Has anybody have any info or opinions on the proposed change to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regarding overtime? Lou Grimaldi
I'll tell you, this was sounding like a internet spoof but it's for real. Do a search on the web or in your local and major newspapers. Also try www.saveovertimepay.org I can't beleive how quiet this government has been able to keep this. We are headed back to the dark ages.
Why does it matter? You don't make out on time and a half as most of it goes to taxes. With driving truck I work 50-70+ hours a week and I don't get paid overtime, so it doesn't really matter to me.
Rob, I'm confused. How does most of it go to taxes other than if you work enough that it kicks you into a tax bracket where you're taxed at a higher rate? Wages are still wages, and I don't remember ever seeing my overtime wages taxed any differently than my normal salaried wages. I had people in the office tell me that they quit working overtime because their paychecks weren't any different because they were taxed higher on their increased income. Yes, they had more come out in taxes than when they didn't work OT, but it was still based on the same percentage of salary that their "normal" wages were taxed at. My paychecks are always bigger when I work OT as are the amount of taxes paid - but it's all a percent of my income.o No:
I feel that the gov never even should have been taxing overtime pay in the first place. It SHOULD be a BONUS, a reward for working "extra". Now gw wants to slit the throats of all middle class Americans (OOPS, and the majority, lower and Poverty-level Americans!) but not even allowing overtime pay at all? This is HUGE! Wonder how much tax revenue that'll cut out?
I spend over half my life away from home working 12+ hours a day. My whole family budget revolves around overtime. The goods that are bought are mostly bought with my overtime. Maybe you should care cause you may be loading a truck in Mexico instead of driving one in America.
That'll never happen. Even with all our goods being imported from China and Mexico there will always be truck driving jobs in America. It always seemed that working overtime always ended up as more taxes being taken out. I've given up on our government as the American people will never win. All these politicans lie no matter what party they belong to.
Yea it's turning out to be the hav's and hav not's. I just meant that as the average man's take home goes down so does the amount we spend on durable goods. I know quite a few people who are really hurting right now, these are good solid working men that are working their tales off just to make ends meet. Take their extra 2-300$ away and they are going under. I always thought that the oilfield would be invulnerable but we are getting creamed by the guys/gal's in the ivory tower. And Oil is at $35 a barrel. We all better wake up.
The only good thing is that this man will probably never win a public position after this. We may be poor, middle class, or whatever... but we out number the "hav's" by about 80,000 to 1. Maybe this is his way of doing some damage while he's being booted out???
Re-read that and then tell me where it says you can't get paid extra for overtime. I read that it is not mandatory to pay extra for overtime even if the employee agrees to work for regular pay. The old rule was bad in a few ways, for a company in bad shape that really can't afford to pay for extra employees or overtime but needs extra help to produce a product may now be able to save an American job by an agreement with an employee to work extra hours for regular rate. A second way is, my old company tried to provide a paid 2 week year end holiday and other extended holiday breaks by allowing employees to bank hours from previous weeks at their request, we were unable to provide what seemed like a benefit because it was illegal for the employee to make up their own mind. In the end the overtime really wasn't needed just planned as advance work for the time off, end result employees didn't get any overtime but had shorter or unpaid holiday breaks. There will allways be drawbacks to every law written and I think that the new law may have an advantage over the old law in its flexability for agreements to be made. I doubt that this will have a very large negative impact on your paycheck just gives a freedom that wasn't there before.
It sounds like what your describing is what we call in the fire service "comp. time". You work and then time off goes into a "bank" for you to use some time in the future, usually at time and a half (one extra hour worked = 1.5 hours comp time) ONe of the primary reasons the FLSA was passed in 1938 was to guarantee that those working over 40 hours per week were paid overtime rate for hours in excess of those 40 hours. It did not apply to state and local public employees until 1985. As a firefighter, even we earn overtime, but after our 51 hour week average in my city. Other departments have averages as high as 56 hours.
wages As stated above, the proposed change simply doesn't require an employer to pay OT, but they certainly still can. It stands to reason, IMO, the market will dictate wages. If someone is worth X for doing Y, the market will dictate he will be paid the prevailing wage. However, if someone is being paid 1.5X for say, making buggy whips, he is in for a tough time.
