Time Off From Work...bulls_it

[kimel]

I hate jobs where taking a couple days off means putting in a ton of extra time to "get caught up". In two days this week I put in almost 30 hours so I could take time off for Area 1. I am sure I will get to do an 60 hour week when I get back to "get caught up" again.

Everyone in my unit has the same problem, including the boss, but they won't do anything about it. They are unable to tell anyone "No" so they take on every stupid little project that comes along. Gee...I work with technology so video surveillance cameras must be my forte right along cell phones, VCRs and toaster ovens.

Some days it is just a whole lot easier to not take time off at all.

I need to win lotto.

[tightloop]

Sounds like you NEED a job you like...not a job you Need

[dirtypool40]

I can already see the replies pouring in.

A job I quit did this to me....

You don't get any time off for the first six months you work there.

You get paid salary. We dont' pay extra for over time or weekends, but "we'll work something out, in unofficial comp time.".

I'd been there three months, and needed time off to combine several things, like immigration lawyer appointments, meeting with family, and friends coming in from overseas, etc.

I had worked through four weekends, and one day where I worked a regular day, drive eight hours through the night (for them) and worked a regular day the next day.

My L&E statement showed I had time accrued to cover the days off, but NOOOOOOO....

"Comp" couldn't help me and I had to take take two days without pay.

Nice.

Nope, I don't work there no mo.

Edited June 14, 2006 by dirtypool40

[SteveZ]

I'm in the same boat...I asked for "permission" to take a couple days off a pretty hot project were on for the Area 1 match, 3 months ago....and was told that working a bunch of extra hours would help in "granting" that request.

Since when did having to work extra hours become an accepted requirement to getting to take the vacation hours you earned?

The one GREAT thing about Area 1...... I WON'T be at work!

Edited June 14, 2006 by SteveZ

[Merlin Orr]

I hate jobs where taking a couple days off means putting in a ton of extra time to "get caught up". In two days this week I put in almost 30 hours so I could take time off for Area 1. I am sure I will get to do an 60 hour week when I get back to "get caught up" again.

Everyone in my unit has the same problem, including the boss, but they won't do anything about it. They are unable to tell anyone "No" so they take on every stupid little project that comes along. Gee...I work with technology so video surveillance cameras must be my forte right along cell phones, VCRs and toaster ovens.

Some days it is just a whole lot easier to not take time off at all.

I need to win lotto.

Man Oh Man... My life in your post!

[EricW]

:(

[j2fast]

I hate jobs........

I need to win lotto.

Man Oh Man... My life in your post!

Same here, over the last 5 years I've worked in 2 different departments in the same company and Kimel just described both down to the letter....

I took a day off this week and the first thing I hear when I get back is a sniveling little twit who saying "what do you want me to do about it" regarding a problem occuring in a remote office. How about your job, FIX IT!.

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

I hate jobs where taking a couple days off means putting in a ton of extra time to "get caught up". In two days this week I put in almost 30 hours so I could take time off for Area 1. I am sure I will get to do an 60 hour week when I get back to "get caught up" again.

Everyone in my unit has the same problem, including the boss, but they won't do anything about it. They are unable to tell anyone "No" so they take on every stupid little project that comes along. Gee...I work with technology so video surveillance cameras must be my forte right along cell phones, VCRs and toaster ovens.

Some days it is just a whole lot easier to not take time off at all.

I need to win lotto.

I was there, walked out (rather loudly) Now I am self employed again and have only myself to blame. Sometimes I really Hate my boss

Edited June 14, 2006 by Round_Gun_Shooter

[BritinUSA]

You think that's bad... try this:

The company I work for pushes people to work at least 10% unpaid overtime every week. This is to make up all the hours that we spend on our vacation (which is part of our compensation).

So in reality we don't really have paid vacation any more, it's time off in lieu of hours worked.

We are also expected to work overtime to make up the hours for federal holidays, they want us to all work 2080 hours per year. That's 40 hours per week x 52 weeks.

[kimel]

Yeah...this sort of crap is becoming all too common. My theoretical work week as defined by the management is a 45 hour work week. Yet when they figure out the theoretical hourly rate they always use 40 so the rate looks higher.

My boss asked me the other day when the last 40 hour week was that I worked. My reply was "the week in mid-May where I only was here Monday - Wednesday".

I get almost 15 hours of Annual Leave and 8 hours of Sick Leave every month. There are upper limits on accrued Annual Leave so just about everyone in my unit hasn't actually gotten additional leave consistently for years. So we all donate a bunch of leave into the "shared leave" pool which is to help out folks with medical or family emergencies. At least that way it does some good and the state still pays it.

