On what planet exactly is it ok for employers to require employees to work mandatory overtime, for which they will not be paid or compensated, including weekends and holidays (even holidays where others would normally get time and a half)? I understand the nature of my job is that there’s a lot of overtime, but honestly- you pay for 35 hours a week, which just barely covers my monday-friday routine, if I actually took a lunch, which I never have time for. that doesn’t even touch the two weekends a month that are part of my job description! and now you want me tos ign a piece of paper saying I agree to be on call, 24/7 for you, to work however many hours you deem neccessary? not in this economy buddy. I love my job, I really really do, but you don’t pay me enough to subsist right now, let alone command that amount of loyalty or time from me. I need a second job to pay for my first, but right now I can’t do that, as I’m always freakign on call, and signing that piece of paper would just make it worse! worst of all, I can’t complain- doing so makes me seem whiny and beligerent next to my stoic coworkers who clock double their paid hours regularly and have never complained about it…..
This article appears in Jun 19-25, 2008.
Not the first type abuse I’ve heard.A certain Canadian favorite coffee shop does similiar. They make everyone sign a “I will not make you pay me for overtime” type agreement. If you don’t sign you get minimal hours. And these girls usually need the extra money.
I can’t see how this is legal. If you work overtime, you are supposed to get paid and no waiver can eliminate that. I would check this out with the province’s Labour and Workforce Development. That is slave labour, pure and simple.
The idea being is that if you request to work extra hours (past the over time limit) and the employer can’t afford to pay you the extra (or won’t out of principle as you are the one requesting the time and they are doing you a favour by giving you the hours) there is a document that satisfies both parties.However, This company I mention is a little more forward with getting you to sign and applying hours. They will not come out and say “Sign this or we’ll strip your hours to the bare minimum”. But when you don’t sign it, you look at your next schedule, suddenly you only have 30-hours.Not ethical, skirts the law, but can’t do much.
Why would anyone want to work for such a slime bucket????
The all ‘ighty ‘ollar?
At least you have the option. Where I work, when there’s manditory overtime, you don’t get to opt out of it unless you have certain circumstances that would allow for it (ie:medical reasons) And they will never let you work more than 48 hours a week because they dont want to pay anyone for overtime hours, even if optional overtime is available.
We fight for OT here…..there’s actually a waiting list to see who gets it next…And we get double time or time and 1/2 + meal allowance and paid taxi’s home! It’s the same where my mom works…..Find a company that will treat you right and stick with it! Why would you put up with that kind of treatment?
well, the op says they love their job…………still seems a little fishy though. OP, are you on hourly wage or salary? cause I’ve heard of this stuff happenign with salaried positions- I’m new to the working world and it seems pretty common to work far more than you get paid for, especially if you’re not being paid by the hour…..
i dont supose you work in a call center?