Can you be forced to work w/out pay if you are salary?

[johnnie]

These bozos who run my company has decided they need to update their database and have told us we are to come in next Sat and Sun and enter the data for free. Well, they said they will provide lunch. I'm a salary employee. Something doesn't sound right about this.

Anyone know anything about this?

[Goblinmonger]

1. I would think

it depends on what your salary contract is.

I'm a teacher on a salary and I do a shit load outside of the contract day.

[KitchenWitch]

2. I think they can, but some employers offer what they call "comp time"

Basically comp time is additional time off with pay. Say you work 16 hours over the weekend, you would get 16 hours of vacation time added to your balance.

[johnnie]

7. They offered no comp time

I've done some overtime before, but not like this.

[Gormy Cuss]

21. No comp time, you're salaried!

Heard that one far too often at an old job. Funny thing was there were no 30 hour weeks when work was slow. You'd think salaried worked both ways. Someone successfully sued the company over the latter.

[Deep13]

3. My gut feeling is you are probably screwed.

That's the whole purpose of paying salary, to give the employer flexibility cheap.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. I think they can do that to you, johnnie...

Salaried employees get paid a certain amount, no matter how many hours they work...

Hourly employees get paid by the hour...

At least this has always been my experience...

Sorry...

[johnnie]

9. This sucks..lol

We haven't even really had any raises in 6 years. Some dude from Texas bought this company and it has been nothing but crap since day one.

[Shell Beau]

5. Yep! My husband has to do it all of the time! Sucks doesn't it?

[johnnie]

8. They make him?

Or does he just do it?

[Shell Beau]

12. Well both! I wouldn't say that they "make" him, but it has to get done.

[DS1]

6. Cutbacks?

Need to play "a little catchup"




"lost a few people?"




yeah

[SacredCow]

10. It's a pitfall of being salaried....

They're making SOME concession to you with the lunches, so that's a plus. But I'd think giving you some comp time as well would sweeten the deal enough to make everyone happy.

[huskerlaw]

11. Yes, I believe that they can

That's how some people get stuck working 80+ hour weeks.

[LSK]

13. Yes, that is normal

1st job?

:shrug:

[MissMillie]

14. Is there some reason the data can't be entered during the regular work week?

I think they can do this.... but that doesn't stop me from wondering why it has to be done on a weekend.

[tjwmason]

15. Depends what's in your contract.

I feel a moral obligation to work beyond my normal hours for some of the time (not from loyalty to my employers, but from personal loyalty to my boss and because of who would get screwn if I didn't), but as my contract does specify hours I don't have any formal obligation to work a minute beyond what is written down and couldn't be forced to do so even if they were offering to pay me massive overtime.

[IndianaJones]

16. Yes. nt.

[TreasonousBastard]

17. It depends on if you're "exempt" or not...

exempt employees are certain managers, professionals, or whatever who are "Exempt" from wage and hour laws. The list of exempt employees keeps getting larger, though.

Non-exempt employees can still be on salary, but various state and federal laws could make them pay overtime based roughly on your weekly salary divided by 40 or 36 hours, or something close.

Somewhere in your state you probably have a Labor Board of some sort that takes complaints for things like this. Ask them what the law is, and try to be anonymous.

If you actually do make a complaint, though, get good help and prepare for some possibly serious retaliation from the employer. Also prepare for an employer representative coming down to the board hearing with a lot of "good" answers to wipe the floor with you unless you have expert preparation. There are lawyers who specialize on these cases, and some unions might be willing to help.

[Lethe]

18. normal office routine for a professional

you are expected to put in unpaid overtime to get any and all your work done

[NewWaveChick1981]

19. If you are employed at will (i.e. without a contract or union agreement), yes.

If you are not subject to Federal wage and hour laws and are considered an exempt employee, they can work you 24/7 legally. :( I know that firsthand. :(

[johnnie]

20. Thanks all

I guess I'm screwed. The thing is, I'm a electrical engineer here and the data I have to enter is for inventory of parts. Typically they think I am too "stupid" to worry about that information but all of a sudden they are giving me permission to work with it. :eyes:

This place is becoming a shitty place to be. I need to start looking for a new job.

[JVS]

22. Eat really big lunches