This month, the highly regarded, anti-famine nonprofit Oxfam released its report on the “Best and Worst States to Work in America” — and it didn’t make Utah look good. In particular, Utah was ranked 44th, down in Oklahoma/Alabama territory.
Best States to Work Index (https://webassets.oxfamamerica.org/media/documents/BSWI_2022_Report_Final.pdf)
The findings were based on three “dimensions”: wages, worker protections, and right-to-organize laws. Last week, we looked at how Oxfam measured wages and had some quibbles with its work. But does the group’s approach to the other categories make more sense? This time, we’ll look at how Utah’s laws to protect workers compare to other states.
The “worker protections” dimension of Oxfam’s analysis makes up 35% of the final index and includes these seven protections:
5%: pregnancy accommodation protections
In 2016, Utah passed a law saying that employers with 15 or more employees cannot refuse to “provide reasonable accommodations for needs related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions” — including breastfeeding — if requested by the worker, unless the accommodations would impose an undue hardship on the business. Employers can’t require a doctor’s note for more frequent food or restroom breaks. Some states, remarkably, do not have these laws.
5%: equal pay protections
Utah, like every other state,...
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