The Maine dairy company lost millions of Dollars because an error in Grammar. That's why is very important and misuse of it can do a million dollar loss.
The Oxford Comma, better known as 'Oxford Comma', earned the workers of a dairy company, Maine, paid overtime.
What is Oxford Comma?
It is an optional comma before the word 'and' or 'or', at the end of a list. Example: "We sell books, videos, and magazines. " It is known as the Oxford comma because it was traditionally used by readers and editors of Oxford University Press. Not all writers and editors use this comma, but it can be very important in clarifying the meaning of a sentence when the items in a list are not single words, for example: "We have black and white, red and yellow, And blue and green. Some argue that the Oxford comma is not necessary but others say it can help in situations of ambiguity.
"She took a picture of her parents, president, and vice president. " Without a comma, the phrase suggests she is taking a photograph of her parents, who are also president and vice president. The Chicago Manual of Style cites this example.
And why is the Oxford comma so important?
At stake was the payment of overtime, as the New York Times reports. Recently, this comma was worth 13 million dollars. A group of drivers in the United States won a three-year lawsuit against Maine.
The drivers argued that the overtime work law was ambiguous because of a missing comma. The law says the overtime rules do not apply to:
"Canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storage, packaging or distribution of: (1) Agricultural products; (2) Meat and fish products; And (3) Perishable foods. " The problem resided in the final part of the phrase, "packaging or distribution of ", being the doubt if it was referring to one or two tasks. According to the judge's final report, he gave reason to the workers, arguing that where there is ambiguity in the labor laws, the worker should be the beneficiary, not the employer.
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