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Stretched-thin folk: How do you deal with no overtime?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by schiezainc, Jan 26, 2010.

  1. tapintoamerica

    tapintoamerica Well-Known Member

    1) Cut the game coverage in half in the sports people care about.
    2) Convince mgmt to allow a consistent design element on the front. (Example: The left column is always filled by the TV sports log, a Today In History graphic and a photo and anything else that fills it.) This cuts the amount of time you must spend agonizing about design.
    3) Eliminate event coverage in the sports nobody cares about.
    4) Track your hours worked.
    5) Consult with a lawyer.
     
  2. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    I'd move Nos. 4 and 5 to Nos. 1 and 2.
     
  3. sgreenwell

    sgreenwell Well-Known Member

    Yeah, but you guys actually care about the sports product, as compared to what is chummed out there for news. [/catty comment]
     
  4. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    If that is your shop's policy and you aren't an exempt employee, that is a clear violation of labor laws, just so you know.

    Basically, if you work more than 40 in a week, you are supposed to be paid time and a half for the extra.

    We used to do some comp time, but that's not even allowed unless it's in the same week. (You work your off day Thursday and take Friday off, for example.)
     
  5. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    Yeah, but there's a lot of papers (JRC and CNHI, I'm looking at you) that try that policy, but then conveniently forget, or cry wolf, when it's time for you to take that time off.
     
  6. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    They can fine the company large amounts of money. The company may in turn not take too kindly to that and take it out on you.
     
  7. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    Falsifying a time card doesn't do anybody any good. And what if an employee doesn't want to work more than 40 hours a week. Those who do it for free just screw the others who work a regular schedule and want to have a normal life.

    This post is a great advertisement to not work for NightHawk's shop, which just lost an SE. Work 60 hours per week and we'll try to give you less hours next week.
     
  8. Kato

    Kato Well-Known Member

    The sports guys at our shop have always operated under the wink-wink, nudge-nudge system. Long hours in the busy winter sports season and a flexible summer. No one's complained too much about it. ... At least I didn't until I was moved our universal copy desk for the summer months. Suddenly I went from long hours in the winter to a rigid schedule in the summer. Suddenly, all of that flex "comp" time was gone. Since it's technically illegal, I couldn't really complain to our ME. Our sports editor was sympathetic but his hands were tied. However, he and the other sports guy can still operate under the wink-wink system. Let's just say, I'm trying my best to cut the winter hours as close to 40 as possible this year. And during the week of a furlough day, there's no way in hell I'm giving more than 32.
     
  9. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    I have seen guys suspended for working more than 8 hours in a day and putting in just 8.

    I have seen someone fired for putting down their regular 40-hour shift when they didn't actually work it all that week.
     
  10. schiezainc

    schiezainc Well-Known Member

    Well, we're one week in and it hasn't been a problem ... yet.

    Had a meeting with the boss and it went well. She basically said she doesn't want to let anyone go but the numbers are tight, really tight, so she can't give out more money than she already is.

    I let her clearly know that we're walking away at 40 hours regardless of what's done/not done and she said she understood, she wouldn't ask us to work for free.

    I felt better leaving that meeting than I have at any other point in Re: overtime so hopefully things work out though, I am a bit pessimistic they will once we get a really busy week and things have to be sacrificed.
     
  11. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    Hopefully it works out. If you work week suddenly ends Wednesday afternoon because you're over 40, don't be surprised ifyour hour-by-hour work schedule is heavily scrutinized.
     
  12. zagoshe

    zagoshe Well-Known Member

    Unfortunately all of these discussions are moot because of three factors....

    1.) There will always be people, the overwhelming majority in fact, who feel like they are crusaders and thus will work long hours with no overtime and do whatever it is that management asks because they believe it is their calling. As such, anyone who draws a line is seen as lazy or a bad apple.

    2.) Because of the current economic climate, management has everyone feeling scared to death about losing their jobs and thus, people are a lot less likely to say no.

    3.) People like to cover stuff -- and they know if they go in and tell the boss "I can't get my work done in the allotted time" the first thing the boss will say is "well, we can cover that wrestling match/baseball game/football game etc., etc.,.... by either hiring a stringer at $30 (or whatever) or having the coach call us with some stats and writing a few paragraphs about it in a summary and that way you can be free to sit in the office and paginate and edit stories with that extra four hours....."

    Until all three of those things change - and they won't -- these discussions about forcing companies to pay overtime are just pipe dreams.
     
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