lukewarmfusion's Journal: Salary and overtime

Like everyone else, there are things I hate about my job. Like most everyone else, I hate being underpaid. Since there are so few people in my company, and two of them are owners, I can pretty much estimate how much they are making. My work is responsible for the majority of their salaries.

So when we're busy enough that I won't be able to get everything done in a 40 hour week, there are three options:

1. I do it anyway, and don't get compensated. I'm salary.

2. We don't do it, and tell the client it won't get done until later.

3. Outsource it.

Now there's another option, but my bosses do not seem willing to consider it. I would gladly do the work, on my nights and weekends, if they compensated me for it. Take the money they would pay to a contractor, give it to me, and "buy" my free time. Hell, I'd take additional vacation time. Or gifts. Whatever.

They told me at my review in January that they simply could not afford to pay me more. Recently, I've altogether stopped working at home. I don't do any work after I leave the office, and I simply refuse to do anything (other than an emergency as my job might require) without them specifically telling me to do it.

There's no benefit to me. If I work 40 hours or 60, I get the same paycheck. If I get projects done faster, more efficiently, etc. then I might get a "good job." My one and only bonus was $1,000 after the first quarter. Laughable, considering that my overtime (and hard work during hours) brought in nearly $100,000.

I suggested this "compensate me for the extra work" idea, but my boss basically shrugged it off. Another time, I pointed out that there was no benefit to me for the overtime. I could be working on my house, watching a movie, reading a book - why should I work for free?

The response was two-fold: one, I'm a salary employee. I have no free time. And two, I did get a bonus for that quarter. "Do you call that nothing?"

I call that an unequal trade - my spare time for a lower rate of pay, not guaranteed or even hinted at. Just a - well, here are a few scraps. Have at it.

A new job

[Concerned Onlooker]

Any chance of finding a new job? I read your last entry and it doesn't look like this one is going to take you anywhere you want to go. At the very least, the process of looking for a new job will give you some new energy. Empowerment and all that.

Or you could just fake your own death and collect on the insurance....