OK. The only decorating in my office are my licenses,diplomas and some nice framed pictures that National Geogrpahic sent me. Any business that decorates like you describe does not get my business. I figure if they have time to do that stuff they are not functioning at top capacity. It is ok for grade school teachers.

Not a attorney here but the only thing I can say is “pick your battles wisely”.

Last full time employer decided that “we” the staff would have a mandatory “rah rah” meeting on. Saturday, normally a half day for the support staff, technicians, cashiers, salespeople. Pay plans vary, hourly, flat rate percentage, salary and commission, pure commission, depends on your position and department.

The M.C. Of the meeting “asked” all participants (well over a thousand of us!) if we wanted to forego our pay to attend this dog and pony show. The owner said “No, you are all getting paid for attending”. Well, that was until later the following week when H.R. said that salaried employees were not getting paid for this required extra day. The company felt that our salary and commission packages compensated us already. And they had a strange definition of salary, a whole other story.

I was off site working the day that was announced. Nobody in my department would say anything to our manager, well, except me. I went in loaded for bear and called it out as B.S. that I spent my day off and drove a hundred miles round trip for that garbage and the “great” lunch we were promised was cold greasy pizza which I can’t and won’t eat due to a medical condition,

Once I went in (I was ready to walk as I had already given my retirement date in four months) then everybody else affected in my department went in also.I opened the floodgates of hell Of course the manager “knew nothing” I called B.S. on that too!

As the result, we were given an additional vacation day off in lieu of the extra pay by our manager.

Again, your results may vary in the outcome. This wasn’t the first time I went toe to toe with him.

quote:

Originally posted by shovelhead:
Not a attorney here but the only thing I can say is “pick your battles wisely”.

Except, if you don’t draw the line here, where and when do you?

At my last job, I knew going in that management routinely asked (salaried) staff to work late, respond to email and be available for calls after normal business hours and on weekends. It had started out being the occasional exception and morphed into the rule.

So, the first time my manager asked me to stay late to finish work on a project, I said “No”. Surprised, he asked if I had some urgent matter to attend to. I said “Yes. It’s time for me to go home and have dinner. I’ll finish the project first thing in the morning” and I left.

I think a lot of companies get away with this stuff because not enough people are willing to say “No”.

The details of the situation matter. If your wife is thinking of fighting, talk to an attorney.

Don’t know Florida law, but I wouldn’t try that in Ohio. I can tell you to take leave, but I can’t tell you what to do while on leave.

- Bret