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Americans Deeply Divided Over Offshoring By U.S. Companies
SAN FRANCISCO -- The nation appears to be deeply divided over the practice of off-shoring by American businesses, with nearly 60% of respondents to an Employment Law Alliance survey saying companies that send work overseas that could be done by U.S. workers should be punished by the federal government.Other survey findings include:39% of American workers believe that American companies should be free to outsource work overseas.58% believe that companies outsourcing work that could be done by Americans to offshore contractors should be penalized by the U.S. government.52% said they would turn to government agencies or elected officials for help if their job was threatened by offshoring.37% said they would seek help from a labor union if they thought they might lose their job due to offshoring. Only 12% of respondents said they currently belong to a labor union.21% said they would seek recourse through the courts if their job security was threatened by the possibility of an employer sending their work overseas.6% said they have lost a job because their work was sent overseas.30% know of someone, including a family member, friend or co-worker who had lost a job due to offshoring.8% said they personally feel their job security is at risk because their employer might send their work overseas.46% said offshoring is not as much as a crisis as the media has made it out to be."If any employer thinks the debate over off-shoring is an aberration, or that they are somehow immune from its fallout because of the nature of their business, they should think again," says Stephen J. Hirschfeld, chief executive officer of ELA and a partner in the California-based law firm of Curiale, Dellaverson, Hirschfeld & Kramer. "Even though a relatively small number of workers have actually been directly impacted by offshoring, you can see the anxiety in the American workplace when large numbers are advocating federal sanctions for offshoring and looking for protection from the government and labor unions. This is a textbook case where employers have got to be communicating with their employees even if they have no plans to send work overseas. Perception can easily overwhelm reality in this environment."Dr. Wayne Cascio, a professor of business at the University of Colorado and author of Responsible Restructuring, says the survey results are at once somewhat reassuring (the 39% who favor in principle offshoring) and disturbing (the 58% who support government sanctions for offshoring). "Since there are ongoing needs to meet the product and service demands of customers, the only way for businesses to win is to innovate constantly in order to stay ahead of the competition," he says. "Protectionism is not the answer. Competitiveness, work force development, and superior quality are keys to winning in the information age."The survey was conducted by the market research firm of Reed, Haldy, McIntosh & Associates, Media, Pa.The Employment Law Alliance is the world's largest integrated, global practice network.Visit the Employment Law Alliance: www.employmentlawalliance.com"