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A plea for OT

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    Workers argue to Supreme Court for paid overtime

  • Duration 3:36
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-- -- millions of Americans struggle to find work more workers are suing their employers over unpaid overtime.

On Monday the US Supreme Court heard arguments from pharmaceutical sales reps claiming they deserve extra cash for extra work.

But -- may just be happy to have a job for -- right now for a fair balanced debate we've got.

Prosecutor -- Jenkins and employee rights attorney and author of the employee rights handbook Stephen Zack from Warner both of -- -- you Steven you save these people.

In this case the court heard about these Glaxo employees sales guys who say don't -- you were working all the time we deserve overtime and you think they should get.

Absolutely why well first of all you know the pharmaceutical industry has to follow the rules like everybody else and the key here.

Is that.

Overtime.

Laws are strictly construed when workers are exempt.

And the fact that you know workers -- you know not entitled to it doesn't make any sense to be people -- working all the time Steve.

There you know I've been forced.

Answer their phones and do texting and emails.

After hours -- -- -- -- -- stop.

And a lot of these guys did a fantastic.

Perks as well -- faith you say come on you shouldn't be getting paid for all that extra time.

Right we're in a tough economy right now job growth is -- -- country -- racking up -- debt.

And if your choice is you have a job your salaried employee making 7080000.

Dollars a year answering the phone a little bit you know at night.

Or answering emails on your Blackberry after hours -- is not working.

You should be happy to have a top Qaeda is really neat this is where we're losing so many jobs over C.

-- -- ties and -- more more employers.

Employees are suing their employers say it's becoming a real problem -- weak start of the recession in 2008 we're seeing more more of these -- -- Esteem of the now what could happen.

He is you know if if Glaxo loses this they could do what IBM did a number of years ago and that is.

Take these guys who had -- salaried.

Right -- them by the hour but.

It ultimately what they do is they reduce their per hour rate by about 15% because they know they're gonna have to build and.

Tomorrow but Steve the whole key here is that people should be paid for their time and in so many companies requiring.

Workers to come in before hours -- log in what it checks felt before they start you could get paid for that and I don't agree with faith when she says you know a couple of things here and there after hours.

So many workers on vacation or even you don't walk on the eve of their wedding -- are asked to call in or respond to companies and respond to their emails and -- and I believe I think it's wrong but they -- -- get paid for that time.

The problem is the person who is on vacation and is not asked to turn on the Blackberry and they look at it next thing you know there answering all sorts of stuff they've been camp that people give you final -- what these employees are also -- compensated for bonus case and and so it's not just their salaries they're getting -- performance incentive bonuses.

They are being paid -- very.

Whale and these are not -- Sally workers these are not hourly wage earners for the companies can easily cut corners and convert them into hourly -- and reduce there.

You know there -- there waiting to doing what's lost their salaries are going to be decreased significantly I think it's gonna hurt the morning but the bottom line is that workers have rights and they should enforce them you know pharmaceutical industry should not get a free pass I mean.

I'm over time exemptions are strictly -- -- she also worked a little lot of arteries during this recession.

All right so what's gonna happen stand by the supreme court's gonna come up with something all right it's even a paid great debate that you.

-- thank you --

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