My Boss Is A jerk

[steiner79]

I work as a mech drafter / mechanical engineer Ive been told to work 50 hrs a week and am only paid salary for 40. a loss of over 200.00 a week. the boss said we will get a bounus when the project is complete but I know that is not true he has never given out a bonus.
I am so mad and I cant do anything about it or can I
can anybody relate or have sugestions.

I have no college education (all self taught) and am supporting my wife and child Id love to go to collage for mechanical design but have no extra money to spare and the nearest collage is 2 1/2 hours away what should i do
I have to vent somewhere and here is where im gonna do it

[rkjunior303]

you're salary? work your 40 hours. they can't make you work more than that.

[sixtoes1313]

I dont see how they can make you work 50 hours for a 40 hour salary. Are they holding you like under the gun per say for your job or somthing. If you tell them your only working for what your paid what could they do? Possibly report them to the better business bureau? You would have a strong case IMO.

[StygShore]

Did you sign a workers contract stating you would work 40 hours a week when you started? Or was it just the standard you get this much salary and work until the work is done? If it was stated int he contract that you would be compensated past 40, then you might have a leg to stand on.

Fact is most people on a 40 hours salary work more than 40 hours a week. The job I have now I usually work about 45-50 with about 10 hours of drive time on top of that.

The previous job I worked 50-65 regularly with the same drive time.

I used to work in HR, and the "new" scam is hiring younger people with a decent salary, but putting it right in their work contract that their salary is based off of a 50 hour work week.



Styg

[steiner79]

I did not sign a contract in fact i have not even seen the contract

[Lohman446]

Unless your salary is specifically for 40 hours, or the amount you work causes you to go below federal minimum wage + overtime guidelines you don't have a leg to stand on. Guessing that you are working 50HRs rather than 40HRs and perceive yourself as losing $200 I guess your pay to be in the $20/hour so neither of the above applies to you, even if you work it out to 50 hours with the extra 10 being at time and a half it still works out to $13.33 an hour so still does not apply.

Your rights vary from state to state of course, and also depend largely on how replaceable you are.

With no contract you are an at will employee (in most states) and either you or your boss may terminate your employment at anytime with or without reason. Either of you can change the terms of said employment, again with or without reason.

My advice, suck it up. The 40 hour work week in most professional jobs is largely a myth. Not to be mean but, unless you have independent professional certifications, or are in a great job market, I am not expecting you can do better readily without a degree.

[Tac-OneFun]

you're salary? work your 40 hours. they can't make you work more than that.

not true.

only HOURLY WAGE employees must receive overtime.

If a salaried employee works over 40 hours a week, they do not receive compensation. It is an outright known fact in my job that we are expected to work no less than 45 hours a week. I have booked 80 hours in one week before and never expected compensation for it.

Your anger may stem from the fact that you EXPECTED compensation and did not receive it. The law does not require that the employer provide you with comensation for having worked over 40 hrs/week.

[steiner79]

thank you for your replys I guess Ill suck it up and take it
since the job market for the up michigan is not that great

[Pacifist_Farmer]

From all the stories I've heard from my fellow ME's, as soon as your employer starts mandating "overtime" its all down hill from there. Good luck and I think your right, your not going to get a bonus.

[Lohman446]

thank you for your replys I guess Ill suck it up and take it
since the job market for the up michigan is not that great

Yeh, in MI you are definatly an at-will employee (though you can receive unemployment if let go without cause and certain steps being taken). I didn't even look at your location :) . I guess the best you can do is express your concern(s) to your boss, depending on the type of person he is. Good luck

[SCpoloRicker]

you're salary? work your 40 hours. they can't make you work more than that.

*confused doggie pic*

Every salaried position I've ever held has a)required more than 40 hrs and b)not compensated a dime for "overtime" work.

[steiner79]

Yeh, in MI you are definatly an at-will employee (though you can receive unemployment if let go without cause and certain steps being taken). I didn't even look at your location :) . I guess the best you can do is express your concern(s) to your boss, depending on the type of person he is. Good luck


no luck on expressing my concerns its like working for the mob his way or no way

[oneworld]

hey, thats not to bad, theres a girl where i work who is on salary, and works 120 hours every 2 weeks, usually when your on salary you get screwed over.

[rkjunior303]

*confused doggie pic*

Every salaried position I've ever held has a)required more than 40 hrs and b)not compensated a dime for "overtime" work.

i misunderstood him a little bit. I thought he was working his normal Mon-Fri but then getting asked to work in additon to that.

