Salary: what does it mean to you?

[Joanne]

I am "on salary". I do not get paid by the hour.

 

I'm thinking, though, that "salary" means different things to different people.

 

Do people "on salary" punch a time clock?

Have an hour for lunch?

Is lunch scripted or time anchored by someone else?

If a salaried person "needs" time off for an appointment, how is that handled?

[Snickerdoodle]

"On salary" means you work ridiculously more hours than you're getting paid for therefore you aren't likely to be punching a time clock.

 

You are probably eating on the fly, at your desk, or in between clients, but are able to take time off as necessary as long as it doesn't affect your work (so you'll probably make it up either way during your 80+ hour weeks).

[Lily of the Valley]

I am "on salary". I do not get paid by the hour.

 

I'm thinking, though, that "salary" means different things to different people.

 

Do people "on salary" punch a time clock?

Have an hour for lunch?

Is lunch scripted or time anchored by someone else?

If a salaried person "needs" time off for an appointment, how is that handled?

 

Dh is a salaried employee. He does not punch a time clock. He may take an hour for lunch one day, a longer lunch another day, and no lunch at all many days. Depending on what he is doing that day, the time he takes lunch could vary by a few hours.

 

Dh just started a new job, so I don't know how time off for appointments is handled with his current employer. In years past, however, he has taken time off as needed. He usually worked well over 40 hours a week, often from home, so a few hours for an occasional appointment was not considered a big deal and usually didn't come out of vacation time.

 

Dh's schedule for the day was/is dependent on what meetings he might have, deadlines for projects, etc.

[TengoFive]

My dh is salaried, but he has to work 40 hours per week. He's not docked in pay if he's not there 40 hours, but I imagine he could lose his job if he missed 40 hours too many times. He doesn't punch a time clock, but records his hours online. If he has an appointment, he'll go to work early, come home late, or work longer the next few days. He can take lunch whenever and for however long he wants, as long as he gets the 40 hours in. His only limitations on which hours he works is his co-workers. He needs to be in the office for the morning meeting and for any other scheduled times.

[ssavings]

"On salary" means you work ridiculously more hours than you're getting paid for therefore you aren't likely to be punching a time clock.

 

You are probably eating on the fly, at your desk, or in between clients, but are able to take time off as necessary as long as it doesn't affect your work (so you'll probably make it up either way during your 80+ hour weeks).

 

This.:iagree:

[Element]

Do people "on salary" punch a time clock? Nope. Well, maybe? I guess I'm not sure. I don't think so, anyway.

Have an hour for lunch? Sometimes. Usually not.

Is lunch scripted or time anchored by someone else? Probably not, depends on the industry. A school teacher's time is anchored by someone else. A sales contractor is probably free to lunch (or skip lunch) as his personal schedule dictates.

If a salaried person "needs" time off for an appointment, how is that handled? Again, it depends on the industry.

[Tap]

I am "on salary". I do not get paid by the hour.

 

I'm thinking, though, that "salary" means different things to different people.

 

Do people "on salary" punch a time clock? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Punching a clock/logging hours worked can be used just for documentation but some companies will allow 'comp time' to be used for paid time off later.

Have an hour for lunch? Varies by employer. Salaried employees are not required to have lunch/break times.

Is lunch scripted or time anchored by someone else? Depends on job duties.

If a salaried person "needs" time off for an appointment, how is that handled? Take time off and either use comp time saved up or just fufil the hours at another time.

 

All salary means to me, is that there is a set wage for the position. It is not a 'per hour' position. A salary can be for a 5 hour job, or it can be 65 hour/week job.

 

Pharmacists that I work with have a salary to work about 40 hours per week. If they work extra shifts, they get paid overtime.

[StephanieZ]

Whether you can make your own hours is independent of whether you are on salary or not. Lots of salaried jobs come with required hours/shifts. Some hourly jobs are very flexible.

 

For instance, dh worked a PT hourly job all through vet school . . . He worked in a lab (identifying aquatic insects, lol) and could show up whenever he wanted or not show up at all. However, ever since becoming a vet (always salaried jobs), he has always had specified shifts when he had to be at work. Before owning his own practice, as an employed vet, he had to fulfill shifts to the minute -- A vet hospital can't function w/o a vet on site, so the vet MUST be there when scheduled.

 

Indeed, doctors and other professionals are nearly all salaried, but many require the employee to be working during some specified hours (appt or surgery hours, for example). Likewise, school teachers and professors are generally salaried, but obviously must be working during class hours, scheduled meetings, etc.

 

Of course, as a salaried employee, you are also generally expected to "get it done" even if that means staying late, etc.

 

(OTOH, if you are a *contract* employee tax-wise, it implies freedom to schedule your own hours, but even then, it is variable -- for example, again, relief/sub doctors who have to cover certain shifts.)

