Are programmer's still exempt from overtime if 'on-call'

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Well in an interesting turn of events we were all moved to a salary plus given a programmer title. Most of us aren't programming most of the day.

Next the rest of the company was given the opportunity to work overtime. So now we are getting 'tickets' at 8am on weekends and 8pm+ on the weekends. Trivial things, but we have to be around for our on-call week (once every 3 weeks)...

I have found programmers are one of the protected classes that can be required to work overtime if on a salary...but does this include on-call time?

Even our commissioned account managers are getting overtime now....
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
If you are salaried they pretty much own you. A job title means nothing. A very select few salaried positions qualify for OT while oncall and only your HR can answer that based on OT exempt/non-exempt classification. Chances are good that you'll just have to suck it up and deal with it as it's part of the job.
 

bignateyk

Lifer
Apr 22, 2002
11,288
7
0
Programmers being a protected class? It's just another job like any other. It will be different for literally every company. It's not like there is a United Programmers Union.
 

Gibson486

Lifer
Aug 9, 2000
18,378
2
0
It is different for every company...whether you are a programmer or not. If I go on call, I get overtime if and only if I was 100% billable the past week.

"protected classes"? What are you talking about?
 
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BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,340
14,750
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It is different for every company...whether you are a programmer or not. If I go on call, I get overtime if and only if I was 100% billable the past week.

"protected classes"? What are you talking about?

Protected class = exempt salaried.
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
15
81
fobot.com
very few people that are exempt and salaried get overtime $

some companies will do informal comp time for on-call hours, if you are lucky
did you ask your manager?
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,340
14,750
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Federal law sez:

"Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

(Revised July 2008) (PDF)

Fact Sheet #17E:Exemption for Employees in Computer-Related Occupations Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

This fact sheet provides general information on the exemption from minimum wage and overtime pay for employees in the computer field under Sections 13(a)(1) and 13(a)(17) of the FLSA and Regulations 29 CFR Part 541.

The FLSA requires that most employees in the United States be paid at least the Federal minimum wage for all hours worked and overtime pay at time and one-half the regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 hours in a workweek.

However, Section 13(a)(1) and Section 13(a)(17) of the FLSA provide an exemption from both minimum wage and overtime pay for computer systems analysts, computer programmers, software engineers, and other similarly skilled workers in the computer field who meet certain tests regarding their job duties and who are paid at least $455 per week on a salary basis or paid on an hourly basis, at a rate not less than $27.63 an hour.

Job titles do not determine exempt status. In order for this exemption to apply, an employee’s specific job duties and compensation must meet all the requirements of the Department’s regulations. The specific requirements for the computer employee exemption are summarized below.

See other fact sheets in this series for more information on the exemptions for executive, administrative, professional, and outside sales employees, and for more information on the salary basis requirement.

Computer Employee Exemption

To qualify for the computer employee exemption, the following tests must be met:

The employee must be compensated either on a salary or fee basis at a rate not less than $455 per week or, if compensated on an hourly basis, at a rate not less than $27.63 an hour;
The employee must be employed as a computer systems analyst, computer programmer, software engineer or other similarly skilled worker in the computer field performing the duties described below;
The employee’s primary duty must consist of:
The application of systems analysis techniques and procedures, including consulting with users, to determine hardware, software or system functional specifications;
The design, development, documentation, analysis, creation, testing or modification of computer systems or programs, including prototypes, based on and related to user or system design specifications;
The design, documentation, testing, creation or modification of computer programs related to machine operating systems; or
A combination of the aforementioned duties, the performance of which requires the same level of skills.
The computer employee exemption does not include employees engaged in the manufacture or repair of computer hardware and related equipment. Employees whose work is highly dependent upon, or facilitated by, the use of computers and computer software programs (e.g., engineers, drafters and others skilled in computer-aided design software), but who are not primarily engaged in computer systems analysis and programming or other similarly skilled computer-related occupations identified in the primary duties test described above, are also not exempt under the computer employee exemption.

Primary Duty

“Primary duty” means the principal, main, major or most important duty that the employee performs. Determination of an employee’s primary duty must be based on all the facts in a particular case, with the major emphasis on the character of the employee’s job as a whole.

Where to Obtain Additional Information

For additional information, visit our Wage and Hour Division Website: http://www.wagehour.dol.gov and/or call our toll-free information and helpline, available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in your time zone, 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243).

When the state laws differ from the federal FLSA, an employer must comply with the standard most protective to employees. Links to your state labor department can be found at www.dol.gov/contacts/state_of.htm.

This publication is for general information and is not to be considered in the same light as official statements of position contained in the regulations."


As near as I can tell, Florida follows the federal law.
 

TruePaige

Diamond Member
Oct 22, 2006
9,874
2
0
Serious lawsuits have been going down lately on people shifting employees job titles and salaries to avoid paying out overtime.

Your company deserves a fat ass lawsuit.

Damn, I'm glad I never worked in one of those IT Shops. Every hour I worked that was off my regular shift or over 40 hours I got time and a half comp time or pay.

edit: I'll clarify by saying they shifted you into a programmer title but it sounds as if you are not working this overtime in a programmer capacity (or that you aren't programming as 51%+ of your job typically) so you could win a suit by claiming you are not a programmer and that it was simply an attempt to evade the law by your employer.
 
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lurk3r

Senior member
Oct 26, 2007
981
0
0
We get 1 hour of comp time per on call shift and 1/2 hour per call, and get stuck with at least 3 weekend shifts a month.

I think as long as you are making a decent wage they can require pretty much whatever they want from you (at least in Michigan), basically unless they are paying you less than the federal minimum wage for all the hours you worked you'll be SOL.

From above it looks like $455 a week, which is pitiful.
 
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Joemonkey

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2001
8,859
4
0
I'm salary and in IT and people call/email/etc. me at all hours of the day and night. I couldn't care less, I knew this getting into IT that it is a 24/7/365 job. However, no one says shit to me if I come in 3 hours late, leave 3 hours early, take a 4 hour lunch, or simply say "I'm working from home today" either, so it is quite a give and take relationship.
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
15
81
fobot.com
I'm salary and in IT and people call/email/etc. me at all hours of the day and night. I couldn't care less, I knew this getting into IT that it is a 24/7/365 job. However, no one says shit to me if I come in 3 hours late, leave 3 hours early, take a 4 hour lunch, or simply say "I'm working from home today" either, so it is quite a give and take relationship.

^^^^ this is how it goes where i work, we don't have formal defined compensations, it is all give and take with your manager ^_^
 

Saga

Banned
Feb 18, 2005
2,718
1
0
I'm salary and in IT and people call/email/etc. me at all hours of the day and night. I couldn't care less, I knew this getting into IT that it is a 24/7/365 job. However, no one says shit to me if I come in 3 hours late, leave 3 hours early, take a 4 hour lunch, or simply say "I'm working from home today" either, so it is quite a give and take relationship.

Bingo.

I only showed up to the office two days last week. Nobody bat an eye - everyone knows my number and email address.