Workers afraid to ask for overtime pay. Sad and frightening story.

[maveric]

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2003/09/01/off_the_clock/
Management uses passive intimidation to discourage workers from asing for OT pay.
WTF is going on here? Will the mainstream american worker just lie down and accept this type of treatment?

<snip>
Take Annemarie Kennedy, an editorial assistant at a Massachusetts publishing company and an admitted "workaholic." She routinely works 45 hours per week, but never requests overtime pay, she said. She cites loyalty to her employer and a concern for job security in a weak economy.

"Ours is a good company, and I feel I need to do the best job I can, even if it means working nine or 10 hours, sans lunch breaks, for seven hours' pay," said Kennedy, 26, of Gloucester. "Last, part of the reason is probably fear. I know the economy isn't so very good. I want to go out of my way to make sure everything my supervisor and I are responsible for is taken care of in an organized, efficient way."

<snip>
Executive secretary Jennifer McClay, 25, of Dracut, said she is uncomfortable asking for overtime pay because it makes her feel needy. "I occasionally work overtime, but I am afraid to put it down on my time sheet," she said. "I feel as if, by putting it down, it's as if I'm desperate for the money. I don't want my managers, who don't get overtime, to think I need the money that badly that I have to account for every single penny."

<snip>

"I work anywhere from one hour to, easily, six or eight extra hours per week," said Bourque. She doesn't ask for overtime pay because "it is a lot easier to do the work and get it done than go through the approval process."

WTF!!! The approval process? Would that include threats about losing ones job?

This is sickening! I fear that this will be a trend and eventually OT pay will not exist.
Corporate "patriots" intimidating american workers to do more for less.
Anyone here been subjected to this?

[lcordero]

1. heh

It shows what brand of loyalty the employer is showing their employees by cheating them from overtime pay.

[ikojo]

2. Bosses know which employees will work for free and which will not

I have a friend who is in her early 40s. When I first started in the unit she would work a couple of hours overtime every night and never report it on her time sheet because she had not gone through the approval process. I told her that they will expect that and it is not right. This is a woman who already works two jobs just to make ends meet (and rarely do the ends meet) "S" also has a terribly low self esteem and doesn't think she will ever be able to do better than what she has now. :wtf:

This co-worker is getting a wee bit better about getting paid for overtime. She has seen our supervisor not give her credit for hard work and give others opportunity to improve themselves while she sits on the sidelines doing much of the supervisor's work. "S" does the supervisor's work while the supervisor reads her bible and has time with the "lord". Oy vey!

When it comes to me the supervisor KNOWS not to expect ME to work for free. No way Jose! If I stay after work then I am getting paid.

I don't know what has happened to the American worker. Part of me wants to blame it on the religiousity of American workers (especially where I work) because they think "the Lord" will take care of them there is no need to fight for their rights. Something has sapped the fight out of American workers that is for sure and it gets tiring doing it alone.

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :puke: :puke: :puke: :argh: :argh: :argh:

[maveric]

4. And I fear more workers will succumb to this tactic.

And accept the "You're lucky to have a job in this economy" bullshit.
Bu$h and his corporate cronies are killing the american worker in this manner and sending jobs offshore to take advantage of cheap labor.
And we're "un-american"?

[InkAddict]

3. Perhaps Jesus will soon guide your customers/clients

on a new path of righteousness that leads to your competitors front door! I'll pray for you - See David's Psalm 35 and honor whomever you like!

[uptohere]

5. two sides to every story

Would the boss actually have a problem with it ? Why are they having to work overtime ?

Many bosses do not. Many bosses rely on this to adjust workload changes. I'm one, I try to monitor this other ways but I need all the help I can get to produce the numbers that say I need help.

Having said that, yes there can be problem with that. If they are requiring extra time when they should not need it then I have something to fix. Is it an education or training issue ? Are they over their head ? Maybe they really are just trying to "take" me.

Like my Mom taught me, honesty is the best policy. If the boss really is a nazi then honesty supports you in emplyor/employee disputes. If he's not, a reasonable and fair answer just might be the result.

[DEMActivist]

6. Welcome to life during a Bush presidency

It was EXACTLY the same when Poppy was in office.

Layoffs in every industry. One person doing the work of two or three. Industry moving out of the country, jobs moving to Mexico. No pay raises, longer hours, benefit cuts. The constant threat of being laid off.

The company my husband worked for laid off every worker on the factory floor on Friday, then handed them a business card to the local temporary agency so they could report to the same job on Monday with no benefits. They all showed up for work on Monday.