 

In general, I believe that labor law doesn't allow an employer to dock pay for a partial day absence (for an appt.) for a salaried employee. However, it also doesn't prevent an employer from simply prohibiting employees (salaried or not) from absenting themselves for part of the day. So, a smart salaried employee wouldn't push hard on taking off during the workday without making up the hours unless they wanted to face a new policy of being required to take a full personal day off next time they wanted a long lunch to make a DR appt.

 

IME, most salaried employees avoid taking partial days off with regularity OR, they make mutually beneficial arrangements to work informal "comp time" to make up for absences.

 

I think it all comes down to an employee-employer dance. Be honest about what you need/want from your employer, and try to make it a win-win for all of you. I hope you are able to find good solutions!

[QueenCat]

I am "on salary". I do not get paid by the hour.

 

I'm thinking, though, that "salary" means different things to different people.

 

Do people "on salary" punch a time clock?

Have an hour for lunch?

Is lunch scripted or time anchored by someone else?

If a salaried person "needs" time off for an appointment, how is that handled?

 

What it means for dh:

 

He averages 50 hours/week (which is what he was told when he was hired). He does clock-in via his computer but that is by the day, not the hour. He just records whether he worked, took a vacation day, or a holiday.

 

An hour built in for lunch but that is eaten either at his desk, while reading work email, in the break-room talking work with co-workers or eating out with co-workers. Only when he goes out does he actually use an hour, and then he goes over, but that's fine. When he eats is up to him, unless they're going out, then it's pre-planned.

 

If he takes off for a couple of hours for an appt, he does nothing as far as reported time. That is the standard for his company, for salaried employees. They know that they are at work when needed, longer than the "schedule" when needed so if you need to come in late, leave early, you just do it. Granted, if you did it often, it would be a problem.

Edited September 26, 2012 by CathieC

[Crimson Wife]

I've never worked a job where I had to punch a time clock- it seems rather demeaning to me. Most of my positions have been salaried, but even the couple where I was considered an hourly worker (office manager, clerk), I just filled out a time card.

 

Most jobs I worked had "core hours" where I was expected to be in the office (typically 8-5 but sometimes 7:30-4:30 or 9-6). That was the minimum, however, and normally it wound up being more like 45-60 hours per week when I was salaried.

 

Lunch was theoretically an hour, but most often it was "wolf down something at your desk".

 

All the jobs I've worked accrued so many hours paid leave per pay period. Taking that leave required getting approval from the supervisor. Appointments first thing in the morning or late afternoon were generally easy to get approval, but anything else was difficult. Vacation weeks around the holidays were typically approved but otherwise frowned upon.

Edited September 26, 2012 by Crimson Wife
NOT double posted

[tabrizia]

My dh is salaried, but he has to work 40 hours per week. He's not docked in pay if he's not there 40 hours, but I imagine he could lose his job if he missed 40 hours too many times. He doesn't punch a time clock, but records his hours online. If he has an appointment, he'll go to work early, come home late, or work longer the next few days. He can take lunch whenever and for however long he wants, as long as he gets the 40 hours in. His only limitations on which hours he works is his co-workers. He needs to be in the office for the morning meeting and for any other scheduled times.

 

:iagree:. This is what DH does. He has to be at the office/working between 10 and 3:30, except for appointments, lunch etc., but he can work from 7:30 to 3:30 or from 10 to 6 or any other variation as long as he is available at the general times stated (makes it easier to schedule meetings/brain storming sessions etc if they know almost everyone will be there at certain times.

 

Yes sometimes he is expected to work more then 40 hours during the week, but normally he earns extra vacation/comp time for it, so he can take off the following week so that he is still only working 80 hours during the pay period etc.

[meggie]

There was a picture floating around FB a few years ago about how teachers are so woefully underpaid based on how many hours they actually work and their salary. And while the sentiment is true, it's also true for most salaried employees :glare:.

 

DH just got a promotion at work. It kinda sucks because this promotion doesn't come with a raise, but he will end up working more hours. Technically, he'll only be scheduled for 40, he won't have to clock in or out, but he is expected to get it all done. All the other people in the positions take more than 40 hours. (there are good reasons he took this job, things more important than just the pay, I just don't want to get into it now.) He does not get overtime or time and a half for working holidays (the company he works for is open 365 days a year, there is no such thing as Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays).

 

In order to take off work, he has to find another supervisor to cover his shift. They give him a certain number of hours that he's allowed to miss before they start docking his pay. These are his sick days and vacation days. He can use them whenever he wants, so long as his shift is covered.

 

I'm not sure about his lunch. If he needs to leave for an appointment, he might be able to take a few hours off if he could get someone to cover his shift. Although, now I think on it, I don't think he's ever had an appointment that he had to take time off for. We always just scheduled them for the days or times when he wasn't working.

