Permission to leave- payment?

Basya

Wed, Dec 19 2007, 3:19 pm

Scenario-

It's a fast day. My boss tells me about an hour before we normally close-

"If you want to, you can leave now"

Scenario #2-

It's chanukah. My boss asks me if I am leaving early. I ask "why?" He says "If you need to, you can."

Now- I keep track of my hours. Officially my boss said I get paid by salary as opposed to by the hour- but when I don't come in or if I come more than 20 minutes late etc. I take off the time off my check. And I think (pretty sure) my boss expects me to.

So, in each of these scenarios- do I count it as if I was there the whole day because he gave me permission to leave, or do I take off the time because technically I was not there? Confused

ss321

Wed, Dec 19 2007, 4:02 pm

if youre being paid a salary you shouldnt get paid any less. if youre working for an hourly wage then I think you need to ask.
but im confused. you get paid a salary yet have to keep track of every hr? shouldnt it be one or the other? at least in my industry it is. I dunno....id say just ask....

Lechatchila Ariber

Wed, Dec 19 2007, 7:23 pm

I believe at most normal jobs even if paid a sallary, one has to clock in when they come and go.
The company needs to make sure that you are working for what they are paying you. Plus for your own sake, if you ever work overtime you want it to show.
that's probably why she keeps track of her hours.

nicole81

Thu, Dec 20 2007, 12:44 am

but even if you work overtime, if you're salaried, you don't make any extra. overtime is only for hourly employees.

I can see clocking when you come and go, but even if you're late, deducting doesn't make any sense to me for a salaried worker. so imo, she should definitely get paid for the above situations.

but basya- you should definitely clarify with the boss, and ask him about lateness, too. to me, salaried=the same no matter what, even for vacations, sickness, lateness, etc.

Basya

Thu, Dec 20 2007, 9:54 am

I have tried many times to clarify with my boss and have never gotten a straight answer from him. In the beginning he used to tally my hours and he took off when I came late etc. so now that I do the tallying, I do the same just in case he checks the hours over- which he tends to do from time to do. I once mentioned to him in passing something to the fact that I am actually getting paid by the hour - but he got all defensive and said "If you were getting paid by the hour, than you wouldn't get a paid lunch break and you wouldn't get paid for yom tov." (Mind you- both were a big fight for me to get, and chol hamoed, we are usually closed but I don't get paid for it.) My boss is very difficult to deal with and he is such a procrastinator. Every time we have a "meeting" we discuss things and he says he will write up a contract with everything on it for us to sign and file- I have been working there for almost 2 years - have never seen or signed anything. Rolling Eyes

ChavieK

Thu, Dec 20 2007, 1:35 pm

You need to clarify how you are getting paid. If he won't discuss, then tell him you were hired as salary worker & intend to hand in hours that way.I am paid by the hour, but if I get towork & door is locked ,I don't have a key because I don't like to into the empty building myself, then I still get paid. We clarify small issues like these as they arise.

Starhavah

Fri, Dec 21 2007, 3:15 pm

I live in IL and here salaried workers are paid for a full day if they work for 2 hours! You do not need to clarify your sitation with your boss but the state department of labor. Salaried workers should not be deducting for being late or long lunches since they do not get paid overtime. I believe you have been cheating yourself.

I have been salaried at jobs in the past were they wanted me to keep track of my hours just so they could see that it was 40 hours on a regular basis.

Star Havah

ss321

Mon, Dec 24 2007, 2:05 am

EstiS wrote:

I believe at most normal jobs even if paid a sallary, one has to clock in when they come and go.

I think youre misinformed.
at "normal" jobs where youre paid a salary and by "normal" im including jobs like accountant, investment banker, financial analyst, stock broker, real estate broker, actuary, lawyer, doctor, pa, np, nurse (those who are salaried, I know nurses who work part-time or per diem who actually are paid by the hr) etc, you absolutely do NOT have to "clock in" ...actually, in many industries, after all the years you put in, all the time you spent trying to become what you are, it wld be considered "Degrading" almost. If you get your work done, you obviously earned your salary. Some days it takes 7.5 hrs intead of 8, and others it takes 12 instead of 8.

EstiS wrote:

The company needs to make sure that you are working for what they are paying you.

if youre a salaried worker, generally they trust that youre working the hours you say you are, and there comes a point where its more abt "quality" than "quantity." If youre working as a secretary, its important that youre absolutely ALWaYS there from 9-5, to greet clients/customers/parents/patients, answer phones, etc. Thats why the hours are more strict with jobs that are NOT salaried.

EstiS wrote:

Plus for your own sake, if you ever work overtime you want it to show.

If youre working on salary you dont get paid for overtime.
There are bonuses maybe around holiday time and in the business world I think in some industries you earn more "bonuese" based on the number of successsful deals you broker, but theres no overtime.