Mandatory Overtime

[Shaners]

I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, but now we are on mandatory OT for Saturdays... Does anyone else have to do this crap???

 

Alot of you know that I've been working for GE for the past 15 1/2 years. I work in the Diesel Engine Shop, where we make large diesels for Locomotives along with some Marine Engines and some that are used for stationary power.

 

Our business is booming (which is a good thing), but I really have no desire to work 6 days a week. Yes they do pay me extremely well for working the OT ( 2 Saturdays a month would make a new Dmax payment with very little or no money down).

 

The bottom line is I live very well on the money my wife and I make, and I hate the fact that someone is dictating my life to me. I have no problem working a 40 hour work week, but I don't want to give up my Saturday. (I asked if I could work it during the week and the answer was no).

 

The worst part about it is that it looks like it will be going on through the end of 2005!!!

[99Silver6.0]

Mandatory OT sucks! Place I work for pulls that crap on us sometimes. Only that we have to work so many hours over during the week. Works sucks but the money is cool!

[99silveradoz71]

Sorry to hear it. It would be nice if they let you snag a day off during the week in exchange. Trust me, I know all about working the weekends...only get them off every 5th and 6th week.

[RyanbabZ71]

Shaners,

 

Just curious are you in a union?

[Greg]

I have the opposite problem. My current client doesn't allow any overtime so everything gets further behind.

 

Since you don't need the extra money to live on, it could be invested into a fund for the inevitable lean times, a job change fund, or an earlier / better retirement. Another option is to use some of the extra money to make more time for you and your family: house cleaning or lawn service, tractor for quicker mowing, etc.

 

I know one couple that thought overtime would get in the way of their love of camping, but they got creative. Instead of going "Up north" every weekend, they and some friends found a good local campground and upgraded from a pop-up camper to a travel trailer. Now, they go camping on Friday afternoon (sometimes Thursday afternoon) and he commutes from the campground on Saturdays.

[Wingnut]

That sucks man.

[Shaners]

Shaners,

 

Just curious are you in a union?

We are a non-union shop. However, we do follow most of the union rules when it comes to pay increases etc...

 

 

I was mandatory last Saturday, and when I showed up there was very little to no work available. I finished up everything I could find and told the boss I was going home after 4 hours. I told them I have never been in trouble at work since I was hired, and if they felt they needed to "write me up", then they could go ahead. They backed down and let me go home...

 

Greg, I have a brand new 2004, 32.5' travel trailer set up in a park about 10 miles from work. I've stayed out there on a work night before, but it just doesn't feel like camping when you have to wake up at 4:45 AM!!!

[Wingnut]

.....but it just doesn't feel like camping when you have to wake up at 4:45 AM!!!

I can never sleep past 5 when I'm camping.

 

 

But maybe that's because room service is banging on the door with my cappuccino and croissant

[kirkRHughes]

I wish I had your problem, they cut us back to 32 hours for 2 months and we had to use a vacation day a week just to get our 40. We have our 40 back now at least. I also work every Saturday, usualy 10 or 11 hours.

[lrymal]

Salaried position here. We average a minimum 50 hours/week and are on call on the weekends. Fortunately, the weekends are only about once quarterly. We are paid a bonus for bad weather duty (working in towns shut down due to weather--hurricane, etc), though.

 

Typically, I get to work at sunrise, go home at sunset. Fun... BLAH! But, with these economic times, I am definitely NOT complaining. Got too many pals unemployed or holding two part time jobs. Full-time jobs are tough to come by in this area.

[Shaners]

I usually work 4-6 hours almost every Saturday from late Sept through late April. I do this for me only, and the company benefits from it. I usually like to blow a few grand in the summer and maybe go to Vegas or something in the fall. I don't really care for the winter months much and I live for the summer weather.

 

What I don't really like, is someone to tell me I have to be there 8 hours every Saturday.

 

I could have gotten a Salary job (Bachelors Degree), but I didn't care for the long hours and the beeper hanging on my belt. I prefer to work with my hands (and my mind), put in 40 hours a week and have my weekends off to spend time with my family.

 

Money is not a big issue with me, but I could make alot of it if I wanted. If I offered to go in for 12 hours Sat and 12 on Sunday, my boss would be thrilled...

[Mighty HD]

I usually pull 12+ every day M - F. If the contractor works Saturday, sometimes I do, but I have not had to and dont plan to work any weekends..

[Tucson_02Silverado]

At the moment, I can't sympathize as I'm salary

Anytime over 8 much less over 40 is no pay whatsoever, and it seems expected to work 50hr weeks.

 

So getting paid while you work and at least at 1.5 times pay should not really be something to complain about.

 

And NO I'm not management, engineer. No profit sharing, no bonus', not even a company picnic. I work for an international company with 90,000 people that has bragged about profiting 17.2Billion this year and within a breath of that in the newsletter remaining us all to be fiscally responsible.

[Shaners]

At the moment, I can't sympathize as I'm salary

Anytime over 8 much less over 40 is no pay whatsoever, and it seems expected to work 50hr weeks.

GE expects their salary employees to work 45-50 hours/week. However if they do come to work on Saturdays they are compensated for it. I am compensated very well on Saturdays, and I'm not complaining about the money aspect (I make $0.01 every second on Saturdays), I'm just frustrated that I am being forced to do something that I don't really care to do.

 

Like I said, I have the education to be in the salary ranks, but I chose the hourly ranks to keep out of the BS. If I had not landed this job at GE (high paying), I would have definatly followed my education and taken a salary job.

[Greg]

.....but it just doesn't feel like camping when you have to wake up at 4:45 AM!!!

I can never sleep past 5 when I'm camping.

 

 

But maybe that's because room service is banging on the door with my cappuccino and croissant

4:45 is not so early when fish are waiting rather than work.