrants to hire because they’re cheaper.
If we want to stop illegal immigration, we need to make it more expensive (or risky) for the COMPANIES that hire illegal immigrants.
Well, businesses aren’t getting the message. They still benefit from illegal immigrants labor, and on top of that, don’t provide basic care.
Being a legal citizen has benefits otherwise there would be no point to the legal immigration process. You can’t just roll up to a country and be like “I live here now, I’m a citizen, I should get the same treatment as everyone else even though none of my money goes to fund public programs.”
I’m not debating immigration or how long it takes, but it’s shitty to treat one illegal immigrant differently just because they could cross the border easily compared to someone who has to fly here and do it the legal (or less than legal) way, at the very least you need a passport to get into the country via a plane.
Our country is already fucked when it comes to healthcare, we don’t need any other strains on it.
This has nothing to do with their immigration status of individuals, just acknowledging that farm work is frequently filled by immigrants. Whether they are US citizens, immigrants, or undocumented immigrants, if they work on a farm with fewer than six non-family employees then the farm owners are not required to have worker’s comp coverage.
Yes, but the title makes it seem like it’s only an immigrant problem.
So maybe read the whole thing then?
Sorry, derailing the conversation, but super curious: Has anyone sent you pics of their titties?
Nah. Not on lemmy. Got a couple on reddit back in the day.
I did, but of course “immigration” is a hot word, it wouldn’t be as controversial if it just said “small farms don’t have to provide workers comp”, now would it?
Guess why businesses like farms even get exemptions to worker’s comp requirements? Because they are frequently staffed by immigrants.
It is very relevant, but not in the way that you assumed.