[Sungirl]

Did anyone else see ABC news tonight stating the there will be more layoffs coming ...and that the facts show that, 'once again, (their words) the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer?' They also said that if the minimum wage went up as much as CEO's salary has for the last two years, that minumum wage would be over $21.00.
They also had a story about how employees are suing their employers (Pepboys and Walmart were mentioned) because they are forcing hourly employees to work time off the books...and not paying them. Apparently the lower the managers keep payroll....the more they are rewarded with bonusus. I just want to mention that my sister is a salaried employee and is required to work 10 hours over her 40 hours a week every week for the next 3 months. It's mandatory. 10 hours.

[farmguy]

I saw the report.

It seemed like that report and the one about the end of that feel good, training program were extremely anti-Bush.

[grania]

I just want to mention that my sister is a salaried employee and is required to work 10 hours over her 40 hours a week every week for the next 3 months. It's mandatory. 10 hours.

That's awful. And, let me guess, the boss will get to brag about increased productivity and get a bonus. It's not a good time for workers...I suspect that the fear of job losses is pretty widespread.

[steveo]

I just want to mention that my sister is a salaried employee and is required to work 10 hours over her 40 hours a week every week for the next 3 months. It's mandatory. 10 hours.

And I guess they are holding a gun to your sisters head and are preventing her from seeking employment elsewhere. That's really, really, really mean of them.

[monkeyshine]

I just want to mention that my sister is a salaried employee and is required to work 10 hours over her 40 hours a week every week for the next 3 months. It's mandatory. 10 hours.

I know a company that is doing so poorly, they have all their sales and marketing staff spending 5 hours on the factory floor each day, and they too are working extra hours. The employees have 2 choices.

[SauronOfMordor]

They also had a story about how employees are suing their employers (Pepboys and Walmart were mentioned) because they are forcing hourly employees to work time off the books...and not paying them. Apparently the lower the managers keep payroll....the more they are rewarded with bonusus. I just want to mention that my sister is a salaried employee and is required to work 10 hours over her 40 hours a week every week for the next 3 months. It's mandatory. 10 hours.

In boom times, when it's hard to find good workers, companies give raises. In bad times, they give pay cuts -- only they call it "uncompensated overtime". It's easier to get a worker to go for putting in extra time, than to get him to swallow a reduction in pay

Tell your sister to get down on her knees and be thankful she has a job. A lot of good people don't, these days, and have been looking for a while.

[DWSUWF]

"...I just want to mention that my sister is a salaried employee and is required to work 10 hours over her 40 hours a week every week for the next 3 months. It's mandatory. 10 hours..."

The ONLY 'mandatory' thing in life is that we must all someday die. Paying taxes (per the old saw) is a close second, but there are opportunities for mischief in this area that put the lie to this being 'mandatory'.

The worst thing they can do is to can her for blowing off the overtime. They're not going to take her out into the parking lot and rake her with automatic weapon's fire until she's a greasy glob of red jelly.

When I was in that phase of my life where I worked for others I blew off many a 'mandatory' overtime hour that conflicted with family or personal agendas.

They didn't like it, but I was good enough at what I did that I was never subjected to anything more bothersome than having to listen to them bitch about it.

And that went in my left ear and out my right.

Nancy Reagan said it best...

"Just say NO."

[chance33_98]

a FAQ regarding overtime pretty interesting.

I work in a data center, 12 hour days, 84 hours per two week pay period. During a transition between contract and to hire when funds ran out I worked two days while being employed by no one, so no pay. But some things work out for the best and I will be compensated in other ways. I considered it an investment in my future. If she is getting 'used' by her company the FAQ notes that many employees are filing lawsuits, and that there are certain types of jobs in which people should not be considered salary.

I would work the extra 10 hours myself but track them, and then, since I was salary, when things eased up make sure I took an extra 10 hours a week off. When times are bad on salary, work the extra, when they are good - take advantage of the fact that they still must pay you the same amount even when you only work 30.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Salaried employees often have to work 40 hours per week. So what? I know of one profession where 55-60 hour weeks are required for salaried workers for at least three months a year.

