There are components in Obama's job bill that will further kill the chance of an economic recovery and further stymie job growth. Recently, I was at a conference of entrepreneurs in New York City where I became aware of parts of Obama's Jobs Bill that ALL business owners must be made aware.
There is language in the jobs bill that suggests if an unemployed person interviews for a job and doesn't get that job and the unemployed person feels that he did not get the job because he is unemployed, a new government agency, funded by the taxpayer, will be made available to assist this person in suing the prospective employer on behalf of the unemployed for discrimination!
So if I interview Bob that has a job and Mike that doesn't and then pick Bob, Mike the unemployed person will be provided with legal assistance to sue the prospective employer for discrimination. This was recently covered here in the article "American Jobs Act Bans Discrimination Against Jobless."
What entrepreneur, then will even look at any unemployed person as a candidate? It doesn't matter whether a business owner wants to hire people, he now will have to measure the risk reward for doing so. This will further slow the economic recovery! Is Obama stupid? I think not. Is he including language that he knows Congress will have to deny so he can later say, "You, Congress didn't pass my jobs bill," and then further solidify his base? Or maybe he is realizing the harm done by the last 99 weeks in making those on extended benefits less desirable to the market place as I wrote in my article last year on the cost of extending benefits.
This will only further increase the business owner's legal exposure and increase the cost of hiring people at a time when the economy is still fragile and uncertain. What business owner wants more exposure to litigation? What business owner needs another thing to worry about when small businesses are already mired down in regulation? Small businesses have enough challenges already with inventories, debt, the existing tough economy, and now the president wants to add to that the potential to defend oneself against a possible discrimination claim.
In Obama's recent jobs speech he said to Congress,
Pass this jobs bill, and starting tomorrow, small businesses will get a tax cut if they hire new workers or raise workers' wages. Pass this jobs bill, and all small business owners will also see their payroll taxes cut in half next year. If you have 50 employees making an average salary, that's an $80,000 tax cut. And all businesses will be able to continue writing off the investments they make in 2012.
What Mr. Obama didn't share with the American public because he knows that most will not read the bill is that every business now becomes prey to more frivolous litigation! Read this bill for yourself, get informed and then write your congressman and let them know you support jobs but oppose litigation language included in Obama's Jobs Bill.
Grant Cardone, Concerned Business Owner and NY Times Best Selling Author