Hourly to Salary

[JOEX]

Has anyone had to make the switch?

The company I work for is restructuring our department and it's possible I may move into a salary postion rather than punching the time clock and getting overtime pay, which has been fairly substantial lately.

Were you able to negotiate and what did you use for negotiation?

[derekhonda]

I probably won't tell you anything you don't know, but just make sure you don't end up taking a pay cut. If they try to pawn off a 40 hour week at say $18 bucks an hour, and base your salary off of that....make sure its a 40 hour a week job. If there are times you are working 50 and 60 hours your salary needs to compensate that.

[sly400ex]

I would negotiate your salary to be about what you have been use to based on your hourly with overtime.


I mean if you make $20/ hr, without any opportunity of overtime, than it would be understandable if they offered you 40-45K year salary.



But if they want you to work 45+ hours a week, that 40-45K salary isn't as enticing.

[JOEX]

I plan on going through all my pay stubs from last year and figuring how many hours worked including OT and using that as a negotiating point.

Are there any other things to consider?

[mat1977]

Originally posted by derekhonda
make sure its a 40 hour a week job. If there are times you are working 50 and 60 hours your salary needs to compensate that. A few of my friends have made the switch,and had issues w/ overtime comp. and such.But I think it would really depends on your situation at work. Are you gonna be THAT GUY in the office (i.e.) working late to make up for other peoples laziness?

[Ralph]

Rent the movie "office space" for great negotiating techinques

[honduh440]

i went to working salary and it turned out to be in my favor ... each check had atleast 100 bux i didnt work

[400exrider707]

I just started a job that is "hourly" for my firs 90 days then I have a salary review which will also bump up my pay. Im more or less on salary now with less pay because I dont think I've worked a 40 hour week yet and Im still getting paid for it. It depends on the company and the sitation. The place I work is very relaxed. You can come in nearly any time you want between 5 and 9AM and work your "8" hour day. Usually take about an hour lunch instead of the 30 minute allowed. Plus if there is no work you can bounce out any time you feel. Also if I need to head home for an hour or two to do something its not a problem either... and Im still getting paid instead of punching out. So far I am happy with the salary deal.

[Pappy]

Usually, and I think most will agree, that when a company decides to make this form of change it is NOT in the employee's best interest. I came off commision/split salary and it did not affect me as much even though I worked way more then 40 hours per week. Several friends of mine had to under-go the switch and just about each of them ended up finding new employment simply because they were being forced to work 60+ for salaried positions with zero overtime, and they had no say in the matter whatsoever.

i personally deal in both worlds...i own a restaurant and my chef/mgrs are salary, and they do put in about 50-55 hours a week, but there is a lot of standing around, you know like 2pm-5pm etc, or when there's not much going on...so if you go by total hours there i win, if you go by hours "actually" worked they win.....but my wife is a business analyst for the navy, and i think she makes 74k a year salary( like $33 hr), but it's based on a 40 hour work week...which in lamens terms means...over 40 hrs. she gets OT....also she works 4...10 hour days, which if she goes over ten in a day she gets OT or gets to leave early/go in late another day...also there is comp. time...which is instead of paying her overtime they give her straight paid days off....granted all this is the federal government, which we know, knows how to waste "our" money. my point is that salary in some cases, usually the larger companies, can be beneficial to the individual. just make sure you knowledge yourself in how that is possible...maybe talk to others that have already made the switch....maybe the company wants alot out of you at first, then gives back after that....i have noticed in life, that for the most part, that you gotta give a little to get a little...and some people have a problem with giving first, which is what the company is always gonna expect....goodluck..;)

[Aceman]

Joe, I think that's your best bet going through your old pay stubs as long as you know your work schedule in the future is going to be fairly consistent. Like Pappy said I think you might end up getting the shaft. I'd be worried I'd end up working too much OT for the salary I was receiving. I'm partial to hourly myself, I don't have a problem putting the hours in if I know I'm getting paid for it. But if I was putting in more hours than I'd planned when I figured my new salary I would lose my motivation to work. It would just plain take the fun out of it. Maybe it's because I do electrical work for a living that I just can't picture doing it for salary. Always different, never consistent like an office type job would be. Good luck.

