Work question - should I be paid for a weekend event?

[lecach]

We're having a "Country Fair" at work on a Saturday in September to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the retirement community where I work. It's a Saturday when my DH will surely be working since he is a reporter covering college football. I never work weekends - I am the executive assistant to the President.

The event will last from 11-2 but of course will have setup time before and cleanup after.

I was asked to attend the committee meetings but it has been very clear that I was there to take minutes and not actually participate in the meetings. Which is fine.

I figured that I would volunteer to help during one of the 30 minute shifts at one of the booths that I could bring DS to since DH will be working that day. And maybe I would come a little early to help set up. Just to be nice.

But now they are asking me to be in charge of a bean bag toss game, which would mean I would have to be here the entire time.

I asked the HR director if hourly staff (like me) would be paid to be here for the event if they are working it and she said no. Since I would never choose to be at work for 5 hours on a Saturday, especially since I will have DS, I am a bit annoyed by that. Honestly, I don't want to give up 5 hours of my Saturday anyway but especially not if I don't get paid.

My direct boss is the President/CEO and I haven't said anything about the pay or childcare issues yet. Just wanted to know if I was completely off base. For the record, all the other staff on the committee are department directors and they are salaried. I would be willing to bet that most of them will either leave early the day before or come in late on the Monday.

It's possible that my Mom may be able to keep DS that day but she's in real estate and can't really commit that far in advance.

I guess I have two questions -

1) would you expect to be paid for this if you were asked to be there all day- or should I suck it up and just do it?

2) should I mention the childcare concern to my boss and/or ask her what her expections are for the day?

It's entirely possible that my boss will think I should be paid. As I said, I haven't mentioned any of this to her yet.

 

[KirstenB]

If you're salaried, I'd not ask for compensation. But I think it's fair that you get to take a 1/2 day off as comp time sometime in the near future.

 

[lecach]

If you're salaried, I'd not ask for compensation. But I think it's fair that you get to take a 1/2 day off as comp time sometime in the near future.

I'm hourly

 

[SC Minnie]

I would ask for comp time. Its one thing to volunteer for a 30 min shift but to be expected to be there for 5 hours is something else.

The they ask you to work the booth or were you asked in such a way that they were telling you were working the booth???? Is there anyway you can say 'no' is my question.

 

[shortbun]

I'd just tell my boss with a smile on my face that I'd been able to arrange childcare for the day so I would be able to help out. IF they ask for this kind of thing again soon, I'd smile and decline saying that my husband works weekends and having my child/children in childcare was too much time away from them and a hardship without compensation.

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

I would expect to be paid, and I would ask right away and decline if I am not going to be paid.

 

[suejai]

I used to work for a municipality where staff was always expected to pitch in with events, although we were never forced to help. We were given time in lieu to compensate for the time we gave outside working hours. I think that it would be perfectly reasonable for you to ask for at least that. I don't think they should expect you to give up your time without some sort of compensation.

 

[LuvsEpcot]

I would expect to be paid, and I would ask right away and decline if I am not going to be paid.

I totally agree...saturday is your day off and they want you to "work" a booth. I would mention it to my boss and either get paid or Oops I don't have a sitter!

 

[lecach]

Is there anyway you can say 'no' is my question.

They asked me and didn't tell me. Unfortunately, the bean bag toss was the ONE thing I managed to suggest. It involves throwning bean bag pigs and is called the "Swine Flew". So I guess that's why they asked me.

I have not mentioned my childcare issue before because I didn't think it was an issue. And chances are that I can get help with DS so maybe I should take that out of the equation.

It's one thing to volunteer for 30 minutes and another to be here for 5 hours. So I am thinking I should just discuss the time commitment/pay issue with my boss and just see what her take is. If she expects me to be here and not get paid then I will do it.

 

[dizluvah]

As an hourly employee, I would absolutely expect to be paid for any work time. I would not do it for free. Your state no doubt has labor laws (google for the info) regarding hourly employees. You do not have to work for free, you are not salaried and Saturday is not your "normal" work day. I would be clear now and have the tough discussion about either comp time (and nail down specifically what day you will use your comp time) or payment for your extra work hours.

