Hourly vs. Salary

[Gailete]

So I miss 20-30 mins here or there if I take longer lunches and don't make it up.

Are you saying that you take an extra long lunch and count that extra half hour as part of your time worked? Are you doing this to get up to 40 hours worked a week? One of the reasons that some are paid hourly is when they are done with work, they can generally go home, not pad time worked in order to get a bigger paycheck. Unless your boss has specifically said you can pad your hours up to 40 hours worked when you actually only worked 35. Anything else is theft. Which is why I am trying to be clear on what you meant by that sentence.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I work hourly but I like and need the flexibility. My DH has always been salary and there are pros and cons. As I write this he's still working tonight and I'm working on organizing our bills.

[Starry436]

Are you saying that you take an extra long lunch and count that extra half hour as part of your time worked? Are you doing this to get up to 40 hours worked a week? One of the reasons that some are paid hourly is when they are done with work, they can generally go home, not pad time worked in order to get a bigger paycheck. Unless your boss has specifically said you can pad your hours up to 40 hours worked when you actually only worked 35. Anything else is theft. Which is why I am trying to be clear on what you meant by that sentence.

I can't leave early.. My schedule is 8-5 every day regardless if I'm bored to tears or have a little extra work to skip lunch that day. But I can take a slightly longer lunch if I need to which is why sometimes i don't get 40 hours. So if I skip lunch, I'll get paid for 9 hours. But most of the time I don't have enough work to not take a lunch or stay past 5 so I'm barely getting 40 hours. Or like for hourly people the boss expects you to use your lunch hour for appointments.. Not take lunch and go to an appt. For salary people she doesn't think that way. They take their lunch and go to their appts. So if I had a Dr's appt at 9am..she would think I'm using my lunch hour at 9am. Not that I couldn't run out at 12pm and get a sandwich but I'd catch a side eye for it in that dramatic place.

My boss has no clue about what the federal regulations are, she came into her position by friendship not climbing the ladder. My position is hourly because that's what the other person was, she said it herself. However my position has been titled differently because of when I found another job.. so I'm technically not in the same position/title as the previous person. Someone else holds that title. But according to her, it never crossed her mind to change my pay structure until I mentioned it.

Honestly, I have some resentment that I stayed there when I had other real career positions on the table. I was conned into staying and now I'm just trying to make the best of it. Still hurts paying my student loan payment knowing the job I'm in it's not appreciated because the boss doesn't have a degree so she hates when I bring up mine as to why I sought another job before.

[Gailete]

It sounds like more than anything you need to find a new job. Only this time, don't let the boss talk you into staying. You seem genuinely unhappy where you are at and putting you on salary isn't going to help the boredom you have in your job. As a boss, I wouldn't change an hourly job to in salary if much of the time the person doing it doesn't even put in 40 hours. When I got tired of jobs, I left. My on-line sewing pattern store I have stuck with longer than any job in my entire life. I enjoy it. There may be times when I don't because of a buyer that tries to scam me. But once that is taken care of, I cope.

[Starry436]

It sounds like more than anything you need to find a new job. Only this time, don't let the boss talk you into staying. You seem genuinely unhappy where you are at and putting you on salary isn't going to help the boredom you have in your job. As a boss, I wouldn't change an hourly job to in salary if much of the time the person doing it doesn't even put in 40 hours. When I got tired of jobs, I left. My on-line sewing pattern store I have stuck with longer than any job in my entire life. I enjoy it. There may be times when I don't because of a buyer that tries to scam me. But once that is taken care of, I cope.

I intend to once I get to a better situation in my personal life. I have a lot going on right now and don't want to rock my income source as of the moment. Just want to try and make it more stable.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

It sounds like more than anything you need to find a new job. Only this time, don't let the boss talk you into staying. You seem genuinely unhappy where you are at and putting you on salary isn't going to help the boredom you have in your job. As a boss, I wouldn't change an hourly job to in salary if much of the time the person doing it doesn't even put in 40 hours. When I got tired of jobs, I left. My on-line sewing pattern store I have stuck with longer than any job in my entire life. I enjoy it. There may be times when I don't because of a buyer that tries to scam me. But once that is taken care of, I cope.

This!! I don't think money much matter with the way you write about the job.

[~bs]

really depends on the company and situation.

it generally goes over better for the staff to take a lower hourly rate with overtime than straight salary (even if it normally converts to the same at the end of the year). Staff that wants to work harder/longer can, and won't be as disgruntled about it. And staff that doesnt will end up making less money.

Many companies have been converting to salary as a cost saving measure even though they tout it as a less complicated system for the staff. They go to salary for a little higher than the hourly rate, then work the staff to the bone to extract as much out of them as possible.

