Save Overtime Pay

AFL-CIO ^ | unk | afl-cio

[Michael Barnes]

(EXSCERPT)Lower pay, longer hours and unpredictable work schedules are some of the changes working families could face under the proposed changes to overtime.

[Michael Barnes]

Check out the site for the full deal...

Looking for some info pertaining to this and was hoping some on FR could spell it out or point me to some URL's that set the record straight..

[Michael Barnes]

Another link pertaining to this:

mash here

[Michael Barnes]

Ping?

[CSM]

I wouldn't trust the AFL-CIO as a source with a balanced agenda. I thought that this policy was for government workers only. In most companies the salary employees are exempt from OT pay anyway, so this wouldn't affect them. The current hourly employee will still qualify for OT. I don't see this as causing the problems that they claim on that propoganda piece.

[Michael Barnes]

Someone started spreading this at my company...trying to find out what the truth really is and debunk some rumors that are starting to fly..

I don't trust the afl-cio for squat..

[Mr. Bird]

The proposal, as I understand, allows companies the option of compensating non-exempt employees with time off rather than the premium pay (time and a half). It would not be mandated, and would primarily be utilized by seasonal industries with large fluctuations in labor demands.

In the real world, very few companies would use the option, for several reasons. Number one, time and a half is cheaper than double time, which is essentially what you'd have if you needed to backfill the slot created when the person took their earned leave time. Second, no sane employer would implement the option without thoroughly assessing the staff response to it, which could be mass resignations.

There are instances where this would be beneficial to both the employer and employee, as in industries who either lay off people during down times and/or employ temporary help in peak times. Under this proposal, such companies could keep staff levels flat, reducing turbulence for the workforce and providing flexibility to the company.

[PhiKapMom]

Anyone making $65,000 or more a year likely would lose overtime pay, effectively eliminating many middle-income wage earners' much-needed extra pay.

If you know someone making $65,000 or more a year that gets overtime pay, then it is a rarity. Companies do not give overtime pay to their higher paid workers and last time I checked $65,000 or more is higher paid. It is part of their job to work until the job is finished. What a bunch of crap to actually list people making $65,000 and above as needing overtime for extra pay.

Most companies do not pay salaried employees overtime no matter how much they make.

This is just more propaganda from the AFL/CIO who are losing support from their members and now reaching out to higher paid employees. If they join the union, they deserved to be ripped off of their dues.

[RiflemanSharpe]

ON porblem I have with this is what happens with the comp time. I had 30 hours at the end of December, I was not allowed to take them. They disappeared at the first of the year. Will this bill protect my comp time?

[Michael Barnes]

I know of a heap load of folks making 65K+ and getting OT. Our company was forced into OT by some fed dept (I didn't follow it too closely). At any rate, thanks for the input..appreicate it.

Oh, I should point out, those folks making 65K+ at my company were salaried, and switched over to hourly.

[Mr. Bird]

If you know someone making $65,000 or more a year that gets overtime pay

They're out there. Nurses and certain techs in health care can rack up significant OT and/or premium pay. But hospitals would never discontinue the practice if they could anyway; the staff would quit.

There are also thousands of grossly overpaid union members that get over $65k/year. I don't begrudge the people who get it, but in some cases they are strangling their own company.

[Mr. Bird]

The feds merely set a base standard; any company can choose to exceed those standards. I'm not familiar with the federal regs on comp time, but I do know that most companies have internal comp time policies. As I read the bill, your comp time would be more protected than it is currently, because it is essentially codifying hour for hour comp time (if you are non-exempt).

[Michael Barnes]

re #6

Thanks for the input...

[Mr. Bird]

In other words, if your company exercised this option, they couldn't sunset your comp time at the end of a calendar (or any other defined) year.

[undeniable logic]

They really need to get rid of this overtime nonsense. My wife works a full-time job on a revolving schedule. She would like to work more than 40 hours a week, but it is hard to find a part-time job that can change schedules to accomodate her revolving schedule at work. Her company just hired a part-timer because they needed a few extra hours a week, but wouldn't give it to her, because they didn't want to pay overtime.

I don't blame the company, it is this stupid law. You have a company that needs someone to work a few extra hours a week, you have an individual who would like to work a few extra hours a week, and here comes the compassionate gov't saying that in order to allow this to happen, the company must pay overtime. So the company hires another individual for part-time work, and my wife doesn't have the opportunity to work the extra hours she would like.

I doubt that this is an atypical situation.

[RiflemanSharpe]

I tried to take the time repeatedly, and was told I was to essential to be given the time off. They would not continue the time over to next year and there was no pay out.

[Mr. Bird]

Thank FDR. My grandfather's boss secretly paid him straight time for hours over 40 during the Depression. OT pay was supposed to spread the wealth; force employers to hire more people.

[Mr. Bird]

Are you classified as non-exempt under the wage and hour guidelines? If you're not sure, can you give me an idea of what you do?

[RiflemanSharpe]

It systems admin.

[teldon30]

I make around 65K a year...with overtime...a lot of overtime ;)

[PhiKapMom]

Unbelieveable.

So they switch from salaried to hourly to make overtime?

Lived in the San Antonio area and now in Oklahoma and those kind of salaries are not the norm except for salaried people.

Although wouldn't be surprised at the hourly UAW workers at the GM plant get that much with overtime because of the way they squeal when the company cuts back in overtime.