Originally Posted by Allisonfaye

Does it sound to anyone else but me like this company is wanting to have it both ways? You are salaried but have to work a minimum number of hours but if you work extra, you don't get paid? I think I would be putting a call into the Labor Board and see if this is kosher because I would bet that it isn't.

^^ I'm not trying to be snarky, but is your comment referring to my situation? It doesn't sound like it but I was just confused because you quoted me. :)

OP, are you saying that if you quit your job, you will owe them for vacation hours that you have accrued but not used? I'm not positive because I've never encountered that situation before, but that sounds really wrong to me. I would definitiely clarify that policy with HR, and maybe double check with an attorney regarding the legality of that.

Hopefully you can find another job because this one sounds like a nightmare.

Originally Posted by Allisonfaye

Does it sound to anyone else but me like this company is wanting to have it both ways? You are salaried but have to work a minimum number of hours but if you work extra, you don't get paid? I think I would be putting a call into the Labor Board and see if this is kosher because I would bet that it isn't.

Like I said, they've been sued for going around labor laws in other states; but they keep it from employees by saying state laws changed in those states. The more I've looked into the lawsuits, the more I realize it's not state laws that are changing, it's federal labor laws that they aren't adhering as a company. And yes - we HAVE to work a minimum of 44 hours (well it was 44, but they just upped it to 45), yet our salaried checks say we're only working 40 hours a week. If we work over 44 but under 45, they can technically write us up or at least keep that fear over our heads. But no, because we are classified salary, we will never get overtime.

With this situation, I think my boss expected me to be the obedient and reliable employee he's come to expect me to be (and I typically am). But I brought it up to several other managers who gave me a "what the heck is he trying to pull" response, so I know it wasn't just me misunderstanding - it almost makes me feel like he's testing the waters to see what he can get away with, because he's obviously never tried this on anyone else.

Originally Posted by athena21

My job has been increasingly more stressful that past several months, but this morning I had a bit of a phone spat with my boss that has just pushed me over the edge, and I'm thinking about talking to HR. Basically, I requested awhile ago time off for this next week to go to a wedding. How our company works, managers have to work a minimum of 45 hours, so with vacation time and your store to get credit for all of your vacation time, you can only work XX hours worked + XX hours vacation = 44 hours, otherwise your vacation time is null and void and they only reimburse for those added up to 44. Well we have a huge visit from a higher-up coming up later this week....and due to a big error in judgement on my boss' side, all of my work (over 60 hours this past week that I put in) is pretty much voided out and I have to r*** everything this week. Well with the economy we're pretty much at the slimmest payroll ever, so I don't even have a whole lot of help from my employees most days. I asked my boss for a plan to get this done, since I can only work about 30 hours since I'm taking that vacation. He basically said "schedule yourself as planned, and I'll make sure your store gets those vacation hours." This to me, means schedule yourself to work a regular week, use your vacation time but don't actually get time off, and give your time away (pretty much for free) for the store to use. I'd have to work probably over 50 hours to change everything back to how it should be. When I told him that didn't make sense, why would I use vacation time if I'm working over the normal 44 hours anyway, he started to berate me saying it's a salaried position, and sometimes (lately it's more of an always than sometimes) you have to put in more than that to get the job done....the job that would have been done, had he had me do it right in the first place. Basically I just feel like he's telling me to use my personal vacation time to give the store hours, while I still work up to or over 50 hours. It makes no sense to me, but he doesn't see the reasoning. Does this make sense to anyone else? Would you just refuse to a) use vacation time, or b) work over the 30 hours?

I think you are really facing an unexpected situation. You should think twice about it.

seems confusing.....
i guess if i were you i'd just tell your boss that you aren't using your vacation hours to work. or do exactly what you said you would do... go to HR, they should be able to figure it out. they're the ones that handle all of the payroll stuff anyways.

What it came down to, was I refused to work over the 30 hours, since I had requested that vacation time well over two weeks prior. I didn't want to work a full week, and I sure as heck wasn't going to work a full week AND use vacation time. I needed a real break.

Come to find out later, he went to HR himself later to ask about it for another employee he was trying to get to do the same. They shot down his idea and said no, you can't work a full week and take vacation time. I think he just didn't expect me to put up a fight which is why he tried it on me before other managers.