Pay for Play
Jan. 13th, 2004 11:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eggwards2004 brought a new job title for me, Team Lead. Really, the semantics change nothing. I'm doing the same job functions I did as a Supervisor. I'm fine with the name change. The pays the same...wait, oh, that's the difference.
It's not a bad difference. Technically, it's a demotion since I have gone from a salaried position to an hourly one. My base pay, as long as I work 37.5 hours a week is the same, but I'm officially eligible for overtime. I tend to put in more than those minimum hours, so I was kind of excited about getting a little more in my paycheck, though I knew that it was unlikely I'd be able to take too much advantage of it. Last week I logged in 40.5 hours.
As expected, today came the email from upper management, from those in the satellite office in Denver, of all places, the group who's merger actually created the demotion. It stated that we were to get our work, sampling, evaluation, customer service and any of the many management projects all done within the 37.5 hour period. i haven't been able to do that in a while. It would have been much more helpful if they had actually asked the Supervisors for how much overtime we actually put in in a week (40.5 is actually a little low for me, but I didn't want to push it).
Then we were also told, if we'd like to earn overtime, we'd need to process regular mail, like our reps. Look, it's not in my job description. I haven't processed in four years, or taught anything in three, and we've changed systems. I have a working knowledge, but I don't think I'm actually a good candidate for processing these days. Perhaps I have a bad attitude, as I sort of think that's beneath me right now.
Screaming Amy and are kind of in a lightly motivated race to see which one of us will leave first. We both admitted that we would be happy if they offered us severance right now. There's really no place to go within the division, nor do we have any motivation to do more than what's required. Amy's done a better job at adapting her schedule to the new rules, talking off on time. I'm still working late, especially since I have a large addition to our online web product how-to due before I leave for Tucson. It's a document that I've already written 15 pages on in the last three business days, and still have about 5 more to go tomorrow. There will be extra hours this week.
Of course, they could gently nudge the Team leads to work extra hours without counting it. That would certainly help. I did that when I was a retail manager, trying to get things done, but guess what? WalMart is going to court for just that practice. You can't bully people to work through breaks, lunch, or after regular ours off the clock. One of those Federal rules, you know? I'm starting to feel that that's the type of pressure I'm under, though.
The big question? Why make the change when you know you could spend more money? Of course the idea was to take out a level of management, not through layoffs, but making them disappear from the books as they suddenly just turned into regular employees. I have no idea how that will change the company, better or worse. Still, it continues a trend of the company de-valuing their employees.
It's not a bad difference. Technically, it's a demotion since I have gone from a salaried position to an hourly one. My base pay, as long as I work 37.5 hours a week is the same, but I'm officially eligible for overtime. I tend to put in more than those minimum hours, so I was kind of excited about getting a little more in my paycheck, though I knew that it was unlikely I'd be able to take too much advantage of it. Last week I logged in 40.5 hours.
As expected, today came the email from upper management, from those in the satellite office in Denver, of all places, the group who's merger actually created the demotion. It stated that we were to get our work, sampling, evaluation, customer service and any of the many management projects all done within the 37.5 hour period. i haven't been able to do that in a while. It would have been much more helpful if they had actually asked the Supervisors for how much overtime we actually put in in a week (40.5 is actually a little low for me, but I didn't want to push it).
Then we were also told, if we'd like to earn overtime, we'd need to process regular mail, like our reps. Look, it's not in my job description. I haven't processed in four years, or taught anything in three, and we've changed systems. I have a working knowledge, but I don't think I'm actually a good candidate for processing these days. Perhaps I have a bad attitude, as I sort of think that's beneath me right now.
Screaming Amy and are kind of in a lightly motivated race to see which one of us will leave first. We both admitted that we would be happy if they offered us severance right now. There's really no place to go within the division, nor do we have any motivation to do more than what's required. Amy's done a better job at adapting her schedule to the new rules, talking off on time. I'm still working late, especially since I have a large addition to our online web product how-to due before I leave for Tucson. It's a document that I've already written 15 pages on in the last three business days, and still have about 5 more to go tomorrow. There will be extra hours this week.
Of course, they could gently nudge the Team leads to work extra hours without counting it. That would certainly help. I did that when I was a retail manager, trying to get things done, but guess what? WalMart is going to court for just that practice. You can't bully people to work through breaks, lunch, or after regular ours off the clock. One of those Federal rules, you know? I'm starting to feel that that's the type of pressure I'm under, though.
The big question? Why make the change when you know you could spend more money? Of course the idea was to take out a level of management, not through layoffs, but making them disappear from the books as they suddenly just turned into regular employees. I have no idea how that will change the company, better or worse. Still, it continues a trend of the company de-valuing their employees.
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no subject
Date: 2004-01-13 09:55 pm (UTC)Oh, I hear this all the time. As a "professional" (ie. salary) employee, the "expectation" is that we put in 50 hours a week.
I SO don't. I've always felt that I can get done what I need to in 40 hours. I'll work extra if I have to to get the job done. Heck, I've worked till 4am sometimes. Not often because I get weird when I don't get enough sleep.
Still, it continues a trend of the company de-valuing their employees.
Amen, brother. I went to work for Kodak because I had always heard it was a company that cared for its employees. That is so not true. Witness my last year's performance rating (for 2002). I worked probably the hardest that year in my career, under some tight deadlines and learning a whole new environment. Then our offices got moved, back to a building I had taken on this job, to get out of working in (hated the building that much). I had one bad day where I asked the department secretary where clean drinking water was available (there are signs in the building not to use the water in the sinks for anything but handwashing). I was upset over having to move and stormed out of Karin's office; I hadn't said anythign to her. So my performance review stated I did not follow company values of respect for the individual.
Wankers.
I want out of here bad.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-13 11:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-14 05:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-14 06:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-14 06:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-14 06:24 am (UTC)btw, your sweety is a sweety, I met Chris about 2 years ago in Dallas.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-14 06:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-14 06:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-14 07:33 am (UTC)Any work not completed will wait until the following week.
While they won't like that, until they either give you permission to do more, they have tied your hands.
It is ILLEGAL both for you and them, for you to work more hours than you report. BESIDES that's one of the reason the economy is so darn bad right now. Millions of "salaried" employees doing the work of three and four people.
Take it as a blessing. You now can pick what you want to do. :) And if they complain, show a copy of the "only 37.5 hours" memo.