[Joker]

Dh is salaried. He does not punch a time clock. He does not work crazy long hours (he usually only puts in a normal 40). His lunch break consists of going to the Y, grabbing something at a drive-thru, and heading back to work. Sometimes he works from home. Sometimes he takes an extra break during the day to run an errand and just works extra to make up the time. The only time he has to document are sick days and PTO/Vacation days. If he has a crazy long day, he gets to come in late or leave early to balance it out.

[jar7709]

I am salaried. I don't punch a clock, but I to have to track my hours on the different projects in order to bill our clients, and I submit a timesheet weekly (electronically). Vacation and sick time accrues at a constant rate. My bosses don't care if I sneak away a little now and then (since I work from home this is often) as long as my projects are done well and on time. Except for pre-approved vacation times, I am expected to be available by cell and email pretty much all the time, even though my "labor target" is only 25 hours/wk.

 

There are many different ways to be salaried.

[PeacefulChaos]

I am "on salary". I do not get paid by the hour.

 

I'm thinking, though, that "salary" means different things to different people.

 

Do people "on salary" punch a time clock? No - meaning that often times, they work way more than 40 hours per week

Have an hour for lunch? Depends on where they fall in the pecking order at the workplace. The salaried CEO, maybe. The salaried maintenance supervisor, doubtful. ;) Seriously, though, I assume that is in the contract, how much of a lunch break they get. Most people, to my knowledge, don't get an hour.

Is lunch scripted or time anchored by someone else? Like does someone else keep track? I doubt it. I mean, no one keeps track of DH's lunches and he isn't salary. He does clock in and stuff though, obviously. :)

If a salaried person "needs" time off for an appointment, how is that handled? I would assume the same way it is for a regular hourly employee. At DH's workplace, all PTO is handled the same, no matter what it is for, and they don't ask. They earn a set amount of PTO that builds up every month. They then use it as needed.

 

:)

[airforcefamily]

This is interesting to read. I met DH in college and have never had a 'grown up' job, just hourly restaurant and retail work with a punch clock.

 

DH is military. He earns a salary plus benefits. There are no set number of hours. Some days he doesn't have to work at all. Other days he's halfway around the world on 20 hour flights. He earns leave (vacation time). If he wants to leave the local area on a weekend or another time when he wouldn't have to go to work anyway he must use leave to go. He does not receive any allotted sick time. If he is too sick to go to work he must go to the doctor. He can not return to work until the doctor has cleared him to. The good side of that is that if he is sick for weeks he is not in danger of losing his job and he still gets paid (if it goes on for months and months he could have to leave but not over a bad case of the flu or anything like that).

[Seasider]

"On salary" means you work ridiculously more hours than you're getting paid for therefore you aren't likely to be punching a time clock.

 

You are probably eating on the fly, at your desk, or in between clients, but are able to take time off as necessary as long as it doesn't affect your work (so you'll probably make it up either way during your 80+ hour weeks).

 

:iagree: with the bolded. It means you won't be getting paid extra for those overtime hours. :glare:

 

However, it also, to me, has an air of security about it. Professional, someone with some expertise related to the job at hand. I should say career versus job. Perhaps that salary includes a benefits package (in my conjured image, anyway). So, in many ways it sounds good.

 

But I confess times have changed my perception of that word. Twenty years ago, I would have associated it with a nice office space, job stability and a 401K. But anything on top of a straight pay check is lagniappe these days.

[Heather in Neverland]

For me it means my "schedule" is 8 to 4 but I never leave before 5:30.

 

I am also expected to be at events and meetings and what-not on my off-hours or whenever my presence is requested.

 

I do not have a scheduled lunch hour and my lunch depends on how busy I am that day...some days it is on the fly, or not at all, and other days I have time to go out for lunch with my dh.

 

I do not get overtime. So my salary means I get a certain amount per month and that is it but I am also the second highest paid person here.

 

Time off: my vacation time is according to the school year. I cannot take vacation days when school is in session. Sick days are as needed but I have only taken off 4 days in 4 years. Doctor and other appointments are expected to be scheduled after work hours unless it is absolutely unavoidable or you are really sick.

 

It is quite common for professionals to make a salary rather than an hourly wage.

 

 

.

Edited September 26, 2012 by Heather in NC

[GWOB]

I kinda have an issue with this, even though I just posted on the "Living Wage" thread that I was happy with dh's income. Go figure:tongue_smilie:.

 

Dh works in a management position. He has a yearly salary, but because he is a non-exempt employee (I don't know all the employment laws-he works for a public utility company), he can and does earn overtime pay, which is just his yearly salary calculated down to an hourly wage. If he clocks 350+ hours of overtime in a year, he starts to get time-and-a-half. His salary is based on a 40hr week, though I cannot remember the last time he actually worked only 40 hours.

 

Here's my beef. Even though he is management, and even though he has more certifications and a college degree, the guys working under him can make more in a year because any overtime they work is time-and-a-half. Of course, those guys have to work a lot more than dh to earn more, but overtime is easy to come by in dh's field.

