Bosses Are Turning Poverty-Wage Workers Into ‘Managers’-and Barring Them From OT in the Process

[marmar]

(The Nation) If you’re one of the millions working in retail, some days you might work late at the register or do the store opening in hopes of clocking a little overtime pay. And you might hope to eventually rise to a higher-ranked managerial position. But did you know that promotion might just mean a smaller paycheck for the same job?

Welcome to the promotion from hell: Federal law says time-and-a-half is for ordinary laborers, and management is exempt from overtime provisions. So congratulations, as a shop “manager,” you no longer qualify for overtime—but still end up doing basically the same work for less.

Generally, federal labor law requires elevated wages for hours worked over the standard 40-hour week. But in the precarious low-wage economy, advocates say employers are hyper-exploiting the system to skirt fair labor laws, and overtime is fast becoming a relic of the past.

The Obama administration is now seeking to modernize overtime, directing the Labor Department to revamp federal regulations. These set a baseline for state overtime laws (which may or may not offer more generous benefits). Reforms might bring long-overdue upgrades to income thresholds and professional exemptions in order to cover more of the workforce. ...............(more)

http://www.thenation.com/blog/207521/bosses-are-turning-poverty-wage-workers-managers-and-barring-them-overtime-process

[gd770226]

1. It's simple, ALL workers should be eligible for overtime

One thing I do not like about our government is when they try to "solve" an issue and come up with a complicated regulation instead. The solution to this is very very simple, ALL workers get overtime. No loopholes, no exceptions.

I work in the IT industry and the workers are not eligible for overtime. It sucks. Projects either get behind or have unmeetable goals in the first place, and then the workers just have to work lots of extra hours to get the project done. And you can't complain or they will just outsource it.

[Exilednight]

2. If you think CEO pay is out of control now, wait until they get overtime.

[gollygee]

4. I think there should be a minimum income to not get OT

So if your pay scale, if working 40 hours 50 weeks a year, would be less than that minumum income, you would get OT no matter what you did or what the name of your job was.

I'm bad at math, but let's say the number was 100k, then that would mean you'd have to make at least $50 an hour to not get OT, if I did the math right.

[Thor_MN]

6. $48.08, but who's counting?

40 hour work week * 52 weeks a year = 2080 hours. $100K divided by 2080 = 48.08 (rounded up) an hour.

The problem I see is what is the minimum income based on? Does it take into account family? How do you make it fair to single people and childless couples? That isn't intrinsic to a the idea of a wage level below which one is eligible for overtime, but it is a hurdle.

[1StrongBlackMan]

10. Actually, there is a minimum salary for FLSA exemption ...

it is the third prong of the test. It's $23,600 per year ($455 per week).

But that number hasn't changed in 20 years and should be re-visited. But IIRC, this Administration is attempting to raise (double) the number.

[dembotoz]

3. been aware of this for years...nothing new...salary vs hourly wage

Just one of many reasons I have been a dem for so long

[OneBanana_TwoPeels]

5. My Grandmother, with 15 years experience, is a Wal-Mart manager

Her pay: $9.15/hr
I make more than that at the job I've only been working at for three months.

[heaven05]

8. says it all

about power of the capitalist 1% to screw their workers, royally. This system is growing suckier and suckier every four years. Dem or rethug....seems to not be any difference.....the worker is still the low person on the totem pole.

[mountain grammy]

11. Yes, that's the problem in a few short words..

huge profitable corporations "rewarding" loyal long time experienced workers with a nice title, but poverty wages.

Walmart is the largest employer in America and pays minimum wage to most workers.

[whathehell]

7. They've been doing this for years. n/t

[midnight]

9. Thank you for posting this...

[mountain grammy]

12. Yes, between false management titles

and "contract employees," workers get screwed every time.

[Uben]

13. Something has changed?

The so called business persons are merely taking their workers wages (what they should be) to enrich themselves so they can say they are successful, when in reality, they are very sorry owners and managers themselves. If you have to starve your workers to make a profit, you aren't a successful business owner, you are a frigging FAILURE AT WHAT YOU DO! Yeah, they can pay the bills on the backs of their sweatshops, but that's not success...that's desperation! Franchise owners are some of the worst business persons in the U.S. They care nothing about the product they sell, they just want to see black at the end of the month. A true entrepreneur would strive to make both the business and its workers successful.

I don't eat at franchises. The food is atrocious, unhealthy, poorly presented, and over-priced. I'd rather eat at a mom and pop café if I eat out at all...which is seldom. For the price of a burger and fries and soda these days, I can cook a much healthier and tastier meal at home, so why would I want to enrich some bastard who doesn't give a damn about me or my health and just wants to be able to make the payments on the new car his wife is driving?

[Old Codger]

14. Look at this

http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/15/pf/overtime-pay/