This American (Working) Life - 1053 Words

What is your average workweek? According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development over sixty six percent of women and eighty-eight percent of men in America work over 40 hours each week (4). Yet not everyone receives overtime pay. Executives, teachers, managers and others are not required by law to receive overtime pay (U.S. Cong. Federal Labor). These and other professions are labeled exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act. An exempt profession, when put on a salary, is not protected by the FLSA and can work as many hours as required with no extra compensation. According to a new bill, S. 1747 The Computer Professionals Update Act , legislators would extend these exemptions to other IT professions (27-31). In a†¦show more content†¦There really is no reason that any law should not be clear. And it should help the poor. However, one of the main problems with increasing exceptions to the FLSA is that if an employee is being paid the minimum salary for an exempted worker, they are within a whisper of the poverty line. The original language pertaining to anyone working with computers was first introduced in 1990. An be labeled exempt one would have to be paid an hourly rate and paid no less than six and a half times the minimum wage. In 1996 the rate was adjusted to a fixed rate of $27.63 an hour(U.S. Cong. Small Business). It was only small decrease from the previous rate at the time. But then in 2004 the language was further changed. While it was a small change the impact was huge. Instead of only being exempt if you were paid an hourly rate, you could also now be exempt if you were paid a salary (National Archives and Records 69:79). The minimum salary rate has not changed since then and remains at 455 a week (United States. Dept. of Labor). To now be exempt as a system developer or systems analyst you can either be paid $27.63 per hour or a salary of $455 per week. The difference is in those wages is astounding though. At the fore mentioned hourly rate for a 40 hour work week, you would ea rn $57,470.04 a year. Though if a company decided to pay the minimum salary rate,, they would only make $23,660 a year and would receive no extraShow MoreRelatedThe Chinese American Identity By Fae Myenne Ng1639 Words   |  7 PagesThe Chinese-American Identity Fae Myenne Ng is a contemporary Chinese-American author who is known for her first written novel, Bone. Her debut novel was published in 1993 and the story is told through the eyes of the main character, Leila Leong. Leila tells the story of her family’s history and the events that unfold following the suicide of her sister. As Leila’s story progresses, themes of identity and family life are revealed. 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