 

So, salary to me means a steady income, despite the number of hours you work. Specific to dh's position, he can make more, but will never make less.

[happi duck]

I am "on salary". I do not get paid by the hour.

 

I'm thinking, though, that "salary" means different things to different people.

 

Do people "on salary" punch a time clock?

Have an hour for lunch?

Is lunch scripted or time anchored by someone else?

If a salaried person "needs" time off for an appointment, how is that handled?

 

In my experience:

no time clock but working 40 hours per week, more only when needed

lunch is not counted toward the 40 hours but taking lunch is encouraged (can be anytime on or off site)

if appt must be during the day let boss know and be sure stuff gets done for the week

if sick, stay home and get better!

[Hannah]

Salary for me means security. And in our industry it comes with benefits.

Hourly wage pays more, but is subject to hours available and can change at the whim of the employer. There are also no benefits.

 

It would depend on the industry how flexible working hours are. If you're working in health care or another face-to-face service industry, you'd have to be at your post to be able to offer the service required.

In our industry there are some positions that requried "face-time", but others can be done whenever the person wants, as long as deadlines are met.

 

ETA: And to answer your questions...

I get payed to get a certain job done and my contract states 25 hours per week. Some weeks I work that, other weeks more, very seldome less.

My job includes managing 6 people who all have 40 hour contracts. We do not punch cards.

Lunch is not included in the 40 hours. When and how people take lunch is up to them, although for two of my team their busiest period in the day is over lunch, so they would normally eat at their desks.

I don't mind if they need to go for an appointment or take a prolonged lunch break (although I do want a heads-up that they'll be gone). Its their responsibility to see that their post is covered and the job gets done. If it does not get done, there are mechanisms for performance management which would show this.

My manager has no clue of when I'm at the office or not. We communicate via email and phone and he comes to site two/three times per year.

We accumulate sick and other categories of leave monthly (to a maximum of 90 days sick leave) and a doctor's note has to be provided for more than 2 days off on sick leave. If longer than 90 days of sick leave is required, then there are other mechanisms that kick in.

Edited September 26, 2012 by Hannah

[fraidycat]

"On salary" means you work ridiculously more hours than you're getting paid for therefore you aren't likely to be punching a time clock.

 

You are probably eating on the fly, at your desk, or in between clients, but are able to take time off as necessary as long as it doesn't affect your work (so you'll probably make it up either way during your 80+ hour weeks).

 

Yep. :iagree:

[LucyStoner]

A professional level worker with some automy over their schedule. When I was on salary, I set my own hours based on workflow needs and goals and lunch and appointments were pretty much at my discretion. I didn't by into that harder/longer work meant better work and returned growth results 3 years running in a recessionary economy while protecting my personal time from constant intrusions.

[lailasmum]

As I understand it salary is an agreed amount for a certain number of hours with pre agreed breaks/holidays included. However most places seem to view it as the hours needed to do the job which is often more. My dh is on a salary for a 40 hour week (I think it might be slightly more)but regularly does alot more and doesn't get overtime. He regularly does 70hr weeks and is supposed to make up the extra hours in time off but there are not enough hours in a year that he can take off and still do his job. He rarely does less than 40 hrs a week.

 

I have done buy out contracts which were as many hours they can throw at you for a fixed sum and working time directive was signed away, but I was usually a fairly high wage and it was done to accomodate the crazy hours of tech weeks on shows. They're common in the theatre world and I would assume other entertainment industry areas. We'd often be eating on the go, have no breaks and have 12 -15 hour days everyday.

 

My sister is salaried but on flexi time so she just has to complete her hours but it usually doesn't matter when. She often does fewer longer days and starts early to avoid crowds on the way to work in London.

Edited September 26, 2012 by lailasmum

[lynn]

It depends on the job.

 

In my personal experience salary is 40hours paid overtime and 30PTO/vacation days.

 

like others mentioned it can be unlimited hours or set number of hours, no paid overtime and only week or 2 vacation plus sick days.

[FaithManor]

I am "on salary". I do not get paid by the hour.

 

I'm thinking, though, that "salary" means different things to different people.

 

Do people "on salary" punch a time clock?

Have an hour for lunch?

Is lunch scripted or time anchored by someone else?

If a salaried person "needs" time off for an appointment, how is that handled?

 

 

Salary for Dh means:

 

60-80 hr. work weeks with practically non-existent pay raises or bonuses. He is to track his "comp" time into the system and then they make it difficult for him to ever get approved to use it. So for every 5 hrs. of over time he works, he will get about 1.5 hrs he might actually be able to use at some point. Mostly they just get all of that extra work out of him because unless we move to Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, or Bangladesh there aren't any jobs opening up in his field in the U.S. at the present time. If it weren't for his mother's health and the fact that his very selfish siblings will not take any responsibility, we would be moving overseas.

