California Overtime

[Joe]

I am under the impression that the rule for overtime after 40 hours is a FEDERAL
wage and salary regulation. Any statute passed by California could only
apply to State and (perhaps) municipal employees. Also note that the definition
of who receives overtime depends on whether their position is classified,
again by the Federal government, as "Exempt". The "Exempt" definition has
a lot of nuances but basically means working without supervision on intellectual
type stuff. Engineers usually qualify as exempt and the last I heard (some
years ago) they were still debating whether computer folks could fall into
this category. The feds are VERY strict about this stuff at large companies
(e.g. Boeing).

[Robert C. Cain]

I don't know about California, but here in Alabama if you make more than 26
dollars an hour (last I heard) that you are considered a "highly
compensated" employee, and your company is no longer required to pay you
"time and a half" for overtime work. Also, if you are classified as
Salaried, companies are not required to pay OT no matter what your wage
works out to be hourly.

As a consultant, most of my time is billable. I am fortunate that even
though I'm considered salaried, my company (Comsys) pays me overtime at the
same scale as I get paid normally. I admit I rather like getting paid for my
overtime, since most permanent positions I've seen you get paid flat salary
but wind up working 45-50 hour weeks.

I'm sort of curious about the ratio of consultants to permanent workers
participate here. Might also be a good question to include in the next VBPJ
salary article.

Robert

"Joe" <jmcgough@mssa.com> wrote in message news:398eb85e$1@news.devx.com...
>
> I am under the impression that the rule for overtime after 40 hours is a
FEDERAL
> wage and salary regulation. Any statute passed by California could only
> apply to State and (perhaps) municipal employees. Also note that the
definition
> of who receives overtime depends on whether their position is classified,
> again by the Federal government, as "Exempt". The "Exempt" definition has
> a lot of nuances but basically means working without supervision on
intellectual
> type stuff. Engineers usually qualify as exempt and the last I heard
(some
> years ago) they were still debating whether computer folks could fall into
> this category. The feds are VERY strict about this stuff at large
companies
> (e.g. Boeing).
>
>

[Martin Colloby]

> I don't know about California, but here in Alabama if you make more than
26
> dollars an hour (last I heard) that you are considered a "highly
> compensated" employee, and your company is no longer required to pay you
> "time and a half" for overtime work.

In California at the moment it is time and a half across the board
regardless of the hourly rate. Yet another example of politicians
legislating to help the less well off and catching everyone else in the net.
As a result, nobody I know is working any overtime unless absolutely
necessary. Hopefully they will soon be adopting the approach that you have
in Alabama.

Martin Colloby

[Craig Clearman]

Martin,

>As a result, nobody I know is working any overtime unless absolutely
>necessary. Hopefully they will soon be adopting the approach that you have
>in Alabama.

Am I understanding you correctly that you *want* people to do overtime
routinely? Why?

Ciao, Craig

[Robert C. Cain]

"Craig Clearman" <chclear@nospam.please> wrote in message
news:j700psc9niihed9m0ojhdp93sk44b596se@4ax.com...
> >As a result, nobody I know is working any overtime unless absolutely
> >necessary. Hopefully they will soon be adopting the approach that you
have
> >in Alabama.
>
> Am I understanding you correctly that you *want* people to do overtime
> routinely? Why?

I don't think he meant that he wanted people to HAVE to work OT, but wanted
people to have the ability to work OT and get paid for it, if they wanted. I
routinely work OT because I want to, and I get paid for it. It's a great way
to pick up extra bucks to pay down bills, or fund special items that
normally wouldn't fit in the budget.

Robert

[Martin Colloby]

> Am I understanding you correctly that you *want* people to do overtime
> routinely? Why?

No, I want to have the chance to do some overtime every now and then because
I need the money!

Seriously, until three months ago I was a freelance consultant in the UK,
billing around 80-90 hours per week. Now I've relocated to CA, and I can't
work more than 40 hours per week at my new job because of this regulation.
There is plenty of work to do, and I could easily work 60 hours of my own
free will, but the option is not open to me.

Martin Colloby

[Martin Colloby]

> I don't think he meant that he wanted people to HAVE to work OT, but
wanted
> people to have the ability to work OT and get paid for it, if they wanted.
I
> routinely work OT because I want to, and I get paid for it. It's a great
way
> to pick up extra bucks to pay down bills, or fund special items that
> normally wouldn't fit in the budget.

Absolutely spot on!

Martin Colloby

[BettyB]

I have been working in Ca as a programmer since 1966. I have always been a
corporate slave, salaried, and exempt ("from the rights and privileges of
being paid for my work"). I have worked on projects which averaged 22 hours
a day, 7 days a week for months on end, and others that were 18-24 hours a
day, 7 days a week for almost two years. I have never been paid overtime.
Comp time has been either zero or one or two days at the end of the project.

