Feel like I was baited & switched - new job (employees, apply)

[anthonyfromMA]

Apply for a job via an ad that lists it as hourly. At the interview I'm told it will be a salaried position (i.e. no overtime)

The listed shifts are 9 hours each day and generally I work while I eat since we don't have the staff to give me a full hour-long break.

I bring this up and I'm told that usually most nights I can leave an hour early, so I'm not going to be getting hit with a bunch of overtime that I won't get paid for.

Fast forward a couple of months and I've just been informed that the company is adjusting its operating hours and now I will be required to stay the extra hour each night.

Tacking on another 5 hours/week without overtime pay drops my hourly rate in the grand scheme of things quite significantly, not to mention other times I get called in (i.e. weekends they can't cover) or when I'm on-call for an entire week overnights (every other week)

I really feel misled here, in another month I'll have finished my probationary period. Should I wait until that's up to attempt to renegotiate or should I be doing this sooner rather than later?

[Dale Cooper]

You should probably just be glad to have a job.

One more hour a day won't kill you. It's not like they're cutting your salary. If you could live on what you were making with less hours, you can still live on that money.

If they pull another stunt, it might be time to question them. But with such a short time under your belt, suck it up and be thankful.

[anthonyfromMA]

Originally Posted by Dale Cooper

You should probably just be glad to have a job.

One more hour a day won't kill you. It's not like they're cutting your salary. If you could live on what you were making with less hours, you can still live on that money.

If they pull another stunt, it might be time to question them. But with such a short time under your belt, suck it up and be thankful.

My issue is that I negotiated my starting salary based on them stating during the interview that most evenings I wouldn't have to stay the extra hour, only when it was necessary. Now they're changing their tune and mandating I work 5 hours of overtime every week based on a salary that didn't factor that in.

Assuming a base rate of $20/hr, that's almost 8 grand/year difference, not something I'm inclined to overlook.

I will be renegotiating , the question is whether I wait until the probationary period is over or if I do it now that they're changing things.

I would prefer to remain here and work out an arrangement, but if they won't budge I can go somewhere else, not overly concerned on that end.

[CTbrooktrout]

What industry are you in? If it's financial services then I'm sorry to say but you kinda just have to suck it up or look for a new job if you feel underpaid now.

I'd wait till after probation if you'll be challenging them. Either way keep it business, non personal, no feelings, just reasonable logic.

[NewHavensFinest]

A full hour to eat a sandwich?! sign me up...

[Huckleberry3911948]

i understand the rip off and your anger. what i do not understand is american hatred of unions which stop dead this nonsense.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by NewHavensFinest

A full hour to eat a sandwich?! sign me up...

Every full-time job I've had generally allowed about that for lunch. Depends on workload really, yesterday I took an hour and today I couldn't leave my desk.

[Lalalally]

It really depends on your position -- I.e. Are you an exempt or non exempt employee. That's what ultimately determines whether you're entitled to overtime. The fact that the position was initially posted as hourly, leads me to believe it's most certainly a non-exempt position, meaning you're entitled to OT. Even if they want to call your pay a "salary," that alone doesn't make you exempt. I could call an apple an orange if I wanted to, but I'd be dead wrong.

[anthonyfromMA]

My pay is set in stone, I get the same each week regardless. I will keep it professional and show my calculations on how this change from what was originally discussed significantly reduces my hourly earn rate, to the point that I'm making around the same or perhaps less than employees who report to me.

[Lalalally]

OK, changing my opinion: "employees who report to me" are magic word for some type of managerial-type position, and so you may in fact be exempt from wage/hour laws.