would you expect to be paid?

[gorie]

This is completely unrelated to poker, but something happened today at work that got me wanting to vent somewhere and it just happens to be here.

How many of you have meetings at work and do you get paid during those meetings?

Today we had a 1 hr 30 minute meeting at work, basically because we're about to go into the busy season. Boss just going over all our little mistakes giving his usual speech that we've all heard a million times, + going over the employee handbook that was re-written but the same. and letting us know how the business is doing etc.

Before this meeting, he told everyone who was already at work to punch out for the meeting. The people who arrived to work specifically for the meeting (like me and the majority of the people there since we don't work many hours in slow season) I guess were also told not to punch in and when someone questioned that later he said no, "it's standard in the industry not to be paid for meetings."

I of course had punched in since I wasn't around to be told not to and why would I *not* punch in while at work for work-related meetings? I don't know if I will get paid for it or not until I see my check. I mean why would anyone volunteer 1.5 hours of their time to be lectured by their boss ?

Does anyone else think this is clearly messed up ? Everyone seemed pretty annoyed afterward talking about how they couldn't get paid for that time. I don't think he's ever made an issue of this before.

Just curious if this is really how things go out there, or if my boss is being completely unreasonable. I mean one lady drove 45 minutes for this meeting and then is told specifically she can't punch in for it. I think thats nuts to expect that from your employees. This bothers me a lot.

Have you ever heard of such craziness? Do you get paid for meetings at work? Thanks for any comments...

[swolfe]

what industry? that's pretty much bullshit. if i'm not getting paid, i'm not going to be there.

[LondonBroil]

Your boss is an idiot and there is no way you should not be paid for this. What company is this?

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
This is completely unrelated to poker...

[/ QUOTE ]

It better be unrelated.

[gorie]

I work for a professional photography lab.
we make the prints and stuff for professional photographers/studios (like senior & family portraits etc).

I can't imagine *any* industry where this is really acceptable. But I don't know..

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
senior family portraits

[/ QUOTE ]

no junior family portraits?

[gorie]

[ QUOTE ]
no junior family portraits?

[/ QUOTE ]
bah funny :P i meant like senior (highschool) portraits.
forgot the "and" :P

[tech]

Labor laws vary from state to state, but in general if the meeting is mandatory, you are supposed to be paid.

[BWebb]

In California, you have to be paid for meetings. If you come into work when asked, you are to be paid for 2 hours even if the meeting is 15 minutes. It might be different in your state.

[gamblore99]

My 2 jobs in the past have been red lobster, and a small laser tag company. Both paid for meetings. And the laser tag had really shitty and cheap management. Someone mentioned labour laws in your area, I would check into that, I would think this thing would be mandatory pay.

[gorie]

[ QUOTE ]
Labor laws vary from state to state, but in general if the meeting is mandatory, you are supposed to be paid.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm in Wisconsin, maybe I can find something on this. The staff meeting was posted by the time clock, also each got a memo and that it was "very important to let boss know if you can not attend" I'd say we all were under the assumption it was mandatory..

[Pocket Trips]

[ QUOTE ]
This is completely unrelated to poker, but something happened today at work that got me wanting to vent somewhere and it just happens to be here.

How many of you have meetings at work and do you get paid during those meetings?

Today we had a 1 hr 30 minute meeting at work, basically because we're about to go into the busy season. Boss just going over all our little mistakes giving his usual speech that we've all heard a million times, + going over the employee handbook that was re-written but the same. and letting us know how the business is doing etc.

Before this meeting, he told everyone who was already at work to punch out for the meeting. The people who arrived to work specifically for the meeting (like me and the majority of the people there since we don't work many hours in slow season) I guess were also told not to punch in and when someone questioned that later he said no, "it's standard in the industry not to be paid for meetings."

I of course had punched in since I wasn't around to be told not to and why would I *not* punch in while at work for work-related meetings? I don't know if I will get paid for it or not until I see my check. I mean why would anyone volunteer 1.5 hours of their time to be lectured by their boss ?

Does anyone else think this is clearly messed up ? Everyone seemed pretty annoyed afterward talking about how they couldn't get paid for that time. I don't think he's ever made an issue of this before.

Just curious if this is really how things go out there, or if my boss is being completely unreasonable. I mean one lady drove 45 minutes for this meeting and then is told specifically she can't punch in for it. I think thats nuts to expect that from your employees. This bothers me a lot.

Have you ever heard of such craziness? Do you get paid for meetings at work? Thanks for any comments...

[/ QUOTE ]

pull a Milton on them and burn the place down

[Paluka]

I would have walked out. What a joke.

[astroglide]

that is a joke

[PassiveCaller]

This is beyond bullshit. I wouldn't stand for it. I'd have quit and walked out of there on the spot if they maintained that non-sense.

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
I would have walked out. What a joke.

[/ QUOTE ]

"If you don't come in on friday, don't bother coming in on monday"

[asb165]

If you wanted to make an issue of this, it's not legal. The basic idea is that of "working time" under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Read This (http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/whdfs22.htm) That link talks about what you have to get paid for. What this guy did was BS.

