TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Unpaid Overtime From:Daniel Wise <dewise -at- IX -dot- NETCOM -dot- COM> Date:Sun, 16 Feb 1997 15:59:25 -0600
Colleagues,
Do we swallow camels and choke on gnats again? Some seem to believe that
the 40-hour week is all they are required to put in without added
compensation. Throughout my career, I have worked for employers who were
either quite lenient or quite strict about overtime. But in no case was the
occasional casual get-the-ox-out-of-the-ditch overtime ever paid. As a
professional staffer, I was expected to do what was expected to get the job
done. With some employers I have had, scheduled overtime was always paid
overtime. With others, including one in aerospace, I was owned by the
company 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No overtime pay ever--even when
proposals required all-nighters.
My advice is simple. If working conditions become intolerable, leave. In
one job, I worked 6 weeks before putting my resume out. But I stayed with
the job until I found another. Mortgages, utility bills, grocery bills,
orthodontist bills, etc. have an ugly way of recurring each month.
Dan Wise
dewise -at- ix -dot- netcom -dot- com
TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html