[FactsOfLife]

you're salary? work your 40 hours. they can't make you work more than that.


wrong.

hourly pay is subject to overtime rules and laws dependent upon your locale.


salaried, you're at the mercy of management.

[Thordic]

At least in NJ, it depends if you are exempt or not.

Non-Exempt employees are not eligible for a bonus but they are eligible for overtime. They are generally hourly but can be salaried.

Exempt employees are not eligible for overtime compensation but are eligible for a bonus.

This is the way its been at all the companies I've worked at as well as those of people I know.

Personally I am Non-Exempt Salaried. I get paid the same amount every week automatically, regardless of what my timesheet says. I'm expected to work a minimum of 37.5 hours a week for that wage, anything less and I'd get in trouble. 37.6 - 40 hours and I get paid "extra" time which is just pay at my normal hourly rate. Anything over 40 hours and overtime kicks in at time and a half. The 37.5 hour work week is a little odd, granted, but the over 40-hour mandated overtime is the law here. If there are exceptions to that law I've never seen them.

[flyboy]

But on the flip side to that is, if you have to go to the doctor and leave early, they can't dock the lost time.

Depending on your locale you may or may not be required to be salaried exempt. Some states have a Salaried non-exempt (from over time) and there may be federal guidelines as well. Many companies apply these laws incorrectly. Check then out. They should be available online.

[rkjunior303]

I'm the same Brian.. We're called Salary Plus.... I am an exempt employee but if I DO work overtime that is agreed upon, say for a national project like the DNC/Nascar/etc, I am eligible to obtain overtime at half rate - which sucks but at least it's something.

[Lohman446]

:P Hmm... I work when work is needed and take pay as pay is needed :) Works well.

[SCpoloRicker]

We're up the creek if work requires more than 40hrs, and that's been consistent at every agency I've heard of out here.

[FiXeL]

It all depends on job availability and your specialisation, but i say screw the guy and start looking for other jobs with better terms. Maybe this sounds easier than it looks, i'm not familiar with the american job market. But i told my last boss to look for another CNC machine operator in januari, after 7 years of service. The look on his face was priceless. :D

Now i have a 40hr a week job, no mental abuse, less overtime, better tools, better machinery, same salary payed over 4 weeks instead of a month, few months ago a 5% raise, i can drink coffee in the workshop, read a paper when the machine is running, nobody constantly on my butt.... Well you get the idea.... I switched jobs and i never regretted it for a moment. :D

Ow, and i am allowed to do some small milling jobs for private use without problem, like ULE milling my tac-one rail :headbang:

[steiner79]

It all depends on job availability and your specialisation, but i say screw the guy and start looking for other jobs with better terms. Maybe this sounds easier than it looks, i'm not familiar with the american job market. But i told my last boss to look for another CNC machine operator in januari, after 7 years of service. The look on his face was priceless. :D

Now i have a 40hr a week job, no mental abuse, less overtime, better tools, better machinery, same salary payed over 4 weeks instead of a month, few months ago a 5% raise, i can drink coffee in the workshop, read a paper when the machine is running, nobody constantly on my butt.... Well you get the idea.... I switched jobs and i never regretted it for a moment. :D

Ow, and i am allowed to do some small milling jobs for private use without problem, like ULE milling my tac-one rail :headbang:


now that sounds like a good place to work

now i should not grip to much since they do let me use the machinery wich is all manual but still works the point is i love my job but the boss sucks and its pointless to talk to him.
the job market is not that great for a cad/engineer without a college education. by the way I design parts for hydroelectric dams if anyones wants to know.

[FiXeL]

I don't have college, or even high school. I screwed all that up. But i've worked my way up with a little help, got some education for non-employed, went into the metal sector and started out as a welder... after that i got my last job at a buisness that made moulds and dies. (and working myself up from welder with some other skills to CNC milling) Now i work at a machine factory as a CNC machine operator. I mill, program and do anything that's needs to be done.

I don't have any good papers, but i have skill. That, and working expierence will go a long way. Most employers rather have someone that has expierence than some kid that just got out of school. My working career was lucky, seeing the way i messed up in the past. But staying where you are and unhappy with the working conditions is living a contious circle. If you are not happy with how things are going, you need to act to go further. I've wasted 7 years with a jerk for a boss, but i gained alot of expierence that landed me my current job. But i've moved on, for your sake you should do too...

One tip about new bosses: They always tend to make things look great, but usually they're not. I've almost switched jobs from hell to pure hell, good thing i got tipped off. If you can, get some background info on the company, it helps deciding if you want to work there. Don't expect too much from your new job, but if it's way better than what you're used to, it's a improvement.