 

His insurance benefits are good.

 

He does not get lunch and has a hard time even working in potty breaks. He works from home a lot because he is on a global account and it doesn't matter where he sits. So, I will bring something to him to eat and he'll put the phone on mute and munch on it whenever he's not presenting in a conference call.

 

He is on call 24/7. He's been called out of family funerals before. There is no situation in which he is allowed to have his phone off and no situation short of his own coma or death (not exaggerating here) in which he is allowed to not answer his phone. His manager and co-workers routinely called the hospital when I was in labor having the babies. No, he is not a doctor, police officer, federal marshall, firefighter, FBI or CIA agent, does no protect the president, nor is he the president! They however think that the world is coming to an end if some stupid computer server somewhere in the world is out of commission for five minutes. Actually, I've come to realize that most large corporations in America are so greedy that they function like one big narcississtic wolf.

 

His life was much easier when he was hourly, many, many moons ago.

 

He works most holidays as well. I don't think they've left him alone on Christmas or Thanksgiving in at least 8 years.

 

However, if he has a doctor or dentist appointment, he simply blocks out that time in his appointment calendar (which is required to be online so anyone in the company can see when he is or is not available) and they have no idea if he is gone or in a meeting with someone else.

 

Vacation days have to be approved 2 months in advance and if they are approved and then something happens and you can't take them (either personal or even the company stating it has an "emergency"), the vacation time is not put back into the system so he can use the hours at a later date.

 

Faith

[The Girls' Mom]

For dh, he generally works a set number of hours each week, with a set schedule. He does have a small amount of flexibility for appointments and such. He does often work more hours than he's getting paid for, but not a huge amount. When he traveled he ususally worked more than 40.

 

The nice part has always been that he doesn't have to worry about being able to have enough work to fill the week/day. If it is a slow time at work, he still gets paid the same. After years of lay-offs during slow times as a mechanic, that was a welcome change.

[bettyandbob]

IME being "on salary" means you work more than 40 hours, at least 50.

 

You might occasionally (very occasionally) take an hour lunch, but more often less than that and you aren't necessary scheduled a lunch, so at crunch time lunch is skipped altogether.

 

You do have flexibility to schedule personal appointments. That might mean working longer the day of the appointment, coming in early or working late the next day. You have a similar flexibility to deal with child sick days as well.

 

There is presumably some stability with being "on salary" compared with hourly pay. I am not guaranteed any number of hours in either of my current hourly pay positions. I have been scheduled for certain hours and have gotten all the hours I requested, but there is no guarantee that I will be scheduled for 10 or 20 hours every week--the boss could say no work tomorrow, come back Friday and I wouldn't be paid.

 

Salary means personal days to be used for vacation or sick time. Nonsalary means no work=no pay. Salary means health insurance.

[Night Elf]

When I was "on salary" it meant I worked whenever I was supposed to. Most weeks were only 40 hours but sometimes we would go in on a Saturday and sometimes I took work home. We all had the same lunch. The office would basically close during that one hour. We didn't get expenses when we had to go to client offices, meaning we didn't get reimbursed for mileage, gas, or lunch. We had a set number of off days that we used for sick days or vacation. If we missed beyond those days, our pay was docked.

[Kathryn]

All it means to me is that pay is by the year instead of the hour.

[TheReader]

"On salary" means you work ridiculously more hours than you're getting paid for therefore you aren't likely to be punching a time clock.

 

You are probably eating on the fly, at your desk, or in between clients, but are able to take time off as necessary as long as it doesn't affect your work (so you'll probably make it up either way during your 80+ hour weeks).

 

:iagree:

 

something very close to the above, yep.

[JenC3]

You have these things when salaried:

flexibility

you work more hrs tahn 40 b/c it looks good.

you have to be there late if the job isn't done.

you have to attend meetings even when you have other pressing matters

you have to go to conferences and any other type of work related events which could be during weekend or evenings hours.

[momofkhm]

I am "on salary". I do not get paid by the hour.

 

I'm thinking, though, that "salary" means different things to different people.

 

Do people "on salary" punch a time clock?

Have an hour for lunch?

Is lunch scripted or time anchored by someone else?

If a salaried person "needs" time off for an appointment, how is that handled?

 

DH has always been salaried. He doesn't punch a time clock. He takes as long a he wants for lunch, sometimes an hour, sometimes less, sometimes more. Time is anchored only to himself and what he needs to get done. He simply takes the time for an appointment.

 

It means they expect him to get his work done no matter if he works more than 40 hours per week. Not at his current job but at his just past one, they would have a "release" and may end up working 80 hours the week prior. He was not given overtime for that. He often does work at home on the computer. He doesn't get paid for that. I don't think he's ever gone under 40 hours per week, but if you count the time away fromt he office that he is doing work, I'm sure he goes over quite a lot.

