Georgia ranks among worst states for workers

State lawmakers and enterprise boosters like to tout Georgia’s status as an incredible place to do enterprise. However, in line with Oxfam America, it’s a horrible place to work.

Driving the information: Georgia was the one of many worst locations to earn a paycheck, beating solely North Carolina and Mississippi within the anti-poverty nonprofit’s new examine of the most effective — and worst — states to work.

• Oregon topped the record, adopted by its West coast neighbors California and Washington.

Particulars: The state misplaced factors for its lackluster wage insurance policies. Georgia has not raised the state minimal wage greater than the federal customary of $7.25.

The nonprofit additionally dinged Georgia for its lack of office protections, corresponding to not offering some type of paid household go away or providing lodging for pregnant employees.

• And whereas the state does provide some protections, together with a mandate for equal pay throughout gender and race, it stops wanting extending these protections to home employees, Oxfam America says.

The massive image: Southern states, the place lawmakers have handed employer-friendly “proper to work” legal guidelines, dominated the underside of the “greatest locations to work” record.

• The legal guidelines make labor organizing tough by prohibiting unions from requiring membership as a situation of employment.

The opposite aspect: Final October, Gov. Brian Kemp celebrated Georgia being named the most effective state to do enterprise by commerce publication Space Improvement for the eighth consecutive yr.

• The state has additionally topped Website Choice journal’s model of the identical record.