I actually don't hate my job. I just hate the working conditions.

[bountyhunter]

I hate jobs where taking a couple days off means putting in a ton of extra time to "get caught up".

Try working at a place like mine where they have fixed schedules on projects.... and announce that there will be a two week unpaid shutdown....... of course, no schedule slippage will be allowed. We used to always get two weeks unpaid around Xmas, and two weeks unpaid around June. We are not allowed to "schedule" them in or slip delivery dates.

basically..... you get to work for free if necessary.

It's good to be the King.....

It sucks when you ain't.

[bberkley]

You think that's bad... try this:

The company I work for pushes people to work at least 10% unpaid overtime every week. This is to make up all the hours that we spend on our vacation (which is part of our compensation).

So in reality we don't really have paid vacation any more, it's time off in lieu of hours worked.

We are also expected to work overtime to make up the hours for federal holidays, they want us to all work 2080 hours per year. That's 40 hours per week x 52 weeks.

Sounds like most of that is illegal. Your company could be violating several state or federal laws.

[Brian Payne]

In my job I have been shot at. Had a guy try to cut me with a knife. Been in the Emergency Room twice after fighting during arrests. Tracked an armed robber for 2 1/2 miles in - 45 degree weather (idiot forgot about fresh snow and footprints left behind ). I work weekends, nights, most Holidays. Often times get called in on days off for major incidents with a 2hr. mandated response time. Oh yeah, court always seems to take place on one of the few days off you get.

Great retirement package though.

Been doing it for 27 yrs. now and still can't wait to get to work every day . Should have put this in the "What I Love" forum.

I don't know how you guys can handle going to work for places like that. Then do it day after day for years. A rare kind of courage in my opinion. I hope things get better soon because life is too short.

[JFD]

I don't know....There isn't a lot of protection for salaried workers.

[AlamoShooter]

My Boss can be a turd, have to work extra hard for any time off. = self employed 17 years. Some times I can be nice too

[SiG Lady]

+1 on what bberkley said!!

I've been tellin' Kevin for over a year to quit his job.

Maybe we should start a poll... "Should kimel quit his job...?"

[bberkley]

You think that's bad... try this:

The company I work for pushes people to work at least 10% unpaid overtime every week. This is to make up all the hours that we spend on our vacation (which is part of our compensation).

So in reality we don't really have paid vacation any more, it's time off in lieu of hours worked.

We are also expected to work overtime to make up the hours for federal holidays, they want us to all work 2080 hours per year. That's 40 hours per week x 52 weeks.

I had a buddy that worked as a Survey Party Chief for a Civil Engineering firm in Florida. He was required to show up to work 15 minutes early every day (unpaid) to load the truck, etc. Many years later, he filed a grievance with the State Labor dept, and was awarded 1.25 hours of OT per week for 350+ weeks, plus interest, not to mention the fine the company had to pay.

He paid cash for a Dodge Charger Shelby Edition.

[Radar]

Sounds like you NEED a job you like...not a job you Need

That is what we all NEED.

[EricW]

I'm reasonably certain that if an employer starts tracking a salaried employees hours, that it takes that worker from a salaried worker to an hourly worker, which means that you can demand to be paid for overtime. It may be a law peculiar to certain states but I know that it did happen at a particular employer that I worked for in Oregon.

Virtually everywhere I've worked as a salaried worker, the employer has been careful to state up front that you have to complete your job, not fulfill XX hours per week. That is not to say that I would recommend forcing the issue unless one already had an exit plan - because I'm pretty sure you'd be exiting shortly after issuing the challenge.

Edited June 15, 2006 by EricW

[Sam]

since this is the hate forum, i could start my rant about excessive executive compensation packages, back-dated stock options, and the total lack of dividends for shareholders. and i could go on about how employees get screwed for the sake of management's mega bonuses. (how do they earn these extras while the company flounders in the massive debt they incurred?)

ceo=rockstar?

but.....i won't.

i'll just say i enjoy my life so much more since i quit my career and got a nice job with a nice boss.

who is john galt?

[bountyhunter]

I'm reasonably certain that if an employer starts tracking a salaried employees hours, that it takes that worker from a salaried worker to an hourly worker, which means that you can demand to be paid for overtime. It may be a law peculiar to certain states but I know that it did happen at a particular employer that I worked for in Oregon.

Virtually everywhere I've worked as a salaried worker, the employer has been careful to state up front that you have to complete your job, not fulfill XX hours per week. That is not to say that I would recommend forcing the issue unless one already had an exit plan - because I'm pretty sure you'd be exiting shortly after issuing the challenge.

