I wrote the following in reply to an activist group that sent me an e-mail asking for my support on a petition to help out salaried individuals to stop being victimized by their employers to work overtime for no pay.
Seeing as this is a real problem = workers not being paid fairly.
I want to support the effort - BUT - I want to go further than just addressing a single issue.
As basically the whole workforce is currently being abused by current employment practices and laws.
I sent the following reply as perhaps the better approach to be taking . . . . . . .
Perhaps you have something good for the public.
But - in my opinion - you are presenting it wrong.
It should be presented as pay for hours worked - yes - just that simple.
Salaried workers are being ripped off - and - always have been.
Hourly workers are being ripped off as well.
It comes down to - a sufficient wage to live on in a reasonable work week - FOR ALL.
40 hours per week = 7 Days (a week = a workable unit of measure to qualify a "full time employment" standing requirement) seems reasonable to me - to work a full time job - and - spend QUALITY time (or any time at all) with family and friends and community.
If 40 hours is not getting it done - then - another worker needs to be added - NOT MORE HOURS added onto the existing employee - and this additional employee if the work required is not sufficient to provide full time (40 hrs per week) employment - should be paid on an hourly basis that is equal in pay per hour as to what a full time employee is getting paid (not less pay per hour). In this manner a part time employee can work (theoretically) for another employer to make up the rest of the 40 hours needed for full time employment and so make a LIVING at a living wage.
Overtime needed by the employer should be incentive "to add another worker" not to add more work to existing workers. So - if overtime is needed it should be at the very least DOUBLE TIME PAY and taxed at the same rate as the worker would get taxed at the normal hourly rate for working 40 hours a week and NOT be PENALIZED by the government by being taxed more for the overtime pay for being forced to work more hours than they should be working = 40hrs/week. Tax the employer more for making the workers work over 40 hours a week do not penalize the workers for having more time taken away from their lives by their employers.
Just saying - You Need To Rethink Your Presentation (action?) if Your intention is to fix employment to be a fair proposition for all.