But do companies pay it or is there a national fund?

Listen, I agree that people need time to have lunch and take shits.

But why are businesses forced to pay for these hours of idle labor? Shouldn’t we have the government assume the cost they’re imposing on private industry?

We should be privatizing the profits. We need socialize the losses. That’s the only way a business can actually function profitably.

someone who runs a very small nonprofit organization that feeds our community with a handful of employees

Should definitely be keeping a staffer with influenza on site, making food for other people.