--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is taken for granted that workers…" description: "\"It is taken for granted that workers should receive their pay partly in kind, in the form of medical care provided by the employer. How come? Why singl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc8/milton-friedman-616_care_it-is-taken-for-granted-that-workers-sho_719559.jpg" --- # It is taken for granted that workers should receive their… ![“It is taken for granted that workers should receive their pay partly in kind, in the form of medical care provided by the employer. How come? Why single out medical care? Surely food is no less essential to life than medical care. Why is it not at least as logical for workers to be required to buy…” quote by Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc8/milton-friedman-616_care_it-is-taken-for-granted-that-workers-sho_719559.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc8/milton-friedman-616_care_it-is-taken-for-granted-that-workers-sho_719559.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc8/milton-friedman-616_care_it-is-taken-for-granted-that-workers-sho_719559.jpg) > “It is taken for granted that workers should receive their pay partly in kind, in the form of medical care provided by the employer. How come? Why single out medical care? Surely food is no less essential to life than medical care. Why is it not at least as logical for workers to be required to buy their food at the company store as to be required to buy their medical care at the company store?” [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Workers are often expected to receive benefits like health care from employers, but not food, raising questions of fairness. **In simple terms:** Employer health benefits are common, food benefits are not. Key Takeaway Consider equitable benefit structures. Themes economics fairness labor rights Mood analytical critical Type policy economic When to use this quote - employment contracts - healthcare policy - food security - employee welfare Key Concepts social contract theory public policy Questions to Reflect On - Should essential needs be provided equally? - What are the implications of employer‑provided benefits? A Different Perspective Balancing cost and practicality can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buy Medical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buy-medical-656691/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Employers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employers/) [Essentials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essentials/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Granted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/granted/) [Granted Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/granted-workers-5658290/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Logical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logical/) [Medical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medical/) [Medical care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medical-care/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Pay Partly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-partly-5658288/) [Provided Employer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/provided-employer-5658289/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Stores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stores/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Taken for granted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken-for-granted/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) ## Related quotes > [“People don't go to a transplant center to buy medical services: They go to buy organs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-carney/people-don-t-go-to-a-transplant-center-to-buy-medical-services-they/) [Scott Carney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-carney/) > [That's an interesting paradox to think about. Make it legal and it's no good. Why? Because as long as it's illegal the people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/that-s-an-interesting-paradox-to-think-about-make-it-legal-and-it-s/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [A minimum-wage law is, in reality, a law that makes it illegal for an employer to hire a person with limited skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/a-minimum-wage-law-is-in-reality-a-law-that-makes-it-illegal-for-an/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [The long-range sloution to high unemployment is to increase the incentive for ordinary people to save, invest, work, and employ others. We make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-long-range-sloution-to-high-unemployment-is-to-increase-the/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [In Canada the cancer death rate is 16% higher than in the U.S. because of rationing of medical care. It takes an eight week…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/in-canada-the-cancer-death-rate-is-16-higher-than-in-the-u-s-because/) [Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/) > [In the future, it's going to become more and more impossible for the economy to support how expensive medical care is and the number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-fuhrman/in-the-future-it-s-going-to-become-more-and-more-impossible-for-the/) [Joel Fuhrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-fuhrman/) > [“records in any form I request under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act within thirty days and for a reasonable handling and processing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-rosenthal/records-in-any-form-i-request-under-the-health-insurance-portability/) [Elisabeth Rosenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-rosenthal/) > [ We got a commitment that 3 million nurses are going to be trained to better identify these signs \[of PTSD\], because, you know, when… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-got-a-commitment-that-3-million-nurses-are-going-to-be-trained-to/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [It is very expensive to give bad medical care to poor people in a rich country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/it-is-very-expensive-to-give-bad-medical-care-to-poor-people-in-a/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [Medical care for the entire country seems to me a basic right. If every other country in the West can do it, why can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/medical-care-for-the-entire-country-seems-to-me-a-basic-right-if/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [Health coverage for regular citizens isn't mandated by the Constitution, but we're obligated to provide adequate medical care for prisoners, whatever the cost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-riley/health-coverage-for-regular-citizens-isn-t-mandated-by-the/) [Jim Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-riley/) > [Having spent years ruining the housing markets with their interference, leading to a housing meltdown that has taken the whole economy down with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/having-spent-years-ruining-the-housing-markets-with-their/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Many of us are alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of medical care, including patients, who are the consumers. However, medical malpractice is not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-baca/many-of-us-are-alarmed-at-the-skyrocketing-cost-of-medical-care/) [Joe Baca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-baca/) > [“Medical care is a small contributor to health.