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Google's Second-Class Citizens
theodp writes "Valleywag reports on a new caste system at Google, which will mean compulsory lunch breaks, two additional unpaid 15-minute breaks, limited OT, and e-clock punching for those reclassified as hourly workers starting April 1. Could be worse, though. Google also offers gigs through WorkforceLogic (the company that helped Microsoft deal with its pesky permatemps), which come with a guarantee of unemployment after one year. Guess that's what passes for the Best Employer in the US these days."
That's the law. If you are classified as an hourly worker you MUST take at least a 30 minute lunch break and have a 15 minute break for every 4 hours you work. Overtime is also regulated in a similar way.
What a fantastic non story.
There are fairly strict laws about who is allowed to be an 'exempt' employee (exempt from hourly labor laws). Most of Google's administrative staff aren't going to qualify. They have to be put on the clock, and paid overtime if they work more than 40 a week. There are benefits to being an hourly worker.
All pass beyond reach of medicine. None pass beyond the reach of love.
The story is so short on details it's hard to form any opinion. For example, how many people will be affected and what kind of jobs? Are we talking 100 people? Are talking about jobs that may be temporary by definition (receptionists, contractors, etc.) or unskilled labor (janitors, garage attendants, security guards). Other companies like HP have had the same issues with "permatemps" and how to properly classify them. Other than linking to the same company as the Microsoft fiasco, it really serves no other purpose than to take a cheap shot at Google.
In the MS case, MS had people working at the same jobs as skilled salaried employees for years. But what irked the judge in the case what Microsoft did in the case. As soon as the lawsuit was initiated, Microsoft lawyers drafted an agreement that they tried to get all their temporary employees to sign that would relinquish all their rights to sue Microsoft for labor violations. It was insinuated that those who did not sign could not work for Microsoft. The judge sua sponte quashed the agreements. In the end, the courts ruled that they should have had rights to participate in the employee stock option program.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
When I worked hourly, I made more money then salary with equal positions. With an hourly position you always have the potential for at least some overtime. The only reason people don't like hourly pay is because it doesn't sound as official as salary and because it means they actually have to show up to be paid. Think of it this way, $50,000 a year is only $27 per hour if you work 5 days a week and have paid holidays and such. With benefits such as health care and the like, you are actually making around $35-$45 depending. Know, let's add a little over time. Let's say I wanted to work for time and a half another 8 hours a week (a pretty low number for someone who really wants to work). That's ($27 * 1.5) = $40.50 * 8 hours a week * 4 in a month = $1296 per month extra. Over a year that can earn an extra $15,552 from just 8 hours a week overtime. That's more then some minimum wage jobs and it doesn't even factor double time. If you think salary is a great deal, your mistaken. That hourly guy making 10k less then you actually might be making more then you in the end.
Of course it's great to have a separate work and home life. It's also very difficult to keep up a >50 hour work week without negatively affecting productivity or happiness in general. In no way or form does Google demand 24/7 attendance or disallow employees from going home. For that matter, i don't even know who would order me to stay at work later. If anyone had the balls to do that I'd quit.
Just for a data point (yes, anecdotal, I know) here is my typical work week:
- Monday and Tuesday: ~10am-7pm. Most of my in-person meetings take place on these days, so I try to keep normal hours. Also, dinner is served at 6:30. Sometimes I might stay another half hour or hour and have dinner with a teammate before leaving the office.
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Wednesday-Thursday: Noon to ~10pm. I try to get as much of my coding done, and this tends to be easier and interruption free in the afternoon and evenings. Since I'm staying late, I run my daily errands in the morning or sleep in and come in at noon. On some occassions I'll stay later than 10,
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Friday: Noon to 4pm. By Friday morning, most of the work I want to get done for the week is completed, so I want to relax. I'll sleep in a bit, and come into work just to check in with random people. There's a higher propensity for goofing off on Friday, but at the same time I'd rather just goof off at home, so I try to only stay for about 4 hours. At 4pm there's a TGIF session where they make announcements and serve up wine and beer. If it's interesting, I'll stay, but I'd rather get started on weekend plans.
Co-workers around me will sometimes have grossly different schedules. It's mildly annoying sometimes when you *really need* to get ahold of someone, but there is a lot of respect for the personal life of others and you learn to get by without always relying on others. There's no way in hell I'll call a co-worker's cell phone unless there is an extreme, dire, emergency.