How the World Works: Unpacking Labor Policies in Selected Countries
A comparison of the minimum wage, annual leave, unionization, and corporate governance around the world
In the 1930s, FDR and Labor Secretary Frances Perkins introduced sweeping reforms to American labor policy. The New Deal era is responsible for the invisible guardrails that feel like immutable features of work: a federal minimum wage, 40 hour work week, and the right to unionize. But besides small amendments and iterative regulations, the U.S. has not had comprehensive changes to labor policy in the last 90 years.
Comparing labor policies around the world can reveal both the possibilities and the downsides of alternative frameworks, giving us a sense of perspective on individual systems. I set out to learn more about the way that national policy shapes the norms of work, starting with the following categories:
- Minimum wage
- Annual and family leave
- Unionization
- Corporate governance
I include the United States in each category, not because it is a model, but simply because it is relevant to my own life and work. I selected two additional countries per category that made for interesting case studies, but the list…