[moondogg]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I would have walked out. What a joke.

[/ QUOTE ]

"If you don't come in on friday, don't bother coming in on monday"

[/ QUOTE ]

Woohoo! 4-day weekend!

[gvibes]

A lot of labor lawyers will do plaintiff's work on contingency. You could maybe group up with all your other co-workers and have a worthwhile case (for the lawyer), especially if this had occurred several times.

[jcx]

I would imagine if you are pure commission, you wouldn't expect to be paid for meetings. If you are an hourly employee you certainly should be. You could complain to the state labor board. A lot depends on how much you value this job. Is it a throwaway, easily replaceable job with crappy pay? Definitely lodge a complaint. Are you a highly paid professional (probably not if you punch a clock) who is afraid of being put on a sh*tlist? Shut up and deal with it, unless the whole office is willing to revolt. This isn't what Norma Rae would do but it's practical. Your boss may not fire you for raising a stink (he'd worry about a lawsuit) but you may find yourself passed over for promotions and your work quality receiving extra scrutiny. It sucks, but it happens every day all over the country. Good luck.

[Yobz]

That is complete BS. Your boss is a moron and needs to go and get an MBA...or a brain. Employees will spend more time talking about what he did then the meeting lasted itself, he will lose more money because of his dumb decision.

[DBowling]

i always got paid for meetings i attended

[DeezNuts]

[ QUOTE ]
I would imagine if you are pure commission, you wouldn't expect to be paid for meetings. If you are an hourly employee you certainly should be. You could complain to the state labor board. A lot depends on how much you value this job. Is it a throwaway, easily replaceable job with crappy pay? Definitely lodge a complaint. Are you a highly paid professional (probably not if you punch a clock) who is afraid of being put on a sh*tlist? Shut up and deal with it, unless the whole office is willing to revolt. This isn't what Norma Rae would do but it's practical. Your boss may not fire you for raising a stink (he'd worry about a lawsuit) but you may find yourself passed over for promotions and your work quality receiving extra scrutiny. It sucks, but it happens every day all over the country. Good luck.

[/ QUOTE ]

What's right is right. Don't sacrifice what is right in order to "look good" in front of the boss. He is the one abusing his employees' time.

Too many people sacrifice their principles in the workplace for future promises of a "career", which further subjugates them to becoming a faceless, nameless piece of the corporate machinery.

DN

[bholdr]

If the company expects to increse it's profits by holding such meetings (it does) then you should be paid. this is a bad sign for your job... how else will they be screwing you? IMO, if you're not getting paid, if you're not on a salary, then it's not mandatory.

i could almost see a boss asking people not to punch in for a 30 min meeting, but asking them to punch out? smells like BS, to me.

find a better boss.

[EliteNinja]

Keep a logbook of all the crap you have to put up with in all its gory details.

Log when and how long your meetings are and if you get paid for each one.

Keep some evidence around.

You don't have to put up with this crap.

[sourbeaver]

I would expect to get paid 100% of the time.

[gorie]

Yes, most everyone there is considered full time hourly employees. A few people are seasonal hourly part timers. It's a small company.

I wouldn't want to sue him, or file a complaint to risk getting the company in trouble, nothing that drastic. I'm not that kind of person.

I'm pretty sure if he really thought he was doing something wrong and confronted properly he would make it right before letting it get out of hand. I'm still trying to understand why he would actually tell people to punch out for it. It's not the first time he shows little value for his employees, but to be so obvious about it is just stupid.

I like my job (not my boss), at times I hate it and want to quit, but I'd have a hard time finding something I like that paid what I get now (which is still not a lot but not bad for having no degree, either). So this isn't something I want to risk my job over. We're all use to my boss being an idiot, but this one just bugs me a lot. Especially when part of the meeting was about how "time is money". Yes, time is money! Where is our money. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Luckily, my boss does like me and I know I am a valuable employee. I can't see him firing me unless I did something very wrong. If I notice not being paid for that time on my paycheck I will definitely confront him on this issue, though. I might regardless for the sake of everyone else and that it bothers me that it even happened. I think I was the only person who stayed punched in so it should be interesting to find out. It's stupid to upset employees right before busy season too!!

Thanks for that link to DOL. The bottom of that link though says "It is intended as a general description only and does not carry the force of legal opinion." But it's something. I am having a hard time finding anything about Wisconsin labor laws regarding this anywhere either, hmph. But I suck at that stuff :P

[Six_of_One]

[ QUOTE ]

"If you don't come in on friday, don't bother coming in on monday"

[/ QUOTE ]

The better quote is, "If you don't come in on Saturday, don't bother coming in on Sunday." Attributed to Jay Chiat (of advertising fame), though of course I have no idea if he actually said it or not.

[OtisTheMarsupial]

I have always been paid for meetings.

And I have had about 20 different jobs ranging from manual labor to office work.