Does anyone else realize that Americans are owned by their employers?

Question

My husbands regular hours are roughly 7-4 Monday through Friday but he rarely works that. In addition to these hours he has a cell phone where he is expected to be on call 24/7. Last Saturday he ended up working 8am to 12 midnight. Then yesterday they sent him home at 1:30pm. Today he got a good day in but then right after super he got called to a service call. We cannot make plans. We have no life at all. He was told that if he can't be on call on a weekend to tell them so h did for the 9th of Septemeber but has already been asked to work anyway despite telling them weeks in advance that he would be off! When does it end? Are all employers this way? My hubby said that pretty much all employers expect their emplyees to be there for them 24/7. Is this true?

Thanks for your help! Yes it is fishy. My husbands boss refuses to call him on the cell phone, instead he calls my husbands co-worker (equal to my husband) and tells him what to tell my husband! This is so crazy! My husband did say he told them before hiring that he did not want a lot of overtime- that he just needed 40 hours a week.

Answer 1

I own my employer! What I want is what I get! Your in the wrong job!

Answer 2

He's tolerating an abusive realtionship. He needs to call the shots on his time if his employer is going to respect him.
If you start feeling unappreciated at work, its time to ake a week off. If he's too much of a wuss, he can call in sick. He;s goinbg to get that way if he doesn't take a break, anyway.

Safe to assume he doesn't work in ER. No one's life is threatened by his absence. Get some perspective, they can hire someone else, he can find another job. Yeah, money might be tight, but no one starves to death in this country.

I started my own business. I work more hours than the wage slaves, and the first two years were very hard, but I've got all KINDS of freedom now.
Do you NEED the mortgage? The Car payment? No. You don't.

I drive an 89 Golf and live in an RV. Do I want a house or to lease a car? Hell no. My expenses are about 500 a month plus student loans. Next big job that comes through I'm paying those off and headed out of the country for awhile.
My partner and I just worked three months straight, then took a month off and travelled the US.
You wage slaves need perspective.

I DARE say, if you're not providing income or support, you don't have a lot of right to tell him what he should do, however.
If you're working, great. He can quit his job or ruin his marriage.

Answer 3

No. That 24/7 thing was abolished in 1865. Then, when the labor unions came along in the 1920's.... we all received a 5 day work week.

I would recommend that your husband stop picking up the phone when he comes home from a long day. He can always tell them he wasn't there and didn't get home until much later. Wean them off of this bad habit. The owner gets big profits when the employees are willing to do THEIR job for much less than the money they take in.

My employer never calls me at home like that, and I've worked for them 22 years. There are just a couple of people who DO get called and expected to work any time they are asked.... and they moan and complain all the time, but they never do anything to put a stop to it.

I think they just love feeling so needed.
Really, they are disrespected and taken advantage of.

Answer 4

If you allow them to, yes they will take everything they can get.

If you get paid by the hour at least you should be getting some compensation in overtime. If you are salaried then hopefully it is good enough to account for some overtime.

You have three options....

Either state to them that you will work xx amount of overtime

Start looking for another company and when in the interview state that you will work xx amount of overtime.

Get a job with the government where it is spelled out pretty clearly what hours you will work and what the compensation will be in the event they need/ask you to work more.

Americans are proud of everything they produce, but they also get the least amount of time off compared to many other nations.

Answer 5

I think they are taking advantage of him because he hasn't put his foot down with them. Employers aren't stupid. They know exactly what they are doing. They are stepping over their boundaries because your husband is allowing them to. At this point your hubby should start turning in his resume and seeking a different job. They obviously don't care about their employees because if they did then they would realize that their employees have lives too. He either needs to do one or the other... put his foot down and let them know that from know on I will no longer be able to work extra days and extended hours or find another job and set the tone (let them know from the get go) what he will and will not do. (and he has to make sure he sticks to his guns.)

Answer 6

Yes, it pretty much is servitude, however, if an employer values your services he should realize you can't work work 16 hour days and be any good. A situation like this calls for some communication with the boss. Also, a good relationship with one of your co-workers who can cover for you (and vice-versa) so you can have some time off is essential.

Answer 7

Absolutely. Corporate America is in violation of the law everyday and think nothing of exploiting human beings (more characterized as chattels). The government does know about it.
One scenario for me: NYC-Greyhound Bus Lines during training, it was said if you work a sixty hour work week-there would be ten hours of time-in-a-half (should be twenty hours). In the last week of training, I was not paid and went to small claims court. Greyhound's attorney told the judiciary, this case belongs in Federal Court, because she is in the union (Did not stay long enough to be in a union). After 7-8 week training, I made myself unavailable. Yes! They do have a common practice of not paying there employees-THIS IS 100% FACTUAL....

Answer 8

At my last job, I felt like I was constantly being called in to come in early, or work extra shifts or something. It wasn't a huge deal, I kind of liked being depended on, but I was only a part-time employee and it got to be too much in the end. At my new job, my employer treats me very well...actually like a person, not just someone who works there, and I'm really happy at the job.

Answer 9

Of course, everyone working is a wage slave!
The only positive is, that you can pick your master (if you can afford to do without dough for awhile) up to a point...
Being on call 24/7 should pay a lot. Doctors get about $60. to $150. /hr
And even then its a drag.
Your hubbies company is taken serious advantage of him. I'd look for another place. It is always easier to find another job if you are working while looking.

Answer 10

It depends on the employer. When I was on Wall Street, this was true. There was no home life. However, considering what I was getting paid, it was a fair deal.

If your husband isn't making the really big bucks for all this stress, then he should find a new job.

Answer 11

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