Biden rule would give overtime protections to millions more workers

The Hill ^ | 08/30/2023 | ALEX GANGITANO

[Myrddin]

How do you show a salaried person worked overtime? When does it kick in under the Biden scheme? Why would salaried people be unionized?

Simple. At my place of employment, my labor is charged to a contract with a precision to 15 minutes. I'm obligate to perform 40 hours of chargeable labor across all contract assignment or I must fill the gap with PTO. If I work more than 40 hours (sometimes up to 70 hours), I don't get paid a penny more. What my employer does is divide my salaried cost for 40 hours labor by the hours I actually worked and shows the customer getting my services at a reduced labor rate per hour. Under very special circumstances, the customer might request extra labor hours to finish a critical item more rapidly. Those special circumstances are called Extended Work Week and hours beyond the standard 40 are compensated when recorded as EWW.

In a more common scenario, restaurants have promoted employees to "manager" and made their work salaried. They work well beyond 40 hours, but have a fixed income per week. Last time the Democrats meddled in this area, the companies converted the salaried managers to hourly employees and reduced shifts below the 40 hour threshold. Not a full time employee, so fewer or no benefits. No overtime. Additional part time employees covering the shifts. Major league blowback for the employees caused by Democrat meddling.

To the last question about whether salaried employees would be unionized...for my part...hell no. Thankfully, I'm approaching retirement. It will be nice to disengage from the long hours. 47 years of full time employment is enough.

[Myrddin]

I said to her “Your car is newer than mine”

Full time employed. Fortunately, working from my home office. My 1999 F150 SuperCab was purchased used with 22500 miles on the odometer in August 2003. It just turned over 66,000 miles. The 2nd truck is primarily driven by my wife. 2015 F150 SuperCrew. Just crossed 90,000 miles. Both are running fine. No urgency to replace them.

[fwdude]

Department of Labor is a fascist machine.

[17th Miss Regt]

Why would salaried people be unionized?

If you are in a union, the union leaders can threaten you if you do not vote correctly.

[buckalfa]

"Watch as employers , start making salaried workers punch in and out at a time clock like an hourly worker."

Well for computer jockeys, there have been keystroke monitors for years. Same difference.

[Dilbert San Diego]

Is there more to your story? Were you getting paid time and a half overtime for all of those hours above 40 hours a week? Did your boss limit you to 40 hours because he had been told by his bosses to limit time and a half overtime?

[Jonty30]

I agreed because working 56 hours no overtime was a better deal than having the hassle of working two jobs. It is alao better taxwise, because they really punish you when you work two jobs.

[pas]

You realize in this case your 80 hours would still get you just 55k a year since this is talking about salaried employees only.

[Jonty30]

I understand. But working one job makes it easy to do taxes, because you just file and get the refund, whatever it is worth.

However, in Canada, you almost have to have the second job submit 100% of your pay in taxes if you are going to get a refund at all and to ensure you dont underpay.

[EVO X]

I’ve been retired for some years now, so I am not up to date on the ever changing DOL exempt from overtime rules. That said, I think employers abuse the system. I moved from an hourly position to a salaried position at one point in my career. When I made the change, I was still declaring my time off in 15 minute increments. A few years later, the HR person said I only had to declare absences of 4 hours or more.

[Myrddin]

My employer is largely a US government/DoD contract operation. The timekeeping to the 15 minute level is mandated by government contracts, so it has become the default for all work whether government or not. PTO can be used in 15 minute increments. Holidays must be 8 hours...not subject to division into smaller chunks. Floating holidays (replacements for Washington's birthday, Lincoln's birthday and one other) are usable in 15 minute increments to a max of 8 hours for a full time employee. The value of a holiday is directly proportional to hours worked. A 40 hour per week employee gets a holiday valued at 8 hours of paid time off. A 20 hour per week employee would get 4 hours of paid time off for that same holiday.

Our pay periods are 2 weeks. If you work 50 hours in week one, you can put 10 hours into a "personal time bank" and submit 40 hours. The 10 hours can be applied to week two on the way to 40 hours. The PTB feature hasn't been of much use to me as most weeks exceed 40 hours so there is no point in using PTB.

[EVO X]

Ouch. My head hurts reading your reply...

[Glad2bnuts]

On the heels of a 32 hour work week. Overtime will be working 33 hours.

[knarf]

We have a 2005 Pilo6t . . . the newest vehicle we've EVER owned.

Our '97 GMC pick-up is in the front . . waiting for me to get young enough and strong enough to change the leaking gas tank, and repair the rusted struts holding the bed on . . . really, just simple stuff . . . I'm 75 an' I figure in about three or so years . . . I'll have my strength back.