Exempt EE: How much is too much?

birdgirl

Here's a questions: How much is too much to expect a salaried employeed to work? I have a friend who is being expected to regualarly work 50 - 60 hrs per week, is being told that the company will not hire additional help for the project, that if the project is not completed on time it will be his repsonsiblity, and the HR person seems unable/unwilling to help. He even takes call on the weekends and evenings. Can an employer expect this much from a salaried full-time employee without some sort of repercussion? I have not been successful finding info in the FLSA. Help.

Gillian3

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 04-08-05 AT 02:17PM (CST)[/font][br][br]Yes, an exempt employee is paid to do their job, no matter the number of hours, 35,40,50, 60 and so on. The employee's recourse is to get a job with lesser hours, if the employer is unwilling to modify their expectations.

Hunter1

If the person is correctly classified as exempt, the only reprecussions might be that he may quit. Where did he get the idea that 50 to 60 hours a week would not be expected in an exempt position? In most of my exempt jobs, 45 hours a week or more was the norm; if a project or deadline loomed, 50 to 60 isn't out of the question. Tell your friend that's the advantage of being exempt. If he wants to be paid for overtime, he should get a non-exempt position.

marc

Yes, exempts can be worked 8 days a week, 28 hours a day with no expectation of additional pay. That is part of the prestige and glory associated with not having to fill out a timesheet.

Sure, it is his responsbility to get the project done, which means incompletion can have some negative repurcussions to the EE. But if it is an important project, the incompletion or poor completion has ramifications to the company that usually far exceed anything bad that happens to the EE. In which case, all those involved all the way up the corporate ladder will also bear the brunt. It may look like he is alone in this, but when the S**T starts rolling downhill, many will get splashed and stained along the way.

The downside is EE burnout and turnover. Once your friend has learned and earned all he can, greener pastures will beckon. It is surprising how many companies accept this as a cost of doing business. The minute your friend leaves another bright eyed and bushy tailed one will step in to repeat the process.