my boss said I should be able to do my work in 1/2 time, and take on more

Note: I am working 10 to 12 hour days as is to get my work done, and am paid "salary" so no OT. I told him there was no way. I think he says this to keep me anxious and thus working a lot of "free" hours for the company. It seems to me that many companies are beating their workers to death.

If I could afford health insurance I would probably quit. I have had shingles twice this year (probably triggered by stress and exhaustion).

And I am one of the "lucky" ones. I only *have* to work another 6 years, and we have saved a lot, and our home will be paid off before then.

It occurs to me that in my moms time, a woman was expected to stay home to keep house and raise the family. AND the man could usually earn enough for that to happen. Children were expected to do better than their folks.

Do any others out there feel like the tables have turned hard against us in the last decade?

who works for a school district. We had a principal tell us that we had to "come in early" to get our contracted job work done, so we could play valet to the parents bringing in the kids. Excuse me? Opening car doors is not in my job description. If I have to come in early to get my job done in order to open car doors, we should be paid OVERTIME. We are NON-EXEMPT employees, regardless of whether we work for the state or not. She got very, very mad when I said this.

The stupid Union here said, "Well, if she tries to fire you, then we will talk."

which is a "right to work" state, which as my boss explains it means he can fire me any time for any reason....

You don't want a Right to Work State. You have NO right to work.

Or go online and contact unions.

Why re-invent the wheel when it's already out there? Unions help each other. It's not a competitive relationship so the more unions the better it is for everyone.

organize something like this. And they're VERY militant.

Since when are teachers suppose to be opening the doors? Apparently you have an incompetent principal. Not once in my school life was there a teacher out to my parents car to open the door to let me out. That is either the parent or child's responsibility. For the most part I either walked or rode my bike to school and I did that from 1st grade on.

Legally, while a child is still in the presence of a parent, they are the PARENT'S responsibility, not the school's. I told that principal that also.

If they didn't negotiate limitations on duties and requirements, there really isn't anything they can do until collective bargaining begins again.

Assuming you are para-professional, that is going to be even harder (smaller group) unless you can get all of the other locals to join you on a county-wide effort.

I know it sucks. Big time. Been there.

my bosses told me recently that my contract would only be extended for a short period of time. so i'm back to navigating this shitty job market.

i had hope that my contract would lead to something permanent, but that didn't end up being the case. i initially felt devastated; now i'm just depressed about it. however, i am working to find something else in the time i have left. hopefully i can pull it off.

i have to say that i don't like "contract work." there's a lot of false hope. your chances of getting a permanent position are very low no matter how hard you work.

good luck in your situation, and i hope that your health improves.

my husband used to be a temp employee at one place and had a sense he wasn't going t obe hired permanent. he had been a temp for about 9 months at the time. so he started looking and found another job shortly after being laid off. Hopefully you can find something else before your contract is up. Good luck.

The company I work for is hiring a TINY amount of what is needed and sitting on TONS of cash... but the projects have multiplied 10x. Yeah, I know, it's good to have work but half of it is transferring stuff to china. Plus they're really weird projects that I feel could evaporate in a different economy (ie if (when) the market goes to shit again).

We just had a meeting where we (the workers) are supposed to how to handle the "new stuff" on a "it's not gonna get any better" basis (meaning "suck it"). Things are going to get missed - there's just no way out of it. They simply want "x" done NOW. No regard to what it takes or what they themselves have set up as a system.

for the last 3 decades ... but they are turning faster.

with no O/T. Plus a 1-1/2 hour commute. He says he'll drop dead at his desk. Life in the 21st century, thanks to our corporatocracy.

Department of Labor
Overtime Pay
http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/wages/overtimepay.htm

He should research if he is 'really' exempt or not.

I'm long-term unemployed. I'd be delighted to be in your position.

And, if I were in your position, I'd be looking for another job. Seems if you have a job you at least have a chance of finding another. If you don't have a job then you will encounter discrimination in employment based on that alone.

