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With unions, this kind of employee abuse wouldn't even be considered by an employer. Welcome to the over-worked, underpaid & unappreciated job culture brought to you by the likes of Wal-Mart and their accomplices in Congress. It's really quite disgusting.
I would also go on the Dept of Labors website and see if you even fall into the classification of salaried exempt. Very strict guidelines for this. Have to be careful because some companies like to throw you in the salaried exempt pool so they do not have to pay overtime but the states guidelines are pretty clear cut AND if they have miss classified you they have to pay you any overtime due for the last two years...
With unions, this kind of employee abuse wouldn't even be considered by an employer. Welcome to the over-worked, underpaid & unappreciated job culture brought to you by the likes of Wal-Mart and their accomplices in Congress. It's really quite disgusting.
The downside is that within a given job title or function everyone gets paid the same regardless of motivational level, output or attitude.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Show them the USDOL rules regarding exempt employees. The IRS is losing tax money when you work more than 40 hours without overtime pay, so they and the department of labor pay attention.
The downside is that within a given job title or function everyone gets paid the same regardless of motivational level, output or attitude.
Demoralizing to the high producers.
The downside to no employee protections is the garbage that the original poster detailed. When the employer holds all the cards, they can treat you like nothing more than a wage slave. Sure, she can leave. But the way she's being treated now is pretty common throughout most industries.
The downside to no employee protections is the garbage that the original poster detailed. When the employer holds all the cards, they can treat you like nothing more than a wage slave. Sure, she can leave. But the way she's being treated now is pretty common throughout most industries.
Especially right now with the job market the way it is. They know people aren't likely to feel as if they can just walk off the job and find another the next day, so they are taking advantage. We've gotten outright pay cuts, loss of vacation time, and benefit reductions over the past year, yet the days are getting longer plus we get Blackberry messages in the evening and weekends and it gets "mentioned" if you don't answer them until the next day. I suck it up because a) I know that they need me right now, and b) I have just a little longer to go before I've reached a significant place in my pension system and will be able to take my health benefits with me.
Especially right now with the job market the way it is. They know people aren't likely to feel as if they can just walk off the job and find another the next day, so they are taking advantage. We've gotten outright pay cuts, loss of vacation time, and benefit reductions over the past year, yet the days are getting longer plus we get Blackberry messages in the evening and weekends and it gets "mentioned" if you don't answer them until the next day. I suck it up because a) I know that they need me right now, and b) I have just a little longer to go before I've reached a significant place in my pension system and will be able to take my health benefits with me.
That's the new one with all the technology. "Just answer some emails/voicemails in your spare time." I envy people who shut their doors at a certain hour and go home for the day.
thank you, again, very helpful and supportive. it's really about principle. the extra hours, i accept as par for the course. it was really about the way i was demanded and spoken to, as if my, limited, free time is not even my own. i bust my hump and i do great work. i get rave reviews and i set my self standards far higher than even the agency sets, so to be treated this lousy just made me feel bad. regretful, even, about all i do, extra, to really put my best into my work. ethically, professionally, humanly... i just really feel hurt by this. i insisted on keeping my day off, yet i worked from home, fielded numerous calls, and felt crappy all wknd. i shouldnt have, but thats just me. i dont like letting people down and i dont like peop to have negative opinion of me. its simply a no-win situation and i feel bad
I've recently been told that I must respond to voice calls and emails withing 15 minutes after hours and on weekends. When I refused, saying that I already work 60-80hrs week and need time with my family. I did offer to help if/when I was available but could not promise such a response time. I was then told that since im one of the top paid people in the company that things are going to have to change and I will have to take on more responsibility. I told them I would only accept that if they were to also enforce the same daily job requirements as well as the after hours on every other employee in my department. Since I have been stripped of all title when new management came in, I am a worker bee just like everyone else. And, if they will not hold the others just as accountable, then I will file for discrimination and harassment.
When they told me that my refusal will be put on my record and be taken into account next year at review time, I reminded them that I was one of the employees that agreed to taking a 15% pay cut 5 years ago and the agreement we signed stated that once certain goals were reached within the company, I would be given my 15% back, with guaranteed 5% increases paid retroactively over 2 years. (We all took a hit in salary to finance the purchase of much needed infrastructure to keep the company going - it was only ever meant to be a loan of sorts).
When they had nothing left, the new manager threatened my employment I kindly asked her to please fire me (in the nicest manner I could muster) so i can collect on the 65 days of vacation I've accrued (because they have not allowed me to take time off - I'm supposedly too valuable to be allowed off), the 15% I had given up x5 (5 years of back pay owed - Its in the contract), and the 6 months severance pay I've earned because I've been with the company over 15 years. Were talking almost $100k in one shot.
So, now that I fought back, I get to work from home on Mondays, I get a 1/2 day on Fridays, every Friday, there is no requirement for me to respond in 15 min after hours, and the new Manager has been severely scolded by the owners.
I'm still hoping they find something to fire me over (other than gross misconduct) I could REALLY use a vacation!!!!
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great story
