Comments on: What Happens When I’m Forced to Go Non-Exempt?

By: rita haddad

rita haddad — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 18:10:43 +0000

my director just changed my status from exempt to non-exempt. I have been an exempt Executive Assistant to the Chairman of Surgery for 13 years. No she forced me to be non-exempt. is that legal?

By: Evil HR Lady

Evil HR Lady — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 07:19:15 +0000

In reply to JB. It's extremely common. For example, you read about France's 35 hour work week, but that's only for non-managerial employees. The rules are quite similar to the US. Switzerland (where we live) is the same. My husband gets a straight salary (plus bonus). Professional jobs are salaried jobs.

By: JB

JB — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 23:08:43 +0000

In reply to Evil HR Lady. Who are these other countries? When I read about Europe I'm seeing extremes in the other direction such as banning after work emails, reducing hours, etc. Even third world country sweat shops pay by the hour. Finding overseas equivalents has always stumped me.

By: Evil HR Lady

Evil HR Lady — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 10:20:41 +0000

In reply to JB. Non US countries do do this as well. If I'm an adult and you're an adult, why shouldn't we be able to agree on a pay rate that fits both of our expectations?

By: JB

JB — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 16:36:47 +0000

How about just killing the whole concept of being exempt? It’s confusing and results in zillions of unpaid labor hours for the entire country. It also breeds inefficiency because there is no financial benefit to streamlining workflow when your employees can work infinite hours for the same price. The concept of being paid for when you go to a doctors visit is nice and all but very few companies adhere to this anyway. Do non-US countries do this? I’m guessing there are many that don’t and they function just as well compensating based on hours worked.

By: Evil HR Lady

Evil HR Lady — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 08:00:01 +0000

In reply to Jeanne. Yep. It's real. I lived it for 4 years as a part time exempt employee. It's a tiny concern to most people, but it's not to the people (mostly women) who have these professional exempt jobs.

By: Jeanne

Jeanne — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 19:38:43 +0000

I don’t understand exempt part-timer. I have never seen a position like that. A part-timer getting paid time off for a doctor appt? I can’t imagine companies doing this. Many companies don’t even allow paid time off for a doctor visit if you’re full time exempt. You have to use PTO or make up the time.

I think this has to be a very tiny concern related to the law change.

By: Evil HR Lady

Evil HR Lady — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 13:34:10 +0000

In reply to Camellia. It's always legal to pay someone as non-exempt. In this situation, though, it's the government that is changing the standard for what exempt means. They are raising the minimum salary for exempt employees to $50,440, so anyone below that will have to be non-exempt.

By: Camellia

Camellia — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 13:19:03 +0000

Can an employer just arbitrarily decide to change an employee from exempt to non-exempt? I thought there are definitions/categories that are used to determine into which category an employee falls.