All the cases I've seen is the reverse: companies always force workers to go FROM an hourly position to a salaried one. Happened to my wife and a lot of people I know. A friend of mine was getting pressure from his boss to switch to salaried and he refused... and his boss put in the change anyway. he went to HR and moved to another group, but the salaried position couldn't be reversed.

"Virtually everywhere I've worked as a salaried worker, the employer has been careful to state up front that you have to complete your job, not fulfill XX hours per week."

I've never seen that. Wherever I work, the upper management piles on work until somebody screams, and then they pile ona bit more.... they figure that's how to gauge proper loading.

And when you get a boss like mine who is Chinese and culturally taught you must always nod your head and agree to anything his boss says.... you are really screwed because he dumps it all on the group. You can show him how meeting a certain goal is impossible with available resources, and his reply will be:

"It must be possible..... we have committed to this and it's your responsibility."

I used to worry about stuff like that, but I feel a lot better now that totally given up.

[AzShooter]

It took me a long time to realize there were other jobs out there. I worked for a company that was never satisfied. Won top salesman in the country and thougt I could relax. Then senior management would push me for the next year.

Gave steady increases in monthly profits of over 40 %.... well that was last month. What are you going to do this month.

I think it was three years as a manager working 70 to 90 hours a week before I finally got a three day holiday.

I finally realized it wasn't worth it and changed jobs. Life got much better.

[p99shooter]

Keep in mind that just because you are a salaried employee doesn't mean that you don't qualify for overtime. An exempt employee is "exempt" from federal and state overtime rules, and being salaried doesn't necessarily mean you're exempt. An employer that tries to take an hourly, nonexempt position to a salaried, exempt position without changing your job role is breaking the law.

In other words, an employer taking a person's pay structure from hourly to salaried doesn't magically make that person an exempt employee. Exemption status from overtime is determined by the type of job you do.

A few years back my former employer, a private college, converted all of the teachers from hourly to salaried in order to try to get us to work overtime for nothing. They succeeded, even though at least one teacher knowledgable in employment law knew that what they were doing was illegal.

[SiG Lady]

"And when you get a boss like mine who is Chinese and culturally taught you must always nod your head and agree to anything his boss says.... you are really screwed because he dumps it all on the group."

I had finally (after over 50 years of effort) pretty much rid myself of the World War II prejudice about the Japanese/Asians, when I up and went to work for a Korean. The turnover there was horrendous. I found out why. He screwed us all and expected most of the employees to do the job of three people and it simply, logically didn't work! Not even. I was fired one day before the conclusion of my 90-day trial period so they/he wouldn't have to answer for the termination. The excuse for it was vague and meaningless. In fact it had to do with a disability I had in climbing stairs at the new bldg we were about to move into--I should've sought legal counsel.

The one point I DID win on with him/them was NOT signing their phony non-compete paperwork. Crap, I had my own business on the side (and had for nearly 10 years!) in a small town where jobs were scarce-to-nil and where it scarcely even applied to me because I was not originally hired to do any of the tasks that were enumerated in the agreement (plus there were a lot of typos and misspellings on the document, so I balked). In other words, they wanted me to dump EVERYTHING I'd worked on and for over the past 10 years for a dubious, risky, low-paying job that they had no intention of keeping intact. I think my resistance pi**ed him off. Sorry, I have my interests to protect. Besides, I'm too old to put up with that kind of crap... and he knew it.

[bountyhunter]

"And when you get a boss like mine who is Chinese and culturally taught you must always nod your head and agree to anything his boss says.... you are really screwed because he dumps it all on the group."

I had finally (after over 50 years of effort) pretty much rid myself of the World War II prejudice about the Japanese/Asians, when I up and went to work for a Korean.

There's a company out here named Televideo which was big back in the 80's. I went there to interview for a job as a power supply designer. The interview was with the outside contractor they were currently using (who happened to be caucasian). We chatted a bit and then he promptly said:

"You might as well leave. They won't hire anybody who is not Korean."

I looked around and noticed: not a white face in the place except his and mine. It turns out they would interview a bunch of people then hire the Korean guy they had already picked..... as an attempt to avoid a lawsuit.

BTW, they were eventually sued for racial discrimination and had to pay like a broken slot machine.

It was just kind of funny that there are so many asians in the high-tech business here in the valley that I actually hadn't noticed every single person in the comapny was Korean until the guy pointed it out...... it actually looked kind of "normal" to me.