12/7 and Overtime on a Salary?

over-timeout! asks: A company I work for (in the U.S.A.) had submitted a statement of work to a client, who waited for a month before signing the work order. The work order explicitly stated a timeline which would start from the time the order is signed. However, the client is insisting on the project being completed by a fixed date, as discussed with our company's management, instead of the deadline that starts from the signing of the work order. Although our company representatives tried to push back on the date, the client refused. Because the client is among our company's biggest customers, our company's management caved in and agreed to their deadlines. Management has told us meeting deadlines means that for the next month to six weeks all of the developers involved will have to work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. The contractors involved are going to get compensated by being paid by the hour. But us salaried employees are going to get nothing in return for trading in what's left of our life so someone else in the company above us can make money. Obviously this isn't fair, but what are the alternatives in this down economy, where jobs are hard to find?" A related articles on this subject discusses suing for overtime, and California residents should find this companion article pertinent, as well. What can you do when management agrees to a timeline and a workload that may make your job, as a programmer, difficult-to-impossible?

Comments

stfu

[Alpha_Nerd]

If you don't like it then quit your job.

Nobody is forcing you to work there. Employees should have no rights that are not explicitly stated in their contract =/

Bush changed the law

[New World Odor]

In case you didn't notice, BushCo. Terrorist Organization now made it unnecessary to pay overtime to fulltime staff... Check it out.

Gotta love the Republicans! They sure know how to "grow" and economy!

Re:They pretend to pay us...

[jedidiah]

This is all fine and good. However, everytime any one of us put up with this sort of crap it harms the rest of us. We are PROFESSIONALS, many of us with University degrees, and not disposable factory workers. We really shouldn't have to put up with this sort of crap.

It really doesn't make any economic sense in the long run. Infact it's not even in the corporate best interest. Eventually, news of this kind of crap will filter down to the "new recruits" and CIS enrollment will tank.

At least in the trades you are ensured proper overtime pay.