 

Back to lunch - he tends to meet a group and go for a bie ride during lunch. The ride is an hour itself. getting there, back and showering could add another 1/2 hour and he still hasn't eaten anything. But there are times he works through lunch at his desk. When we've met him for lunch, he just takes an hour or less. He doesn't have a set time for lunch. It all depends on his work load and meetings.

 

Coming home - he usually gets home about the same time each day but there have been times he's shown up as much as an hour early. "I had a good stopping place." Meaning if he kept going until "quitting time" he'd be late getting home to find the next good stopping place.

 

HTH

[DawnM]

I was a salaried employee for all of my career. I still had to sign in and sign out each day and the sign in/out books were taken off the table at 7:25am and weren't put back out until 3:20pm.

 

Our official hours were 7:25-3:25, so if we were late we had a huge circle put on our time card for that day and we weren't allowed to sign out early without permission. I was a teacher and then a school counselor, so we had to be there on time!

 

For DH being a salaried employee is very different. He doesn't punch any time cards but he does submit his time and expense twice a month for his paychecks. He is an accountant. He only works long hours during busy seasons. The rest of the time he works his 8 hours per day. He usually chooses a working lunch hour so that he can leave a bit earlier. However, if they have to entertain clients or they offer him free lunch, he goes out and takes an hour or more! :D (thankfully meeting with clients counts as work!)

 

He loves his job and he really likes the people he works with. If you noticed my other thread, he is spending most of this week volunteering at a golf tournament. He is wearing his company hat, and getting paid for it! :w00t:

 

Dawn

[Durriyyah]

I've always understood salary to just mean that your paycheck is the same each week, no matter what. Hopefully if you work extra hours one week you can get comp. time, but it isn't uncommon for places to not really follow up with that.

 

All the other items depend on the employer. I was salaried at my last job and some weeks I worked 35 hours, some I worked 50+. No one ever told me when to take my lunch, and I could adjust my schedule to fit in appointments as needed. As long as I didn't take it to an extreme and take advantage of it, it was a bit of a privilege.

[Annie G]

Dh is salaried. He does not punch a time clock. He does not work crazy long hours (he usually only puts in a normal 40). His lunch break consists of going to the Y, grabbing something at a drive-thru, and heading back to work. Sometimes he works from home. Sometimes he takes an extra break during the day to run an errand and just works extra to make up the time. The only time he has to document are sick days and PTO/Vacation days. If he has a crazy long day, he gets to come in late or leave early to balance it out.

 

Dh is much like the above, but he comes home for lunch every day. He doesn't get paid overtime if he ever works it but he does get a variable bonus every year.

 

His schedule is flexible- right now he's eating breakfast, and is home later than usual because he was reading and got caught up in the book. But that's the beauty of it.

 

He has the freedom to leave to pick up a kid who needs a ride from school or whatever- but he has a lot of responsibility at work so there's stress, too.

 

He had a heart attack in 2006 and for three years came in to work late three times a week so he could go to cardiac rehab. He didn't stay late to make that up. If he'd been hourly, he would have been required to make up the time. We're grateful- it was two hours late each time!

[mom2scouts]

"On salary" means you work ridiculously more hours than you're getting paid for therefore you aren't likely to be punching a time clock.

 

You are probably eating on the fly, at your desk, or in between clients, but are able to take time off as necessary as long as it doesn't affect your work (so you'll probably make it up either way during your 80+ hour weeks).

:iagree:This describes most salaried employees I've known. They don't punch a time clock. They just have to work as many hours as necessary to get the job done correctly.

[mytwomonkeys]

when i worked, i was on salary. it included benefits and a package explaining vacation, sick days, holidays off, insurance, 401k, etc. i knew my paycheck would be consistently the same so budgeting was easy. i did not have to clock in but i knew my hours and expectations clearly. i was paid 2x monthly.

 

my husband has always been salary based too. again, he is given an employee handbook of sorts with benefits and his job description. the handbook is fairly lengthly & covers everything fairly clearly. he does not have to clock in, but his hours and expectations are defined and i imagine if he were late often or left early without reason, he would be reprimanded (as he should be). he is paid 1x month.

 

oh. yes, he gets an hour for lunch. no to overtime. he definitely works more than 40 hours a week.

Edited September 26, 2012 by mytwomonkeys

[Meriwether]

I am "on salary". I do not get paid by the hour.

 

I'm thinking, though, that "salary" means different things to different people.

 

Do people "on salary" punch a time clock? No clock. Dh has set hours from 7:30 - 4:30. He has a half hour lunch so his week starts at 42.5 hours. He usually works until 5:00 and sometimes as late as 6:00 or 6:30. If something comes up on a holiday or evening, he has to be there. He has evening events about 10 times per year. He will work Saturday mornings and on holidays, but how often depends heavily on where we live. He gets great vacation but can only take it when he can get someone to cover for him. We lost 10 days last year and will probably lose a bunch this year. We live far from family and if he doesn't have something that has to be done on Friday afternoon, his boss will let him leave at 3:00 or 3:30 when we are driving down so that we get there before midnight. This doesn't affect pay or vacation days.