Most companies will not pay overtime rates, if they dont have to. These new overtime rules have been in the offing for a while now. Its a lose, lose situation for American workers. It is just a matter of reclassifying your job title, to put you in the category of overtime exempt employee. even military time will be used against you, in deciding if your company can work you over 40 hours a week, and pay you straight time. There are still unresolved questions, about how this will be put in to play. Also, you can count on many court battles to try and stop it. I see this as payback to the large corporations that pull the strings. We have truly been Bushwacked! :rant:
Enough with the haves vs the have nots too. I am an employer, I have 35 guys and gals working for me. I pay overtime to shop employees and will continue to do so even if this law changes. Do you want to know something about us evil "haves"? The top 50% of wage earners pay 96% of the income taxes. Seems to me that in addition to taking the risk and employing people, I also float a TON of you so called "have nots". You guys need to quit buying into this class warefare BS. When I get my tax bill from Uncle Sam next month, I will be sending HALF of what me and my company make, is that right? Think about what it would be like to write a six figure check for taxes, think about what it is like to send five figure checks to them every three months! I do pretty well but I am no Donald Trump by any stretch. I have a family to support and take pride in providing employment so others can do the same. There are just too many people out there that are conned into seeing only their plight. If anybody is getting screwed by the govenment it is us evil upper class guys. The real irony is, if they cut my taxes the money would rapidly find its way into my employees paychecks. I think that is a FACT for 90% of the businesses out there. Be careful lest you bite the hand that feeds you.
Brent, Just an honest question here. What would happen if your competition takes advantage of the new law and cuts out overtime pay? Would you still be able to be competitive? I really think this law is designed to reward Wal-Mart and other large retail giants. It is the responsible employer who needs protection to maintain a level playing field.
The obvious part from my position is to avoid as much overtime as possible in the first place. I probably already pay much more than most of my competitors just by virtue of my work week schedule. I have the shop employees on a four day week, 4-10's M-Th. When things get busy in the spring, summer and fall, the first thing is to add a second shift of regular time workers. Things invariably get very busy and we add an 8 hr overtime shift on Fridays to keep up. Most of my competitors run 5-8hr days and I am not sure exactly what they do when demand rises. Normally their backlog grows to the point where they lose potential sales. They lose them to me because I can adjust quickly to meet the demand. I can then charge more to my non-regular customers on a deadline. That more often than not covers my added costs. I also use an incentive plan to ends up regulating my labor costs to a known number. It is based on production vs labor cost. When working four days they make incentive pretty easily. I pay out above a certain threshold. On OT they have a tough time making it but they make the OT wage and I remain within my labor cost parameters. I am sick of the govt trying to level the playing field as well. Let business people be innovative, sort of like my story above. They try to "help" and it screws things up more than they help. For instance, I buy between 1-2 million dollars a year in lumber as raw materials. The govt decided last year to limit imported lumber from Canada. They are now taxing the snot out of it in some blind attempt to "help" the US lumber industry. I have news for them, NOBODY in my industry buys US lumber because it is crap, you can not change it. Then they "helped" the steel industry, another raw material for me. They raised tarriffs on foreign steel. All it did was allow the US steel makers to raise their prices, instead of control costs or innovate a new technology, or SOMETHING besides this intellectual laziness we see as "help" from the government. So, even with all of the "help" uncle sam has provided, a new house will cost you thousands more this year than last year. Thank goodness the rates remain low. End Rant! Are you sorry you asked?:sleep:
Its all good. It is one those of things like politics, abortion, and religion. We all have our opinions. I hate to see tax breaks and incentives to American buisnesses to move overseas. If tax breaks went to buisnesses that stay in the U.S., and penalties for those that operate in non U.S. terratories, maybe that would level the field. If you dont want to pay overtime to empoyees working over 40 hours, I guess things are looking up. Many buisnesses will continue to pay overtime rates, because its the right thing to do.Moving a manufacturing operation out of the U.S. to be competetive, simpy means, to increase profits beyond what is possible by paying a liveable wage. There's no hate here. Just my .02 cents worth. Dont hate the workers, we are who makes america strong.:Brow:
Hey, somebody has to do the nitty gritty work, I wont ever argue that. You have to realize that the reason for moving a business, whether overseas or just across a state line, is 99% of the time, linked to taxes paid by that business. The ONLY reason to be in business is to make profits, did somebody think it was just out of the goodness of their hearts? When a business is taxed and regulated to death it loses profitablity. If it loses profitabilty it will not survive. So in that case the jobs are gone anyway. By moving the production jobs, which most americans today consider beneath them, at least some jobs can be retained in management. Again, without the big bad businesses out there, nobody would have jobs. I think that those displeased with corporate america need to redirect their anger at the true problem, our government. It is just trickling down guys. The bigs have the squeeze put on them by the govt in the form of hiddeously opressive tax rates and obnoxious rules and regs. That stuff all costs money, nobody complies with any govt reg for free. being forced to give up HALF of what you earn is insane. I guess the choice is to help private business fight the rediculous taxes and regs or to let business leave, die, or otherwise dissappear and we can all work for the govt. Wait....that sounds suspiciously like communism. There will always be someone who has more, who has done better. I say strive for it, don't continue down this path of considering it the problem.
BUSH yeah there will always be someone driving truck,but it will prolly be one of the guest immigrants that will do it for 1/3 or less than you are,they will also work overtime for straight money,thats the plan.mexicans,legal or not snt 12 billion dollars back to mexico lat year,its the base of thier economy.