And what you say has COMPLETE merit. As you point out by saying in my position, you would look for a new job.

But doesn't your post also prove my point, about how screwed the workers are today?

I wish you much luck in your search!

But part of that is because workers lack the capital to go it on their own.

In years past it was much easier for a worker to walk away and start their own business doing something which would largely replace their lost income. Not so today.

"I should be grateful to be employed at all"

NO!! Your employer should be grateful that you are WILLING to sell them your time, and that goes for every employer in every industry in every state in the USA!

"Be glad you have a job at all" is the single biggest driving factor in the loss of employee rights, loss of union representation, the rise of "right to work" states, and the fact that productivity has increased greatly over the last thirty years while wages have remained largely stagnant.

It has to end, or we'll all be modern-day serfs. Many of us already are.

and yes, it's happening everywhere. My boss (I freelance) is also salaried and the company he works for forces him to work nights and weekends-probably 60-70 hours a week with no OT. His young daughter sleeps on a chair near the front door just so that she can see him for a few minutes a day, and it's put a strain on his marriage. I worry a lot about him; he's in his mid 40's and the stress is unreal, but the company has downsized so much and now expects every remaining employee to do the jobs of 2-3 others. Profits are through the roof, of course.

Yes, my Grandfather raised four kids on his mid level manager's salary (he started out on the factory floor). My Grandmother stayed at home, they went on long family vacations every Summer, and all four kids attended good universities. He retired at 55, traveled the world with my Grandma, their health care costs were covered in old age, their home was paid off, and they died with substantial savings in the bank. They were Mennonites, so they never had any luxury items, grew their own food and lived a simple lifestyle-but they were still very comfortable. That kind of Middle Class life is almost unimaginable today.

And why not? No one cares about your problems. No one has your back. No union. No Socialist Party. No strikes. No payback. No push back. No revolution. No nothing.

Here's what they'll tell you - "You're lucky to have a job. So STFU, bitch."

That was hard. :eyes:

yeah - they walked ten miles uphill in 3 ft deep snow to and from school every day....

:eyes:

And they aren't respectable.

kinda says it all....

Feeling overwhelmed? If you're like many Americans, the answer is probably a beleaguered yes. People across the country report that they are working harder than ever, checking their email on weekends and vacations, putting in more hours at the office, and juggling multitasks just to keep up. While the frenzied pace seems to have hit information workers particularly hard, employees throughout the economy (warehouse workers, hotel housekeepers, teachers) say they are being asked to do more, in less time, with fewer co-workers to help them.

Welcome to "The Great Speedup." That's what Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery, who edit Mother Jones, dub the phenomenon in the current issue of their magazine. Just like when factory owners used to speed up the pace of the assembly line to fill an order, today's companies are trying to wring more productivity from workers year after year, even as wages for most remain flat. Bauerlein and Jeffery write: "Just counting work that's on the books (never mind those 11 p.m. emails), Americans now work an average of 122 hours per year more than Brits and 378 hours (nearly 10 weeks!) more than Germans."

Judging from the buzz in the blogosphere, the article has struck a chord with many (especially the hyper-wired cognoscenti who are so plugged in they notice a new MoJo story as soon as it's posted). The article makes me think of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique: Here, suddenly, is a clear description of a malaise that millions have felt but had no name for. The idea of the Great Speedup is so compelling because it dissects a problem hiding in plain sight. It's a relief to realize that all of us, worked to the bone, are not alone.

I was thinking about all this the other day as I took my time to make a sandwich before heading off to the three-acre organic fruit and vegetable garden where I volunteer. In the middle of the week. On a Wednesday.