[Gailete]

I intend to once I get to a better situation in my personal life. I have a lot going on right now and don't want to rock my income source as of the moment. Just want to try and make it more stable.

Not trying to be unsympathetic about your situation, but when my life situation was the most topsy turvy, I made some significant changes in my situation. Amazing how getting some control of the smaller things helps the whole to settle down. Hope things settle for you quickly.

[Starry436]

I know, I just have to stick this job out a bit longer but I always still keep an eye out for better opportunities. I just live in a small town though so there isn't an abundance of options.

I've been at my current job a little over 3 years. I have a Bachelors in accounting, been out for almost 4 years and I only make $45,000. I was only making 28,000 until I got other offers 3 years ago for $45,000....they came up and matched the pay and gave me big empty promises that haven't panned out 3 years later. Stupid naive me.

I don't make much more than an Administrative Assistant in the area. It depresses me to think of where I could be had I left for one of those different opportunities. I'm not learning anything in my field and I am falling behind in pay. I feel my boss is purposely hindering my learning because she likes to hoard knowledge to herself because it keeps her relevant and needed. What knowledge she does share, she's horrendous at teaching it so it sounds like a babbling mess. She can't stand that I'm younger, always making young comments. 4 years out of college, I feel like I should be gaining knowledge to increase my pay rate too. So this has definitely gotten me down... Trying to figure out if I went to school for the wrong thing because I'm not happy with what I'm doing/at right now.

[Thrif-t]

Starry just keep looking something will come along. Do you have a linked in profile? Do you use Indeed? I just learned about that site while helping my DD look for co-ops. You can asked to be notified when jobs come open. Hang in there, you'll do ok. I think you have a good degree. You just have to find the right fit. Good luck.

[snafu]

Starry, what has your feet tied to that place? I hope you get your name, credentials and experience out on every accredited electric job site, head hunter and well reputed employer. Most jobs are not advertised, they are sought or referred.

[~bs]

generally for professional salaries, the smaller the market, the more depressed the salaries.

Also, the amount of people graduating college (read supply) is much greater than demand, and it has the effect of depressing overall salaries.

she should stick with her job and keep looking, however, I dont know if she'd find better unless she moves and switches to a large firm.

[NetSkyBlue]

I think whether hourly vs salary is a good deal completely depends on the company, and the expectations and demands of the job.

I'm salary at my current job, but I'm still expected to be in the office 40 hours/week and take a 30 minute lunch. If I NEED to stay late to finish something, I will, but this isn't a frequent occurrence, and rarely if ever means staying more than 30 minutes past my scheduled leave time.

The reason I love it, is that it's no big deal if I need to come in 30 minutes late due to a doctor's appointment or something like that. I don't have to use PTO or "make up the time" by staying late.

At my company, just choosing when to work if you are salary wouldn't fly. It's just that you have a little more leeway than you might have if required to punch a time clock. As long as I get my work done well in a timely manner and am not abusing the leniency of my status, nobody cares if I need to come in a little late or stay a little late.

[disneysteve]

take a 30 minute lunch.

That's one thing I miss since I switched jobs. We don't get any breaks. We have to squeeze in food whenever we have a free moment but there's no actual break. On a busy 12-hour shift (or even a busy 8-hour shift) I may not have any time to actually sit down and eat. I usually just have to grab stuff between patients.

[Starry436]

That's one thing I miss since I switched jobs. We don't get any breaks. We have to squeeze in food whenever we have a free moment but there's no actual break. On a busy 12-hour shift (or even a busy 8-hour shift) I may not have any time to actually sit down and eat. I usually just have to grab stuff between patients.

I thought if you worked over 6 hours that they are required to give you some kind of break? Even if it's 15 mins? I know if I go too long without a meal or drink I start to get sick, seems like they wouldn't want their doctors to be in a similar predicament.

I decided to make the switch to salary, hope it all works out. I don't know yet. I never know what to expect from my company. My feet aren't necessarily tied, but I would be typing forever to fully explain my situation. I also am just tired of looking for jobs, interviewing and being let down by what I'm finding. Job postings have gotten pretty good and baiting you but then not panning out to be what you thought you were applying to, I've had several interviews go like this so far. My current job... I don't feel it's my career yet, it's just a job. So I'll roll with it for now until maybe something comes up that can offer more potential.

And I know every office has that one person that makes it miserable but I truly have that at my job. There's one person who is the most narcissistic, jealous, power hungriest person I've ever encountered. They never slap this person's wrist so they continue to taint the office with their daily mood swings and raging crybaby fits. This person is pulling puppet strings to hinder me from ever growing there because if you get a centimeter of anything this person is looking to take you down so they can get more than you. I'm technically above them position wise, and that is literally driving them insane. It's exhausting seriously.