Unpaid Overtime is never Acceptable – No
Unpaid overtime is never acceptable. If people work overtime without compensation the decision makers in organizations have no idea of the true cost of doing business. It is also against the law. There are many state and federal labor laws that protect workers and ensure that they are not taken advantage of and that all employees are treated in the same fair, equitable, and predictable fashion. Pay for overtime is the right of every employee. Unfortunately, there are managers and businesses ever ready to take advantage of people. Business journals and magazines are full of articles about legal cases in which employees are forced to clock off and expected to continue work. Companies like Walmart, Starbucks, Merrill Lynch, IBM, and Morgan Stanley have all been sued for overtime violations and the employees have actually won! Workers have been granted their overtime pay.
We are in a recession. Unpaid overtime affects the unemployment rates. If employees regularly work overtime without compensation, decision makers need to hire less staff and because the work is unpaid the federal government loses revenue. Overwork can increase mistakes and affect productivity, and unpaid work can also increase health problems for workers.
There are, however, certain classes of employees, exempt employees, who are expected to do what it takes to get the job done. They do not have any overtime that they can earn; instead, they earn a salary and are expected to work late if the task requires it. They have the discretion to adjust their schedule when necessary. Re-classifying employees as exempt and giving them more control of their schedules is a better choice than allowing staff to work overtime without compensation.
The development of technology has increased the pressure on staff to accept overtime without compensation. Cell phones and the Internet were bad enough. Employees could be contacted whether they were in the car, at a little league game, or out dinner and if they had the Internet they could always be required to answer e-mails. In the second decade of the 21st century the wired employee can expect a constant barrage of e-mails, text messages, and calls at any time of the day or night. If these messages require responses employees are never off the clock and never get a break from their job.
The recession has encouraged employers to try to maximize their efforts to use their finances more efficiently. Part of those efforts is reflected in the pressure that they are putting on employees to work without compensation.
