Monkey Works as Waiter in Japanese Restaurant

From the Belfast Telegraph:

A Japanese restaurant is gaining international notoriety after a clip of a macaque monkey serving drinks to its customers was posted on the internet.

Kaoru Otsuka, who owns the restaurant in Utsunomiya, Japan, said he did not teach the sake-serving monkey its waiting skills.

Mr Otsuka claims Yatchan watched him serving customers and remembered how to do it.

"Lots of customers come to look at the monkey. He works everyday," said Mr Otsuka.

The simian, called Yatchan, is also used to serve hot towels to the grateful customers who give him soya beans as tips.

Mr Otsuka said the monkey also likes fruit, but was not fond of the sushi that the restaurant specialises in.

Question: If a monkey like Yatchan worked in the city of the Milwaukee, would he be entitled to paid sick days?

Does the binding referendum that Milwaukee voters just passed cover ALL workers, including monkeys?

Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, said a legal challenge will certainly be considered. He called the passage of the referendum "a foregone conclusion because of the way it was written."

Ninety-nine percent of employers believe it's a step in the wrong direction, he said. "It will be a barrier to marketing Milwaukee as a place to create jobs."

In a written statement, Barrett said he respects the voter' choice. "While I believe in the spirit of the proposal, it is at the federal level where I believe this issue needs to be addressed," he said. The ordinance will put the city at a competitive disadvantage, he said.

Supporters of the referendum relied on a seldom-used direct legislation law to bring the measure to a vote. When enough signatures were gathered, the Common Council had the choice of passing it or putting it on the ballot.

The referendum must now be published in the newspaper within 10 days. It must be implemented within 90 days of publication. The mayor cannot veto the action and the Common Council cannot amend or repeal the measure for two years, except by another referendum.

Under the measure, a full-time worker would earn a minimum of one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, or nine days a year. Businesses with 10 or fewer employees would be required to provide five days a year of paid sick time to full-time employees.

Employers might be able to get around the paid sick leave requirement by hiring monkeys.

It's an idea.