DALLAS (KDAF) — If you are looking for a new place to work, you may want to think twice about accepting that job offer in Texas.
With many people relocated during the COVID-19 pandemic, a multitude of them flocked to the Lone Star State with hopes of starting anew. Despite this, a new report says Texas is one of the worst states for the American worker, ranking 48th out of 52 (including Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico).
The report was commissioned by Oxfam, a global organization that says it ‘fights inequality to end poverty and injustice.’
They took a look at wage policies, workers’ protections and rights to organize in all 50 states. After comparing the data, they then ranked each state based on which one was the best state to work in.
So how does Texas stack up? Not good. When it came to wage policies, Texas ranked 40th out of 52. In the area of workers’ protections, Texas ranked 45th out of 52. Finally, with regard to organization rights, Texas ranked 49th out of 52.
But what do all of these metrics mean? Here’s the rundown.
Wage policies
When looking at wage policies, officials wanted to answer a basic question: do workers earn a wage that is sufficient to provide for themselves and their families?
To determine this, officials looked at the following data points:
- The ratio of the state minimum wage in relation to the cost of living for a family of four with one wage earner. The goal wage is from the MIT Living Wage Calculator.
- The ratio of a tipped minimum wage to the state minimum wage.
- Whether or not the state allows localities to implement their own minimum wage laws.
- Whether or not states include farmworkers in their minimum wages.
- How well average unemployment payments for minimum wage workers cover cost of living for a family of four.
Worker protection policies
This metric looks at the quality of life for workers. Data points include:
- Protections for women who are pregnant and breastfeeding.
- Mandates for equal pay, pay secrecy, and no salary history.
- Mandates for paid sick and family leave.
- Protections around flexible scheduling, reporting pay, split shift pay, advance notice.
- Protections against sexual harassment.
- Protections for federally excluded workers, including extending workers’ compensation to farmworkers and extending workers’ rights and protections to domestic workers.
- Heat safety standard for outdoor workers.
Right to organize policies
Do workers have the right to organize and sustain a union? Data points include:
- State “right to work” law.
- Public employees’ rights to collective bargaining and wage negotiation (teachers used as a case study).
- Mandates for project labor agreements with state government.
- Mandates for protection against retaliation.
- Statewide policies on collective bargaining for public workers.
For the full report, visit Oxfam.