Revealed: Unlike most Walmart workers, ancient Egyptians got paid sick days

[Judi Lynn]

Revealed: Unlike most Walmart workers, ancient Egyptians got paid sick days
RedOrbit
19 Feb 2015 at 17:51 ET

Ancient Egyptians, who relied on slave labor, weren't exactly known for their generous employee benefits packages. However, some texts from Egypt's New Kingdom period, about 3,100-3,600 years ago, suggest that highly skilled craftsmen working on royal tombs did get paid sick leave.

During the New Kingdom period, royalty was laid to rest in a number of rock-cut tombs, not the massive pyramids of the past. The Egyptians of the time built a village called Deir el-Medina close enough to the burial sites to make certain that craftsmen could walk there every week.

These valued workers received a various amenities provided only to those with the workmanship and expertise essential to working on something as critical as the royal tomb. The Egyptian government compensated them in the form of monthly installments of grain. These workers were also given housing and servants to help with duties like washing laundry, milling grain, and getting water. Their loved ones lived with them in the village, and their wives and children could also make use of these provisions.

Ancient texts show that tomb workers were out sick from time to time. However, their wages were never docked due to these absences, records show.

More:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/02/revealed-unlike-walmart-workers-ancient-egyptians-got-paid-sick-days/

[itsrobert]

1. So Walmart should give their workers slaves to help them out?

That would be very considerate of them. Don't know where they would get the slaves from. Kinda illegal nowadays.

[gladium et scutum]

2. The workers at Deir el-Medina

were employee's of the Pharaoh of Egypt. As such they were paid by the state. Walmart is not an arm of the Federal Government. Employee's of the Federal Government earn sick days with pay. So did the Pharaohs employees at Deir el-Medina. Private organizations are not required by law to pay sick pay. Until the law is changed business is free to not pay that benefit. It is hightly doubtful that the average Egyptian work for anyone other than the Pharaoh received any benefits above a daily rate of pay.