clarissageo

I work in a hotel, so the hours are 1st and 2nd shift - 1st is 7am - 3pm, 2nd is 3pm - 11pm.

We are not meant to clock in more than 15 minutes before a shift, and we have to clock out no later than 15 minutes after a shift. We are meant to get two paid 15 minute breaks per shift, but that never happens, and we HAVE to clock out for a 30 minute dinner break (they take it off us automatically) ...... the dinner break always happens on 2nd shift, but never on first because there is no-one to cover the desk...... but they get around that by only scheduling 38 hours for first shift instead of 40 in the first place.

Anything over a total of 40 hours we get 1.5x over time pay, and because I'm 2nd in the food chain on hourly staff I normally end up getting a couple of hours overtime a week because there is always some issue that needs taking care of - this week it was no hot water at the end of a 2nd shift and I was still at work an hour and a half after the end of my shift..... with pre-authorization from the owner of course

We also get 1.5 x and a day off in leiu for holiday days (ie Monday) and our birthday is classed as a holiday. Only problem is that it only applies AFTER our 90 day review, and all reviews have been put on hold, so I'm now not getting that for working on Monday .......

srah

Now now, play nice

srah

Not heard that before Frank but yes I agree with it all.

tamms_1965

I've always had decent working conditions, vacation, benefits whether I was working in the private sector or in my current profession of teaching. I've had great bosses and bosses I didn't care for (but kept it to myself), but I've never had a horrible boss or worked for a super stingey co. But then again, I always researched the places I worked for and asked the right questions, so I always knew what I was getting onto.

mayhemuk

40 hours a week On job site for 8am whether it's next door or 1.5 drive away.
Clock off when job is done. If this takes me over 40 I get overtime. I take breaks when neccesary (can only ride a jackhammer for so lon at a time)

Trouble is over time I've got better so I finish jobs faster! And it's sometimes means a short day.

mayhemuk

And since vacation is being mentioned get 5 days after 1 year
After 5 years it goes up to 10. After 10 years it becomes 12!!!!

In reality it is a small business. The vans have to be working and earning not sittin around. But it's not a career. It pays OK for now but as my skill set improves I'll look more seriously at going it alone though may have to wait for some economic improvement to risk that.

Kaffy Mintcake

Quite the scientific sample we have here, right?

Of course leave is better in the UK and in Europe as well than in the U.S.

article

I'm not sticking with AmerLisa because she's an American, or trying to prop up my culture. You said "Oh, AmerLisa said it isn't always that bad" which is true. There isn't a legal minimum for vacation in the US, but some employers offer more generous vacation allotments than others.

Poppy girl

I make my own as long as the job is done and everyone is happy

AmerLisa

<shock> You mean you're not a disgruntled American worker?

tamms_1965

Interesting article...I like "Having the time off is one thing but being able to afford to take it is another thing entirely, and in this department Americans score well. U.S. citizens are a third wealthier per capita than their counterparts on the other side of the Atlantic, but they earn this the hard way."

It's a cultural difference.

tamms_1965

Fortunately, no. Neither is DH. He's been here two years, got the first job he applied for and started off with a 40-hr work week (anything more and he gets 1.5X pay or 1.5X time off), 2 weeks vacation, 4 personal days and all bank holidays. He also gets 8 (maybe more, cant remember) sick days. If he doesn't use them for one year straight, he gets a $400 bonus (but still gets to keep his sick days). After you have 15 sick days in the "bank" you can convert them to vacation days.

snowbunny

I'm working any time I'm not sleeping or on Facebook or here. No sick days, no paid holidays/vacation, but decent pay and a lot of flexibility as to when I have to be in the office. The commute is awful, so I'm thinking about moving into one of the condemned buildings nearby.

AmerLisa

I work as a paraeducator in a school district, so I get all the school holidays off, plus summers. Works for me because I have a 7 year old at home and I don't want to be in a full time position. My husband is quite happy with his position and time off as well.

Now if you want to talk health insurance ripoff, I'd join that protest in a heartbeat!

tamms_1965

The insurance offered in my district is excellent and very inexpensive as is all of the other schools I've worked in Ohio. When I worked in an urban school my health care was free if I chose the HMO option....but that was 10 years ago.

scrubbedexpat091

Some companies will add an extra 1/2 or 1 hour to your day so you get paid for the full 8 hours.

Some companies will just deduct the unpaid lunches from your schedule and pay you for less.

My companies always added an extra 1/2 hour, so it was an 8.5 hour day, with 8 hours paid.

When I worked for an airline our shifts were:

5:00am to 1:30pm
1:30pm to 10:00pm

At the hotel I worked at our shifts were:
7am to 3:30pm
3:30pm to 12 midnight
11pm to 7am (this shift had no lunch period, so not extra 1/2 added and no 1/2 hour deducted.)

I've never had a M-F 9-5, holidays off type job. And aside from the airline, never worked for a company that provided paid time off.