BettyB.


Martin Colloby wrote in message <3990cb89@news.devx.com>...
>> Am I understanding you correctly that you *want* people to do overtime
>> routinely? Why?
>
>No, I want to have the chance to do some overtime every now and then
because
>I need the money!
>
>Seriously, until three months ago I was a freelance consultant in the UK,
>billing around 80-90 hours per week. Now I've relocated to CA, and I can't
>work more than 40 hours per week at my new job because of this regulation.
>There is plenty of work to do, and I could easily work 60 hours of my own
>free will, but the option is not open to me.
>
>Martin Colloby
>
>

[Cindy Winegarden]

Overtime also helps companies. If they had to hire more workers they would
have to pay for desk space and benefits. Lots of times they can just get
their current employees to take up the slack, and pay them overtime.
Cheaper that way.

--


Cindy Winegarden
Microsoft Certified Professional, Visual FoxPro

Duke Children's Information Systems
Duke University Medical Center
cindyw@duke.edu



"Robert C. Cain" <robert.cain@comsys.com> wrote in message
news:39901af0@news.devx.com...
|
| "Craig Clearman" <chclear@nospam.please> wrote in message
| news:j700psc9niihed9m0ojhdp93sk44b596se@4ax.com...
| > >As a result, nobody I know is working any overtime unless absolutely
| > >necessary. Hopefully they will soon be adopting the approach that you
| have
| > >in Alabama.
| >
| > Am I understanding you correctly that you *want* people to do overtime
| > routinely? Why?
|
| I don't think he meant that he wanted people to HAVE to work OT, but
wanted
| people to have the ability to work OT and get paid for it, if they wanted.
I
| routinely work OT because I want to, and I get paid for it. It's a great
way
| to pick up extra bucks to pay down bills, or fund special items that
| normally wouldn't fit in the budget.
|
| Robert
|
|

[Robert C. Cain]

Betty,

Sounds like it's time for a job change! Perhaps you should get into a job
(such as consulting) where your skills and time are more appreciated, not to
mention compensated for.

Previously I worked for a manufacturing facility. Now, the people were
pretty nice, and the environment was OK (even had my own office with it's
own coffee/tea pot). However, I routinely had to work 45 to 50 hours a week,
often put in much more than that. I also got called in during the night
since I was it for PC Tech support (in addition to network support and chief
PC programmer). After a while, I decided to get paid for my efforts and got
a job consulting, where I get paid for all my overtime. Much happier now!

Robert

"BettyB" <bettyb@flamingo-code.com> wrote in message
news:39918ea6$1@news.devx.com...
> I have been working in Ca as a programmer since 1966. I have always been
a
> corporate slave, salaried, and exempt ("from the rights and privileges of
> being paid for my work"). I have worked on projects which averaged 22
hours
> a day, 7 days a week for months on end, and others that were 18-24 hours a
> day, 7 days a week for almost two years. I have never been paid overtime.
> Comp time has been either zero or one or two days at the end of the
project.
>
> BettyB.
>
>
> Martin Colloby wrote in message <3990cb89@news.devx.com>...
> >> Am I understanding you correctly that you *want* people to do overtime
> >> routinely? Why?
> >
> >No, I want to have the chance to do some overtime every now and then
> because
> >I need the money!
> >
> >Seriously, until three months ago I was a freelance consultant in the UK,
> >billing around 80-90 hours per week. Now I've relocated to CA, and I
can't
> >work more than 40 hours per week at my new job because of this
regulation.
> >There is plenty of work to do, and I could easily work 60 hours of my own
> >free will, but the option is not open to me.
> >
> >Martin Colloby
> >
> >
>
>

[Jo Desmet]

BettyB, Get a life!!

[Dan Nuttle]

I've worked a job since 342 B.C., I put in over 12,000 hours a day, and I
haven't eaten more than once a decade, and they make me put giant mean rats
in my pockets, and wear sunglasses in a dark room, with a car horn honking
constantly, and the coffee is some generic brand from a former Soviet republic
that tastes like guano, and I have a really big heavy anvil strapped onto
my head because they can't find any other place to put it.

And it hurts.

[Larry Triezenberg]

At least you're fulfilled in your life's ambition...

Dan Nuttle wrote in message <399afe70@news.devx.com>...
>
>I've worked a job since 342 B.C., I put in over 12,000 hours a day, and I
>haven't eaten more than once a decade, and they make me put giant mean rats
>in my pockets, and wear sunglasses in a dark room, with a car horn honking
>constantly, and the coffee is some generic brand from a former Soviet
republic
>that tastes like guano, and I have a really big heavy anvil strapped onto
>my head because they can't find any other place to put it.
>
>And it hurts.