Bitch and moan
Since entering corporate America I've learned some things, heard ignorance stated as fact, surely learned some ignorance... life goes on. Although there is no event to cause an acute irritation, I've been thinking about two statements I've heard that just don't jive with me:
-If you're salaried, you're on the clock 24/7
-Working Saturdays and Sundays is part of being salaried
Clearly if the first is correct, I can take no issue with the second. So here's the deal... on the clock? 24/7? I don't buy it. If that's true, I make grossly less than minimum wage (and that's not including overtime or holiday pay). There are only two possible outcomes.... either salaried employees aren't on the clock 24/7, or many companies are breaking the law. (In case you're wondering, you'd have to be paid $81,164.20 yearly to be on the clock 24/7 at minimum wage... that's with time-and-half after 40 hours/week and double time on 9 paid holidays). When I am drinking beer on Saturday night, I am not on company time... I am on my time. Anyone who actually thinks they are on the clock 24/7 is either dumb, or makes a lot of money.
Weekends: I don't have much room to complain, I've worked 3 Saturdays (for physical inventory) and one Sunday afternoon this year. It's not much, and the 3 Saturdays can be blamed on other people. Overtime isn't terrible. If you're not working any over time, your company is likely overstaffed. Any sort of human resources costing model is going to suggest a bit of overtime is healthy. The same goes for salaried employees. Occasional weekend work is acceptable. However, if weekends disappear regularly that is a sign of one or both:
-You are not capable of doing your job (I guess I assume you are actually working during "work hours")
-Your job is too much and your duties should be lessened/diverted.
Anyway...right now I'm on my time... not my employer's time; Saturday I will not be in the office, nor Sunday. I think those statements are good ways to get stupid people to do more than they should. They are not logical, and I refuse to acknowledge them as such until someone can present a valid and coherent rebuttal.
-If you're salaried, you're on the clock 24/7
-Working Saturdays and Sundays is part of being salaried
Clearly if the first is correct, I can take no issue with the second. So here's the deal... on the clock? 24/7? I don't buy it. If that's true, I make grossly less than minimum wage (and that's not including overtime or holiday pay). There are only two possible outcomes.... either salaried employees aren't on the clock 24/7, or many companies are breaking the law. (In case you're wondering, you'd have to be paid $81,164.20 yearly to be on the clock 24/7 at minimum wage... that's with time-and-half after 40 hours/week and double time on 9 paid holidays). When I am drinking beer on Saturday night, I am not on company time... I am on my time. Anyone who actually thinks they are on the clock 24/7 is either dumb, or makes a lot of money.
Weekends: I don't have much room to complain, I've worked 3 Saturdays (for physical inventory) and one Sunday afternoon this year. It's not much, and the 3 Saturdays can be blamed on other people. Overtime isn't terrible. If you're not working any over time, your company is likely overstaffed. Any sort of human resources costing model is going to suggest a bit of overtime is healthy. The same goes for salaried employees. Occasional weekend work is acceptable. However, if weekends disappear regularly that is a sign of one or both:
-You are not capable of doing your job (I guess I assume you are actually working during "work hours")
-Your job is too much and your duties should be lessened/diverted.
Anyway...right now I'm on my time... not my employer's time; Saturday I will not be in the office, nor Sunday. I think those statements are good ways to get stupid people to do more than they should. They are not logical, and I refuse to acknowledge them as such until someone can present a valid and coherent rebuttal.
posted by Brady Beckham at 4:28 PM
2 Comments:
They might be telling you that it's an unspoken condition of your employment. A professor told me that increased unpaid overtime by American workers is a large part of the increase in their productivity in the last twenty years or so. Those two together might be hinting at the ease with which you can be replaced and telling. Are you a Team Player? Are you Career Oriented, looking to advance yourself?
ha ha ha... You're probably right.
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