Although I have certainly felt the time-crunch anxiety so many people complain of, at that moment -- standing in my kitchen at midday -- it seemed that I had all the time in the world. The antidote to the Great Speedup appeared obvious. Don't want to work so hard? OK, then: Work less.

http://www.alternet.org/culture/151746/americans_work_too_much_and_have_too_little_time_for_play%3A_here%27s_how_to_slow_down_%27the_great_speed-up%27/

(the HOLIDAY) and then took 3 days off that week - by OFF I mean I *only* worked 3 - 4 hours a day WHILE giving 3 days of vacation to the company... I check my company email every morning and evening 7 days a week - to make sure there isn't a fire I need to help with. Because heaven help me if I show up and there was an email sent out on the weekend that I did not address

I even told my team - HERE IS MY PHONE NUMBER - CALL ME. I DO NOT HAVE A SMART PHONE. I WILL NOT SEE EMAIL UNLESS I LOG IN. PLEASE - CALL ME.

And while I love this story you have posted - I need health insurance. That is all. I am 54. IF I had insurance that was affordable then I would farm my 5 acres and be fine.
Today I put up 12 pints of pickles 12 pints of pepper jelly, 9 pints of cherry jelly, 1 gallon of tomatoes, and a pint of blueberries. I harvested 18 eggs from my hens. We put 18 photovoltaic panels on our roof 5 years ago to help keep out energy costs under control and a solar hot water heater.... We have DONE all we can to prepare for our retirement.

If only true health care reform had happened last year then I could retire, work at the local nursery, and expand our veggie gardens. We would be fine.

But unless I know I can afford health care....

Without labor laws, EVERY asshole boss in the world would work employees to death.

It depends on a few things. First, whether your company is involved in interstate commerce. Second, whether you are an "exempt" (think management) or "non-exempt" (think labor) employee. Being on salary does not necessarily mean that you are not entitled to overtime pay.

I don't know which state you're in, but you should be able to find the applicable pay-day laws for your state online.

The Fair Labor Standards Act is FEDERAL law and dates back to the '30s (with many amendments since to update it). States must abide by the minimum labor rules in FLSA.

There are attorneys out there whose entire practice is dedicated to suing employers for violating labor laws.

Sadly, I doubt this info is going to help you, because filing a complaint will probably not end in your favor, unless you have alot of documentation and fellow employees are being treated the same and will file complaints as well.

But please, learn the basics of labor law so that you can better defend yourself in the future. Many bosses count on their employees not knowing their rights, especially in this shitty economy.

work a forty hour week. At least not one that I know of. I have been an hourly employee since 1970 when I realized what a slave labor option salary is for an ordinary worker. Only managers really should be salaried. I always insisted on an hourly wage before I took any job. I usually got it too because of my particular skills even though most of my co-workers were salaried.

overtime pay is still due if the employee is "non-exempt."

From FLSA:

"Salaried nonexempt employees."

The FLSA does not require that nonexempt employees be paid hourly. Nonexempt employees may be paid by means of a salary. Salaried nonexempt employees are still entitled to FLSA overtime pay if, when and to the extent that they actually work more than 40 hours in a work week. FLSA overtime pay is time and one-half of the employee's regular rate of pay. When a nonexempt employee is paid by a salary, the amount of the salary must be converted to its hourly equivalent to determine the regular rate of pay (time and one-half of which is the employee's FLSA overtime rate of pay).

Again, other factors may come into play, such as interstate commerce.

Know your rights.

Lots of info here: http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/wages/overtimepay.htm

And it's understood that if you are in a "right to work" state, once you file a labor suit, you will never get hired in your field again. There are lawyers working for companies the pull this crap that are well-practiced in the art of "Workforce Re-evaluation" so that your position and it's requirements magically goes away. Everyone else picks up your work, and perhaps a new guy gets hired at a lower position to balance the workload enough that the others don't revolt, but your job disappears.
I've seen this happen, especially in the technical fields - in states where employees supposedly have "protection" from the indentured servitude to a bullying, cheapskate manager or CFO.
If you're in your forties or fifties - when they usually pull that shit on valued, long term employees to get them to quit instead of retire - you are left facing long-term under-employment into your retirement years unless you can do a lateral move into another field, or go consultant.