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-mcneill/medical-care-is-a-small-contributor-to-health/) [Dwight McNeill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-mcneill/) > [“Our schools will not improve if we continue to focus only on reading and mathematics while ignoring the other studies that are essential elements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/our-schools-will-not-improve-if-we-continue-to-focus-only-on-reading/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) ## More by Milton Friedman > [The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-government-solution-to-a-problem-is-usually-as-bad-as-the-problem/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I believe the role that people like myself have played in the transformation of public opinion has been by persistently presenting a different point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-believe-the-role-that-people-like-myself-have-played-in-the/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [To really understand something you've got to reduce it to its principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/to-really-understand-something-you-ve-got-to-reduce-it-to-its/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [It is a mark of how far we have gone on the road to serfdom that government allocation and rationing of oil is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-a-mark-of-how-far-we-have-gone-on-the-road-to-serfdom-that/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Economic freedom is an essential requisite for political freedom. By enabling people to cooperate with one another without coercion or central direction, it reduces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/economic-freedom-is-an-essential-requisite-for-political-freedom-by/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [“The people in one district can choose not to reelect their member of Congress, but that will not change the composition of the government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-people-in-one-district-can-choose-not-to-reelect-their-member-of/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [When you have a time of crisis what happens depends on what ideas are floating around, and what ideas have been developed, and thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/when-you-have-a-time-of-crisis-what-happens-depends-on-what-ideas-are/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [The government doesn't have any money. The only power it has is to take from some and give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-government-doesn-t-have-any-money-the-only-power-it-has-is-to/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [What would the people who sold us goods do with the money? They'd get dollars. What would they do with the dollars? Eat them?!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/what-would-the-people-who-sold-us-goods-do-with-the-money-they-d-get/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [World trade depends on differences among countries, not similarities. Different countries are in different stages of development. It is appropriate for them to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/world-trade-depends-on-differences-among-countries-not-similarities/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Is there some society you know of that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on greed? You think China doesn't run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/is-there-some-society-you-know-of-that-doesn-t-run-on-greed-you-think/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Well first of all, tell me, is there some society you know of that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/well-first-of-all-tell-me-is-there-some-society-you-know-of-that/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I think almost every economist would agree that government gets itself in trouble when it tries to interfere with voluntary behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-think-almost-every-economist-would-agree-that-government-gets/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [It is most attractive about the US to people and countries with wealth is that it can provide security, insurance really, against political instability.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-most-attractive-about-the-us-to-people-and-countries-with/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Hong Kong is the bellwether. If the Chinese stick to their agreement to let Hong Kong go its own path, then China will also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/hong-kong-is-the-bellwether-if-the-chinese-stick-to-their-agreement/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) [Explore all 444 Milton Friedman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## More Care quotes > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/) [Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [What makes you care about nature, about the planet? Is it really that you're afraid of what's going to happen if you don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/what-makes-you-care-about-nature-about-the-planet-is-it-really-that/) [Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [When you're in your twenties and starting out, the problem is that you care about being cool. Being older, I can care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-righton/when-you-re-in-your-twenties-and-starting-out-the-problem-is-that-you/) [James Righton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-righton/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [I don't care if you make a print on a bath mat, just as long as it is a good print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/i-don-t-care-if-you-make-a-print-on-a-bath-mat-just-as-long-as-it-is/) [Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/) > [The world's problems are, by and large, human problems-the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking. If we care to look, all the signs are present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/the-world-s-problems-are-by-and-large-human-problems-the-unavoidable/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) [Browse all 19,019 Care quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is taken for granted that workers should receive their pay partly in kind, in the form of medical care provided by the employer. How come? Why single out medical care? Surely food is no less essential to life than medical care. Why is it not at least as logical for workers to be required to buy their food at the company store as to be required to buy their medical care at the company store?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Milton Friedman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-taken-for-granted-that-workers-should-receive-their-pay-partly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Care" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-taken-for-granted-that-workers-should-receive-their-pay-partly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc8/milton-friedman-616_care_it-is-taken-for-granted-that-workers-sho_719559.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc8/milton-friedman-616_care_it-is-taken-for-granted-that-workers-sho_719559.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc8/milton-friedman-616_care_it-is-taken-for-granted-that-workers-sho_719559.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is taken for granted that workers should receive their pay partly in kind, in the form of medical care…” — Milton Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Milton Friedman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is taken for granted that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-taken-for-granted-that-workers-should-receive-their-pay-partly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-taken-for-granted-that-workers-should-receive-their-pay-partly/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```