Bill would end overtime pay requirement for many more IT workers

[CactusCarlos]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x5077932

Bill would end overtime pay requirement for many more IT workers
Posted by jayfish on Fri Dec-02-11 12:47 PM
Source: Ars Technica

A bill recently introduced in Congress would greatly expand the exemption to the Fair Labor Standards Act for IT employees, ending overtime benefits for many more types of workers, including network, database and security specialists.

Among other things, the FLSA mandates that employees get time-and-a-half overtime pay for working more than 40 hours in a week, unless they are executives or specifically exempted from the law's protection. There are already many exemptions, and the current text related to IT workers exempts "any employee who is a computer systems analyst, computer programmer, software engineer, or other similarly skilled worker," whose primary duties fall under categories including "systems analysis techniques and procedures," and "design, documentation, testing, creation, or modification of computer programs."

But a bill sponsored by Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC), titled the "Computer Professionals Update Act," takes the exemption's 131-word text and bumps it up to 205, adding job classes such as database and network specialists and security professionals along the way. The proposed text exempts "any employee working in a computer or information technology occupation (including, but not limited to, work related to computers, information systems, components, networks, software, hardware, databases, security, internet, intranet, or websites) as an analyst, programmer, engineer, designer, developer, administrator, or other similarly skilled worker," with primary duties including "the application of systems, network or database analysis techniques and procedures, including consulting with users, to determine or modify hardware, software, network, database, or system functional specifications."

The bill would also label all employees listed in the exemption as part of the "bona fide executive, administrative, or professional" class exempt from overtime and minimum wage laws. However, the proposed modification keeps the exemption's current text limiting affected employees to those who are on salary or make at least $27.63 an hour.

Read more: http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2011/12/bill-would-end-overtime-pay-requirement-for-many-more-it-workers.ars


Total BS!:mad:

ON EDIT:...and it was put forth by a Democrat.

I share your outrage, DUmmy.

[Chris_]

I don't get overtime anyway.  After 40 hours, they chase me out of the buildling.

[BEG]

The majority of idiots over there are saying IT workers should unionize. Talk about fast tracking jobs over seas.

[Boudicca]

Tell you what, dipshit, when you put in over 100 hours a week for a year without overtime, come back and I might feel sorry for you, but probably not, because even then your lousy ass wouldn't be being shot at downrange by one of the enemies of America you feel are misunderstood.

My husband has been a government contractor for the past four years and still believes that he shouldn't leave until the mission/job is complete, to the extent that he doesn't charge for all the hours he works.  When he was still on active duty he lost leave time every year because he was mission critical, plus he isn't a lazy ass.

[Chris_]

The majority of idiots over there are saying IT workers should unionize. Talk about fast tracking jobs over seas.

As if we didn't have a hard enough time already... lets make it MORE EXPENSIVE to hire domestic labor.  Stupid ****ing idea.

A few years ago, I saw a TV report that said off-shore IT productivity was a quarter of what domestic workers provided.  After speaking with one of the directors in the IT department here (they report to the department VP), it's slipped to 10:1.  I've considered getting into database administration and moving away from infrastructure support but I don't think that is going to happen.  It's just too easy to ship those kinds of jobs overseas, the ones where you don't absolutely have to have a warm body hanging around.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Well, it's pretty much a Hobson's choice of giving it up or keeping all the FLSA perks and then watching the jobs get on the boat for the Punjab.

I don't have a lot of sympathy, I have experience working in a real profession in civil service in the upper grades, and it pretty much combines the worst of both salary and hourly.  You can get treated like a crime suspect for being slow to get back from lunch or if you are running late, even when there isn't shit going on, but you're also expected to get everything done when it's busy and only put 40 hours on the clock no matter how long it really takes.