Good luck handling this delicate situation with grace, although I am confident you are in the "right" to expect compensation for your time.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yeah, what dizluvah said. Forgetting 'hourly/salary', what matters is whether your job is exempt or non-exempt. Odds are it's the latter and - as I understand it, anyway - this is a Federal labor law designation. As a non-exempt employee, you are entitled to be paid for all hours you work.

 

[ols386]

Since you are hourly, I would think that you should either be paid for the hours you work, or get comp time.

I wouldn't mention anything about the child care aspect of it. I would just try to find someone to watch your ds for that period of time when you are working.

 

[sbell111]

... I figured that I would volunteer to help during one of the 30 minute shifts at one of the booths that I could bring DS to since DH will be working that day. And maybe I would come a little early to help set up. Just to be nice.

But now they are asking me to be in charge of a bean bag toss game, which would mean I would have to be here the entire time. ...

I bolded the bits that answered your questions about whether you should be paid.

 

[Arielle22]

Comp time is illegal unless you work for a government. Since you are a non-exempt employee, by law you are paid for hours worked and you cannot volunteer to work for free.

Since this is not your normal job and is a fair, I can see where there is a gray area as far as whether it is work hours. However it seems like a risk for your company to take, allowing employees to work unpaid.

If you chose not to volunteer what happens? If nothing happens then I would consider it unpaid time. If you get in trouble for not volunteering then I would consider it hours works.

Keep in mind, you can be forced to work outside your normal schedule and written up/fired for failure to work. Being paid for the time is another issue entirely.

 

[lecach]

I bolded the bits that answered your questions about whether you should be paid.

I never actually volunteered. I was thinking that I WOULD volunteer but never said anything to anyone about it. Before I could volunteer for a shift I was asked to be in charge of an activity.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Based on my understanding of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), no employee, whether hourly or salaried, that is not exempt from the FLSA (executives, management, professionals, and some others) can work for more than 40 hours in a week without receiving time and a half pay for those extra hours. This is true whether it is voluntary or not. So the law basically says that if you are being asked to work 40 hours the week before and 40 hours the week afterwards, you cannot work at a company event on the weekend between without compensation.

Personally, I've always disliked the inflexibility of the FLSA and found it annoying to manage non-exempt staff. But like it or not, it is the law.

I suppose the company could argue that they aren't asking you to work, just to come volunteer at a fun party. I can't imagine that defense working in court. Still, insisting on a rigid and exceptionless holding of your FLSA rights might not be a great career move.

 

[diznygirl]

Can't you just tell them the truth - that you can't be there the entire time because you will have your son with you cuz your DH works weekends?

 

[Disney Doll]

Since you are hourly, I would think that you should either be paid for the hours you work, or get comp time.

I wouldn't mention anything about the child care aspect of it. I would just try to find someone to watch your ds for that period of time when you are working.

I agree with this.

 

[EthansMom]

I'd tell them, "Sorry, but my DH works on weekends and I'll have my DS. I hope to stop by for a brief time during the event, but can't be here for the whole thing."

It would be especially unfair if you are being asked to "volunteer" 5 hours of your time while your coworkers are paid for their time. In all likelihood, the person who asked you to cover didn't even consider the difference.

 

[Handbag Lady]

You should be paid if you are expected to work the fair for 5 hours.

I don't understand why you just don't have a short talk about it with your boss. Maybe HR was wrong and that he/she expects to pay you.

You can easily approach the subject by saying that you are considering taking on the 5-hour shift but that you had questions on it. You can even say that you are a little embarrassed for asking, but since your DH works, you are kind of in a bind and did not wish to appear uncooperative.

Then, ask if you are supposed to be paid, since it is a work thing. If pressed, you can say you'd have to make child-care arrangements and pay a sitter, and then you can say nicely you'll have to decline if there is no pay. Certainly, they can't expect a child to sit still for five hours while you are concentrating on running the game.