[Regular_Joe]

I am salary but my company does it funny.

We get paid for 40 hrs, and have to be here all 40 hrs, work to do or not. If we are busy and OT is needed, we need to work 8 hrs of OT to get paid for it.

40 hrs = 40 hrs pay
43 hrs = 40 hrs pay
47 hrs = 40 hrs pay
49 hrs = 49 hrs pay
53 hrs = 53 hrs pay

Anything between 40 and 48 hrs is considered "casual overtime" and we won't get paid for it.

PS: In this situation I almost never work 47 hrs. I always extend it out to get paid or throw an hr or two of PTO in there so I end up w/ the full 48 and then get paid .....

[DaleJrFan]

I am salaried too but when I hired into my company, my boss was very clear about my hours. He advised he wants me here between 36 to 48 hours a week unless it is a emergencey(which is rare), he tells me all the time not to work over 48 because then my salary vs. time spent here dosn't pan out. I usually work Monday thru Thursday 6 to 3 or 4 and then come in on Friday at 8 and leave at noon. It all works out too because I have alot of freedom to come and go as I please. I personally think you should look at all the benefits too like mentioned before, you may be at your job but are you working?

[smr]

It can be a good thing or a bad thing. I've been salary for many years.

One thing you need to do is....make sure what they are doing is legal. Some companies call people salary that aren't. It's not up to a company to decide what positions are salary. This is set up by the state you work in. I only know the laws in Ky so you will have to look this up yourself.

If they are calling your position salary and it doesn't fall under the guidlines set up by your state then they still must pay you overtime.

good luck

[bwamos]

Aye, check the sate laws.

For example when I was living in Oregon, my boss tried to put me on Salary Exempt & work me 70hr weeks, lol.

However, he did not check, noe want to check on the fact that in Oregon by law in order for someone to be put on Salary Exempt they have to have a 4 year college degree. Otherwise they are required to be put at Salary Non-exempt status. aka.. you still get overtime and all wage benefits.

Check into your states laws first.

[jcv400ex]

If they won't budge, ask to work up a overtime pay. I've been Salary since I graduated college. A few jobs I had where salary non-exempt and I got paid for anything over 40 hrs a week. But I still reaped the benifits of salary status. Able to leave work for a doctors appointment early, was okay if I was late a few mins, etc.

I personally like being salary. Yes, I put in some long hrs on some days, but it works out. Sometimes the boss will tell me to go home early on a Friday or give me an extra day off here and there. I don't mind not having to punch in. And it makes entering my pay in the checkbook easy!

[DaleJrFan]

I am with ya ^^^^^!! The big thing about my job is the pay differance from hourly to salary. I would have to work about 55 hours a week (40 straight and 15 time and a half) to make what I make weekly on salary. But the big plus is not having to be time managed. Sure I have set hours for the most part but like mentioned, I can come and go as I please when I need to(but that comes from having a good boss too).

[smr]

Originally posted by bwamos
Aye, check the sate laws.

For example when I was living in Oregon, my boss tried to put me on Salary Exempt & work me 70hr weeks, lol.

However, he did not check, noe want to check on the fact that in Oregon by law in order for someone to be put on Salary Exempt they have to have a 4 year college degree. Otherwise they are required to be put at Salary Non-exempt status. aka.. you still get overtime and all wage benefits.

Check into your states laws first.

You hit the nail on the head. There is alot of people working salary exempt that legally should get paid overtime.

In ky a supervisor is exempt only if they have at least (i think 5 employees) working under them.

[Guy400]

Salary has worked out best for me. When I was hourly they checked for productivity down to the minute to make sure they're getting their money's worth and that you weren't sapping OT. Now that I'm hourly there's no more time clock babysitting.

[JOEX]

Thanks for the input:)

I have a good relationship with both my supervisors, one is my immediate supervisor and the other is the director of the department, and they know the value of my work. It's up to administration and HR to set the pay scales for everyone. The director is trying avoid having me go salary, if I have to i'll do it. I don't mind putting in the hours, just want to be reasonably compensated. Working extra hours one week and having a short week next is reasonable for me. I'll have to check on the exept thing, don't know anything about it.

This isn't a for sure thing yet but it's on the radar...