Thursday, February 18, 2010

Discussion - Chapter 11

James AshworthDiscussion topic for: Chapter 11

Concept and brief description:The concept I wanted to discuss is under the section of Overtime Pay in the textbook.  Regarding “salaried” employees in which they are considered exempt from overtime pay.  Firms are not required to pay salaried employees overtime because they expect the employee to be able to manage their time and get the work done. 

Emotional hook (provocative question/ claim/real-life problem):The issue I have with this is that in some situations employees are working all day, come home and continue to work until they go to bed.  My wife is a first grade school teacher, and she is expected to be at work at 7:30am until 4pm everyday as far as her contract says.  She leaves at 6:45am in the morning and gets home at 5pm.  After getting home she continues to work until about 9pm, when she then goes to bed.  To me, she is working at her job for over 10-12 hours a day.  Legally, everything is fine, however I feel that situations like this employees are being overused, and while her salary pay looks average, if you calculate all the extra time she puts into the job her pay isn’t much better then someone making French fries at Mc.  Donald’s. 

Key points to elicit in discussionExempt employees and the benefits and costsOvertime

Facilitative questionsWhat kind of job do you want?  One where you go to work to work, but when you come home you are done.  Or would you rather work at work and then work some more when you get home?  Is this type of situation more common then I think?