[staytrue]

The abc story had to mean that the salaries of the rich are more and the salaries of the poor are less, because the "rich" just lost about 8 trillion dollars of stock market wealth. Normally, the "poor"'s stock market portfolio is minimal.

[lmr]

I just want to mention that my sister is a salaried employee and is required to work 10 hours over her 40 hours a week every week for the next 3 months. It's mandatory. 10 hours.

Boo hoo. I am also a salaried employee and being salaried means you have to work when you are needed. All salaried employees should understand this going in. I have worked 9 hours a day without a break since last Wednesday, and I work for utility company as office manager. Even before we became a partnership and they gave me shares, 10 hours a day without a break wasn't uncommon. I make 34K a year plus 4% of the profits. I figure a few sacrifices now for my growing company which needs me will pay off in the long run. Only the working class thinks it is a crime to work more that 40-45 hours a week, those that get ahead work like this for years and are ultimately rewarded if they are with the right company. Those who have a bad attitude and change jobs often get nowhere in life. The only thing that saddens me is those who have put in much of their lives only to see lay-offs years later. That sucks in my book.

[Mulder]

I just want to mention that my sister is a salaried employee and is required to work 10 hours over her 40 hours a week every week for the next 3 months. It's mandatory. 10 hours.

It sounds to me like she is only required to "attend" another 10 hours.

Tell her to slack off a little, while looking busy but keeping her seat warm to satisfy the pointy-haired-bosses "10 hour attendance rule".

Get her to make a list of how much of her time the company is wasting, and take it out of their hide (leaving early, extra sick days, etc....) once things get better.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Apparently the lower the managers keep payroll....the more they are rewarded with bonusus.

This crap is going on in many companies. They continue to cut more and more employees, so the employees that are left have to work twice as hard for the same money, with less help, while the managers sit back and collect bonuses for keeping payroll down......Many employees that remain are totally over worked.....

[Pining_4_TX]

They also said that if the minimum wage went up as much as CEO's salary has for the last two years, that minumum wage would be over $21.00.

This is so phoney baloney. I don't notice too many broadcast news anchors mentioning their own fat paychecks. It shows that people don't understand that prices and salaries have meaning. You can't just arbitrarily set them. If the minimum wage helps people earn enough, then why not set it at $100 an hour?

[Nuke'm Glowing]

" Did anyone else see ABC news tonight stating the there will be more layoffs coming ...and that the facts show that, 'once again, (their words) the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer?' They also said that if the minimum wage went up as much as CEO's salary has for the last two years, that minumum wage would be over $21.00."

FYI, some of the hourly drivers at Consolidated were making in excess of $40.00 per hour! The problem with CF was that it was burdened with overpaid management and overpaid employees. In the trucking as well as the airline industries, deregulation is killing the less nimble what I like to call "antique" corporations, while the fast moving, flexible companies are flourishing. Also, if you note, the non-union division of Consolidated, Con-Way is not affected by this filing. Almost all of the older carriers now have large non-union divisions that they have been slowly moving their best customers over for years now. All we are watching with the demise of CF and soon, United Airlines is a new tact in union busting. In the short term this is good. In the long term, the jury is still out. But unfortunately the CEO's and management that signed these stupid contracts with the unions and made poor decisions do continue to go unscathed. Time will truely tell how this ends. But with the introduction of large Mexican fleets into the U.S., I fear it will be bad for the industry as a whole.

[hoosierpearl]

Regarding post #7, Walmart is getting sued but it isn't a valid charge. The company does not have a policy to do that, they would not give a manager a bonus if he did that, he or she would be fired. The company is strict about managers sticking to the corporate policy, and that isn't part of it. They do have problems with individual managers trying to get away with stuff, probably even working off the clock, but there is a grievance proceedure and if you go through that, it will be straightened out. The manager would be reprimanded and possibly fired. An employee who goes through the grievance proceedure does not get fired.