As long as unions are vilified and quarterly profits are the primary goal of the upper "management" of the company, this sort of shit will always happen.

The state labor boards just can't keep up.

Haele

sympathetic but toothless when it comes to really getting your rights against an employer. :-(

get a union. You can strategize some things you can do to turn the tables on them, slow downs, flu strikes, etc. If you get enough co-workers interested, you can win. One person cannot face down a business but a coalition can.

K&r

I work 80 hours a week.. minimum wage.. no overtime.. no benefits.

The Company LOVES it.... I am ready to collapse. No one has our back.. not Barack.. not Congress... not the Dems.. NO ONE.

I do hope things improve for you.
:hugs:

Things are awful - all over. People have a right to be angry and depressed about it.

:hug:

Muffin was the name of the peach teacup poodle we had as children! "RottenRoundbottom" was his more common moniker, because he was a naughty pudgy little pooch!

LOL! Had not thought about him in quite a while - thank you!

Actually, I love all animals! Muffin was the name of one of the sweetest kittehs ever to grace the earth. We found her at a shelter when we were helping a friend look for her lost kitty. Muffin was a 6 year old grey tabby with white paws, and when we passed her cage she put one of those paws out to touch us. We went back for her the next day, and she was with us for about seven years. She crossed the Rainbow Bridge a few months ago.

I think you should earn one cent per eon, work Skewes' Number hours a day, and do Graham's Number times as much work.

FairPay Fact Sheets by Exemption
http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/fairpay/fact_exemption.htm

FairPay Fact Sheets by Occupation
http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/fairpay/fact_occupation.htm

Also see:
http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/fairpay/main.htm
http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/wages/overtimepay.htm


And each state has a Department of Labor Office, they can be called or emailed.

I can't remember how many people called me a misogynist and a lot of other names for just bringing it up.

The career women here chewed me up and spit me out like I went through a wood chipper.

I never did that again.

Don

My husband's company keeps getting into trouble with the labor department because of it.
duckie

to work to keep the family above water.

If you can't quit your job and go to another employer then
you are effectively a slave.

In Canada I have health insurance whether I am employed,
between jobs, unemployed or unable to work at all.

That is the real benefit of single payer and why Corporate
America is fighting so hard against it.

I call myself an "indentured servant" because I am tethered to my health care plan at work.

I am still working to keep my health insurance. That is the only reason. If I were to purchase health insurance (assuming I could find it), it would gobble up my entire monthly pension payment. So I am stuck.

I would love to retire and give a younger person an opportunity to earn a good living. It is really hard for the twenty- and thirty-somethings to get started in life today... compared to when I was that age. We bought our first house when I was only 24 and I was able to stay at home when my children were little.

BTW, we also have to put in extra hours for "free" where I work.

for BCMSP, you just need to be, "Lawfully admitted for permanent residence".

Your US pension and savings may qualify you because you are unlikely to need
public assistance.

http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/msp/infoben/eligible.html

THAT KIND OF PERSON is the problem.

handle the stress....shingles is NOT fun. I would simply agree w/ your boss....'Yes, maam/sir, I'll do better.' Then just do what you can. Agree w/ the asshole....he/she seems to like 'hitting your buttons.'

Always agree w/ the bosses. It's not worth fighting over. 'Yes, that's a good idea'...and in your head see big pile of steaming shit on his/her face.

If you disagree, the next thing you'll see is that you are 'Uncooperative.' 'Not a team player.' 'Anger problems.'

Just agree....and don't get hung up about it. And if you can take a nice walk at lunch.

be in your group's office to see how pressed all of you are to get things done.

I'm hearing the same thing from a friend who is a state employee for a university. She said more layoffs are coming, but there won't be a reduction in the workload. She's already working 50-55 hours a week and says she can't do any more -- it's killing her.