Quote:
Originally Posted by taustin
Salaried exempt status is widely abused, it is true. Doesn't make it legal, but most states are lax in enforcement and most employees don't have the money to sue when the potential judgment is a fraction of what the lawyers will cost. There's a reason programmers have to make at least $83,000/year to be exempt in California.
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It's not always abuse.
It is a tradeoff. Legally, they call it terms of employment and it is usually spelled out in the employment agreement. Those startup employees working 80-100 hours signed up voluntarily. Many of them are millionaires by the time they're 30. More own their houses free and clear by 40. And in silivalley that means something. Not everybody, but a lot.
Others decide the lifestyle is not for them and move on. The resume looks mighty good elsewhere so they're still ahead of the game.
My brother was a mechanical engineer running the maintenance dept at a refinery. Once a year, the place shut down for maintenance for a week. Double shift for everybody. Mechanics and techs got overtime but not him. Not a problem. Because the rest of the year when things were humming, he'd get extra daytime with his kids. Two vacations a year. A nice salary and house. No time clock. And in many businesses it is, frankly, a status symbol; you are trusted to do your job and earn your keep without the monitoring of a punch card. And if it means taking an hour here and there to run errands or go to the doctor nobody blinks. The job getting done and done well is what matters. Sometimes it takes 10 hours, sometimes five. No sitting in the office twiddling thumbs if everything is covered so starting the weekend early is perfectly fine.
My sister runs the entire food and beverage dept at a high end tourist resort. Certified chef among other qualifications. 50 hour weeks are normal for her. 60 hours common. It's not required of her but it *is* what her work ethic demands of her. The salary is good; her satisfaction at being among the best in her business is even better. She knows every job in her department and can and will do it at the drop of a hat as needed. Not everybody is cut out for that but she is a natural at it. She takes pride in her achievements and that comes from her value system. She is hardly unique. Most professionals are similarly driven.
Exempt status *can* be abused, by the employer *and* the employee. But not every practice is an abuse. Different companies and different jobs have different cultures and practices. You live up to it or move on.