LinkedIn settles missed overtime pay case: Will pay $6m to staffers LinkedIn has agreed to pay around $6m in unpaid overtime wages and damages to 359 of its employees in four states after a US Department of Labor investigation. The government agency found that the business networking firm had failed to record and account for all the hours their staff worked in a week, leaving some staff out of …
Not sure about the UK but most of the firms I worked for here in the US didn't have hourly IT workers - we were classified as exempt (either salaried or more commonly, per diem). You worked your standard 10+ hour "professional" work day and were paid the same regardless of hours worked.
I wonder if the the steps they will be taking to ensure the same things doesn't happen again involves the conversion of these hourly workers to either salaried or per diem.
You do: The EU working time directive (that is, unless you opted out). The US Fair Labor Standards Act 'exempts' managerial and professional employees from a 40 hour workweek. This leads to abuse of exempt technical employees by companies. Consider yourself lucky.
You do: The EU working time directive (that is, unless you opted out).
Actually, even if you've opted out you can opt back in if you give your employer at least 7 days notice. Your employer "shouldn't sack or unfairly treat a worker (eg refused promotion)" for opting back in, although proving they're treating you unfairly may be difficult.
You are already protected by various employment acts that have passed over the years.
what does your contract say about overtime? Does it specify the length of the working week?
Raise the issue with your manager, their manager, HR, talk to CAB, a union rep... But don't put up with it.
"Raise the issue with your manager, their manager, HR, talk to CAB, a union rep... But don't put up with it."
My manager - not much point raising it there.
My manager's manager - ditto.
HR - A tool of management oppression, again no point raising it there.
CAB - No CAB in my area, nearest bureau won't help me because I don't live or work in their local authority area.
Union rep - Unions not recognised by my company for collective bargaining purposes.
Also unlikely to be of much long term help on an individual basis, I say this because I'm more likely to be marked as a troublemaker and find myself out of a job on a technicality some time later.
Nice ideas though...
I'm afraid then @keef, that best you can hope for is Industrial Tribunal for constructive dismissal
keep clean, but also keep lots of notes, companies who are bad at management are usually bad at all sorts of paperwork so you might get a crack at illegal dismissal as well as unfair dismissal.
but as others suggested, you are better off out. And take them to the cleaners from there. A proud man might turn down any non-disclosure element of a settlement in order that the company's misdeeds are publicised. But a poor man might prefer the extra money
"This company has shown a great deal of integrity by fully cooperating with investigators ...."
They'd have shown more integrity by listening to staff when they first complained about it. I can't imagine that the staff said nothing for a long time, then suddenly all decided to complain to the US DoL.
Does someone know if there is any rule that an employee cannot be subjected to work 10 hrs a day, even VOLUNTARILY? I guess that "ownership" word should be banned and let the employees live a normal life with 10% less money in hand.
Regards
A proud owner of huge responsibilities
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