Well, i hope this helps a bit... It might take some time/jobs before you settle in the good job, and usually there is always something to complain about. Don't be too picky about that, but also don't take no crap from your boss. If so, Be direct, and clear about what you want and what you don't want. (in a good fashion offcourse)

[SummaryJudgement]

Find a btter/different job.........

That's what I finally did. I worked 50+ hours for three years at my last job. I'd say about a quarter of the year I was doing 70+ hours a week, plus weekends, plus HOLIDAYS. :(

We were often told we would get comp time or bonuses, but almost never did. I also never got a raise, not because of my job performance (cause I was usaulyy out performing others, but because the raises were going to people making less money to catch them up to our level). It started to bother me so much at the end that I needed to start taking blood pressure and hypertension medication :tard:

When I got my new job, I was at least happy that I didn't have to put up with the same old BS. I know my new job will get into crazy-time at one point, but at least it will be new BS............................

[gimp]

I work as a mech drafter / mechanical engineer Ive been told to work 50 hrs a week and am only paid salary for 40. a loss of over 200.00 a week. the boss said we will get a bounus when the project is complete but I know that is not true he has never given out a bonus.
I am so mad and I cant do anything about it or can I
can anybody relate or have sugestions.

I have no college education (all self taught) and am supporting my wife and child Id love to go to collage for mechanical design but have no extra money to spare and the nearest collage is 2 1/2 hours away what should i do
I have to vent somewhere and here is where im gonna do it

I suggest you get the project done really fast so that you don't have to work 50+ hours a week anymore.

I'm an engineer, and I get paid hourly. A lot of people think that by getting a salary, it's going to be more money. If you work a lot of overtime, which I do, then hourly is the way to go. Time and a half, plus 10% night differential. Spend a month on mid shift, working 13 hour days 7 days a week and you'll be making bank. Course, you kind of give up a lot of free time.

[Lohman446]

Be cautious of the "grass is always greener" way of thinking. Companies normally hire in upsurges in business and/or profitability. Naturally these good times tend to trickle down and result in better times for everyone involved. However, they are often short lived and many find that the "dream job" they left there past job for is not all they thought it was a few months down the road.

[wimag]

*confused doggie pic*

Every salaried position I've ever held has a)required more than 40 hrs and b)not compensated a dime for "overtime" work.

sucks for you. I am salaried non exempt. Means i get OT pay baby !!

[Thordic]

sucks for you. I am salaried non exempt. Means i get OT pay baby !!

Its the way to go :) I don't work a ton of overtime but if I wanted to have no life during the week I could easily pick up an extra 10+ hours a week.

[wimag]

Its the way to go :) I don't work a ton of overtime but if I wanted to have no life during the week I could easily pick up an extra 10+ hours a week.

yeah, same here. We work four tens and i have gotten so acclimated to three day weekends every week that my free time outweighs some extra change in my pocket.

[bornl33t]

I work what I want up to 40 hours a week. MY place of employment pays my benefits and some other heathy incentives. This allows me to run my own buisness on the side and not have to worry about health inshurance or lack of work.

I'm almost as free as it comes...


But while we are talking about crappy bosses, I have one that was promoted and had 2 convictions for possession. One for intent to distribute and both within 16 months of his promotion. So yeah.....

[Chrishew09]

I work in NJ, I get salary pay for a 40hr week, if i work OT during the week i get no compensation, I do get OT on the weekends but it's straight time only. NJ is good when it comes to things like this.

[93civiccpe]

This might make you feel a little better about your job..

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20048266/


Yikes!

[Tac-OneFun]

haha

at least at my job getting a raise is a given... just a matter of how much...

[TnDeathInc]

Being a human resource manager for a very large company (saralee)

Let me give you some info

If you are salaried, which means you dont punch a clock and thus are what they call Exempt, meaning you are exempt from FLSA rules (overtime pay etc...)

Most (80%) of salaried jobs require 50 hours a week. Check the Federal labor standard statistics or the BLS (bureau of Labor statistics)

Being exempt means you work until all the work is done, finite. Which means you may work 60-70 hours one week 35 the next, or consistently if laid out by your organization 50 hours a week.

Except for hourly positions the standard for salaried jobs is 50 hours a week. :eek:

As for docking pay for missing, you can be docked for a whole day if the employer so chooses and its in the state law, however there is no place in the US if you work a portion of the day and have to be off for w/e, can they dock you for pay. It send the message that you are paid hourly and not on slary thus screwing your FLSA status up.

Look for old lawsuits about burgerking getting sued for similar problems with determining whether a job was exempt or not.