
Originally Posted by
JudyKayTee
Under Federal Law certain job duties classify employees as management or salaried instead of hourly. Companies reclassify in order to avoid paying overtime.
I don't understand about the overtime - did you earn it before the change and why hasn't it been paid to you?
It's not unusual for salaried employees to earn vacation/sick time and if they take off without time built up, they are docked. I have seen companies offer "comp time" - over a certain number of hours in lieu of overtime you are given complimentary hours.
Right now with unemployment as high as it is I'm sure companies are cutting back on benefits - and that's what time off is.
When I worked as an employee for Dr. Gluhareff I was the assistant manager for his dental offices and acting manger of Quail Meadows. I was on salary plus bonus. It was my experience that brought his offices up in production and collections that we were all making 800- 2000. A month in bonus. Because we were consistent with our bonuses we did not have raises for the past 2 - 3 years.
When the corporation came in purchased the businesses from Dr. Gluhareff they made me the manager of Quail Meadows and separated the 2 offices. I went from hourly to salary. I am not to allow my staff overtime, but I am to do my job, plus the management position. We are a small office and do not have room for a third person up front. So I am on overtime to get the required task done. Since they took over I have 30 hours of overtime. Being salary I assumed that meant that I was guaranteed my salary, especially if I don't get paid my overtime. They made me take my vacation time that I had accumulated under Dr. Gluhareff when I was out sick, for we had no sick time benfits with Dr. Gluhareff. He is still employeed with them, as a Dental Director, and the deal was we did not lose our position or benefits because of the take over. When I questioned it and showed themwhere I had all this over time they informed me that they do not roll over hours from one day to the next. I do not accumulate time and I do not get paid the overtime. If I had no sick time or vacation time benefits and I was out a half day or a whole day I would be docked for it from my salary. How can this be fair, that I am required to work all these hours and not get paid and they dock me if I am out?
The paperwork they require and reports are unbelievable. We always had overtime and that is why they want it stopped, which means we have to cut back on production to get out on time. But it doesn't relieve me of my task.