Have an hour for lunch? 1/2 hour whenever he has time during the day

Is lunch scripted or time anchored by someone else? He takes it during a lull in business within a two hour or so time frame. There are several people in the office that do the same basic job. They take lunch in shifts so that someone is always on hand.

If a salaried person "needs" time off for an appointment, how is that handled?

 

He usually takes a longer lunch break if he needs to do something during the day. His boss is very okay with this. Dh rarely does this so it might not be okay afterawhile. If an appointment would take all morning or afternoon, Dh would take a half day of vacation.

 

 

Dh has a great job in a largely overlooked field. The biggest negative in his job is that we are required to move every 3-5 years. This is a big negative to me as I am a put-down-roots kinda gal.

[TravelingChris]

My dh is also AD Air Force, but his experiences have been very different. He does not need to see a doctor if he is sick and definitely not if he gets better. On the other hand, he probably has taken less than 10 sick days in 10 years. He also can go anywhere he wants to on his time off but needs to be back in town when he is supposed to be at work and would have legal problems if he wasn't. For us, that means we take basically day trip type of things even if we stay overnight. On the other hand, as he has risen in rank, it has gotten even harder for him to use his leave before he loses it.

Salary to someone at his rank and even somewhat lower means you work a lot, don't punch a time clock, don't get overtime, but do have some flexibility. No one tells him when to work but obviously he is working when other people are there he needs to work with. So he can go to work anywhere from 6am to 9:30 or so depending on the day and if he is doing PT (which is considered work but he can do at a gym or like he does, from home). He comes home usually around 6 or 7 or later. He leaves the office when he needs to or wants to. It doesn't really matter if he one day takes a two hour lunch since it is rarely that he works less than 60 hours a week. Being on salary and an officer in the military gives him some flexibility. He can take an hour off to pick up our dd at something if I have to be somewhere else. But the most important thing is not how much time he spends but what he gets done. At his rank, I would have a hard time believing that anyone could work only 40 hours a week. There is just too much work to do.

[stripe]

I had a salaried position. I was not allowed to work overtime by my boss, but always worked 40 hrs. If I had to go somewhere, my boss would usually have me make up the time the next week, to even it out. Off the books. It was preferable to her over my taking vacation and her getting a substitute, because that was only for half my hours. Lunch time was flexible but length was set (30 minutes, but the exact start time varied). I had to get all vacation time approved by my boss; schedules were set in 6 week blocks. I had a somewhat variable schedule, but generally worked three evenings and one Saturday in each two week period. I had benefits. I didn't punch a time clock, but I did note the start, end, and break times on a piece of paper.

[Mrs Mungo]

I am "on salary". I do not get paid by the hour.

 

I'm thinking, though, that "salary" means different things to different people.

 

Do people "on salary" punch a time clock?

Have an hour for lunch?

Is lunch scripted or time anchored by someone else?

If a salaried person "needs" time off for an appointment, how is that handled?

 

My dh has been salary his entire career, all of our military works on salary, but this looks different for different people. It depends upon your rank and positions. For him, this has generally meant working from 6 am until 7 pm or later (*often* later). He receives calls and/or answers emails and/or might go into work in the middle of the night, on the weekend or while on vacation.

 

He has never had a time clock, but he is certainly generally expected to be there at certain times, unless he has alerted them otherwise.

 

He often has working lunches or eats lunch at his desk. But, when he doesn't have a working lunch, then he can go to lunch.

 

He can take off for personal appointments pretty much whenever he needs to. If it is really important, then he can take a day of leave (he will still answer emails/receive phone calls). He receives 30 days of leave/year and can accrue up to 60 days. Beyond that, he has to use the days by the end of the fiscal year or he loses them, unless they were accrued on deployment, then he has up to 2 years to use them.

 

Like Chris, we do lots of day trip type things on the weekends. But, in his current (and many of his past) positions, someone else has to be put in charge if he goes a certain distance, so he would take leave or a weekend pass (passes don't count against leave).

Edited September 26, 2012 by Mrs Mungo

[Tess in the Burbs]

salary may mean different things depending on your state law. Years ago Dh was asked to work insane OT hours. It was 14 hour days, weekends, overnights. I finally contacted a state labor organization and they said salary means the person works to get the job done. So if a company wanted they could really have some serious hours put on their 'salary' employees!

 

Also our law says you are to take an hour for lunch. Dh usually eats at his desk while working but legally he is supposed to take a lunch break. And one company forced him to take it years ago.

 

Check out the state labor laws. Hopefully an employer is being fair about occasional OT. Dh pulled out his offer letter years ago and pointed out that his salary was based on a 40 hour workweek :tongue_smilie: He said he would gladly work SOME OT but it would have to work around his life outside of work....and they backed off and he got the job done but he had better say in the OT hours to get the job done.

[Karen in CO]

A lot of it really depends on the culture in your office. I've always been salaried. I have always generally worked a set of hours that met the expectations of my manager. I always take lunch at generally the same time and often away from my desk or the office. I frequently work more than 40 hours without the expectation of compensation. I take time off for appointments. In my early jobs, I would arrange with a manager, but now I just coordinate with a coworker and make sure our work is covered. For vacation, I coordinate with my coworkers then tell my manager. When I'm sick or one of the kids is sick, I tell my manager and coworkers and take the time I need. I have had jobs that a set number of sick days allowable and jobs with unlimited sick days. I have work I'm responsible for instead of hours that I need to fulfill.

 

You should plan to work a set schedule and get the feel for the office policies from your coworkers. Ask you manager how to handle sick time and how to notify about appointments and vacations.

[stripe]

Also our law says you are to take an hour for lunch.

 

Some states have no laws mandating any breaks whatsoever. :glare: Checking the state law can therefore sometimes be quite disappointing.

[BlsdMama]

I am "on salary". I do not get paid by the hour.

 

I'm thinking, though, that "salary" means different things to different people.

 

Do people "on salary" punch a time clock?

Have an hour for lunch?

Is lunch scripted or time anchored by someone else?

If a salaried person "needs" time off for an appointment, how is that handled?

 

Here? Well, here it means DH works a 55+ hour week, sometimes on the weekends, always makes up his time "off" unless he takes vacation, and gets paid nothing extra.

 

Yeah, that. :glare:

 

However, he *is* employed, it's a really great company, he's been there a long time, and they do pay decent and have good benefits. So, it is what it is.

[Mommyof4ks]

Dh is salaried, and basically for him it means at he can count on X amount for each pay check which is nice on the budget. He works 40-45 hours a week, gets an hour for lunch, can take sick time, and gets two weeks for vacay (3 now that he has been there more than 10 yrs). He does have to take calls in the middle of the night, and he is on call a few weekends a year without extra pay, but he gets paid very well to do all of that including an annual bonus. Some companies take advantage of salaried employees, but so far in 13 years this one has been great to dh.

[LisaKinVA]

It means I know how much I can budget each month.

It means I need to focus on what I need to do to finish the job, not how much time it takes me.

It means when I'm sick...I can usually take off.

 

My job (writing/marketing) is pretty "thoughty." I can have ideas at any time of day, and sometimes can write for many, many hours at a time. I'm very glad I have a salary for this type of work...I can't imagine having to fill out a time card every time I was in the shower, driving down the road, or woke up in the middle of the night, and I came up with a killer promotion...or a way to co-market two programs to bring benefits to both. It's all covered.

 

I don't mind traveling on my own time...there are usually other perks with travel, and the company pays for the tickets, food and lodging. And, when my flight gets bumped, or canceled due to weather...I'm covered (I used to get stuck in the midwest quite frequently due to tornado weather...)

 

If I was forced to work 80 hour weeks, I might feel differently. But for me, salary (or by the job) is the way to go. I can make more money by the job, but I also usually have to do my own marketing, pay a higher percentage as taxes, and pay all of my expenses out of pocket.

[Puma Mom]

When I worked a salaried job (environmental engineer), it meant that I was paid X amount each week, had X number of vacation days, and unlimited sick days. Normal hours were 8-5pm with an hour for lunch, but those times were not enforced at all. It was expected that you would stay late to meet a deadline, if necessary. Hours past 40 in a week could usually be accumulated as 'comp' time and taken at a later date.

 

If you were going to take lunch different than 12-1pm or if you had an appointment, you were expected to let someone know.

[SKL]

You might punch a time clock for informational purposes, but it isn't directly used in computing your paycheck. I have had salaried jobs where I've had to punch a clock, but I don't think it's typical.

 

In the accounting or law field, you have to keep very close track of your time for billing purposes. Most likely you're working a lot more than you're accounting for, and some cheaters are working less, but there is accountability for how you spent the time you're getting paid for.

 

I've had employers who were very particular about what time you're at your desk (though salaried) because in their mind, that has some relation to productivity. They may be wrong about that, but it makes them feel better if your butt is in your seat at a certain hour.

 

If your butt isn't in your seat for a full 8 hours on a given day, you need to apply for paid (or unpaid) time off, unless and until you have an arrangement that looks at, say, a 40-hour week instead of an 8-hour day.

 

As you prove your commitment and competence, things tend to get more flexible in most places. I got to the point in my last job where I didn't even show up some days (I could work from home informally). However, I did still have "chargeability" goals that I had to meet.