Just curious how deep this “request” goes throughout the company. We here (direct charge) at HI Cwl are requested to work 10-15% of “professional time” I.e. unpaid over time till at least the rest of the year. The curious thing this has been going on for a couple years now but they are being more forceful about it but will not do so in writing. Anyone else in this sinking boat?
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I still regret doing any work at all there. Unfortunately I did a good job and regret it more and more.
Sheesch, all you whiny-but$ just don't get it, do you. Here's how you 'play' that professional OT during a 'typical' day if you want to keep your sanity while putting in your time:
1) Come to work on time always, do not cheat, but start you 'typical' day by turning on the PC, then reading the news, check your stocks, check a couple things you thought of getting ready for work. this should take you about an hour;
2) Then, about 1 hour in, start looking at your email, perform triage, and decide which emails 'deserve' to be acted on. Do NOT reply to an email unless it has 'aged', meaning it should be at least 5 'business' hours old (you are really too busy to get to it and reply any sooner). As you triage, delete all company broadcast emails, essentially all are B$ anyway so why get depressed so early in the day;
3) You should be about 1.5 to 2.0-hrs into your day, nothing really accomplished (good), but you 'look' busy and that's good. At this point, and not any sooner, start working on your assigned task(s). Be sure to send at least 1 email within 3-hrs into your day and make absolutely sure you CC as many people as you can -- this gives your coworkers the appearance you are busily working your task and also show you're communicating with "the team";
4) You should now be about 3.5-hrs into your day, start 'thinking about lunch' but first... check your stocks and see what's happening in the market, especially company stock and related news releases (try to picture how your contributions during your 'typical' day is contributing to the company's bottom line) and also check the news, especially the political news;
5) Now go get your lunch from the community fridge or the Cafe and bring it back to your desk, this gives your coworkers the appearance you are hard working and 'working thru lunch'. But, you and I both know you're checking the news again, maybe doing some 'pre-shopping' on Amazon so you'll know what to buy when you get home. Also do your research into materials and supplies you'll need for this weekend's project. Be sure to shop Lowe$, HD, and other similar. Oh, and Amazon might also have what you're looking for so check them too, low prices and free shipping is always a deal maker. You get some ideas and its now time to put away your lunch stuff and get back at it, there's about 3.5-hrs left in the day and still got things you need to do;
6) Pull out the pad of paper from your desk and start sketching out your project, formalizing it, and maybe start creating a list of materials in Word or Excel. Your plans might as well be professional looking since you're spending so much time on it. Work a little bit each day on it, results will be nice. Don't hesitate to use the color printer, single-sided, so you can take it home and show your partner what you accomplished today;
7) By now there should be about 2.5-hrs remaining in this typical day. Take a quick peak at the DOW and S
8) Time to go check your emails again, start replying to those that came in yesterday (but NOT any less than 5-hrs old, that's the 'rule'). Maybe start back up on your tasks at this point in time, gotta earn your keep, right? Start formulating any emails asking for additional data, or providing data to others, but DO NOT hit SEND at this time, just get them ready to send. These will be 'queued up' for sending just about 15-min before you leave for the day, you wanna look like you've busted your 'you know what' up until you leave, and this will especially look good if your boss is being CCd. If there's any 'valuable' time left before your day's end then maybe do a bit of work if you feel like it, its late in the day, you don't want to start anything unless there's enough time to finish it, so might hold off until tomorrow. If you start too late then you're 'error prone' and its just gunna take too much rework to fix when you come in tomorrow. You need to think 'efficiency', apply your time 'smartly' so you don't have to re-do anything, remember your contribution to the company's bottom line, always positive!
9) At this point its about at the end of your day, and because you've been busy getting your own stuff done first thing today, you can look back at your accomplishments and feel good. With this mindset you'll go home with a good attitude. But wait, since most people have peeled out by now its time to go 'shopping' for craft supplies and materials for your weekend project. Tablets and pens for the kids, tablets for your sketches of the next projects, and safety glasses and/or ear plugs when doing the lawn work, gotta think 'safety', right? And check those empty cubes, there's always some good 'finds' that the previous occupant may have left just for you.
10) Now, punch the big 'send' button in Outlook, start shuttin down the PC and get ready to head off home with a good attitude and some good ideas for your next projects and a list of things you might buy on the web after dinner tonight.
If you guys can't figure out how to make your day more productive on your own then I hope my typical schedule above helps you. It's worked for at least the last 15-years of my 40-years 'career'. I am very happy with my accomplishments, always fell into the 5-block, was never PIP'd, and retired early with a big smile.
PS: Just remember, first get your own stuff done and then get the company's stuff done. You will always feel better .and you'll always get your money's worth even if you're asked (forced) to spend another 10-15% on-site doing your own personal projects, collecting supplies, shopping, researching, and so on. When you follow something like this you will quickly find your 'happy place'.
PSS: Never cheat on time, always get to work on-time and always record your time correctly. Don't give them any reason. In between... have it your way.
This also happened to me this review cycle. I also did not work over 40.
Not to bring up an old but still valid subject, I had my review today and for the first time in 17 years at Honeywell I was placed in the outer block and put on a pip. Reasons given are complete bs like does not act with urgency and wasn’t available during core hours etc. I know this all stems from my refusal to put in the extra abritrary hours but the result is the same. As someone mentioned above they come up with bs to put you on a pip to either prove a point or a way to get rid of you with giving you unattainable goals on that pip. Employees that drink the coolaid and put in 46 hours weekly and have zero accomplishments to show for it are praised and even given raises.
My experience was given difficult tasks, verbally, no help or direction, lots of decisions I thought should require a manager were pushed to me. No thanks if done right and scolded if things didn’t quit work out. Managers avoiding decisions and not knowing what to do. Many people have very different experiences, it all comes down to who your boss is and if ALT picked your group off the spreadsheet for reduction. I left, lots of jobs now if you want to look.
There is a difference between working hard to get the mission done. I am a veteran and an engineer and this is my tempo of operations. I have an issue when my project is light and I am forced to charge 44 hours minimum and idle on a charge number. This is unethical and it could be illegal. What gets me the most is when I need to charge general allowable to maintain our old test equipment and I am told to do it in 15 minute increments to roll the charges to a government contracts. Honeywell has defenately tested my integrity in many ways. I don't think I will be working much longer with Honeywell.
to be clear. I am an engineer. And yes I put in extra hours when it’s needed. They have no issue with us putting in as much free overtime as we like but lord forbid we one week do not charge the full 40 hours. Even though I am salaried, I have non of the benefits of being salaried and all the constraints of being hourly. Getting boned both ways. My beef is that unwritten requirement they are asking of us.
Ok...I thought it was engineers having issues about working 45 without overtime. Other functions such as finance, contracts, and PPC would consider that normal.
A professional will work until the job is done...if that takes 44 or 50 hours, then so be it. And if they're done in 35 hours, they go play golf.
There are no professionals who work a Government Contract. You WILL work a minimum of 40 hours, and you will keep accurate accounting of each 30 minute segment of every day. Whether you're done or not. If you're not done, you keep working until you are...if you ARE done, you are encouraged to sandbag an extra 10-15% anyway. You are hourly, not professional. Regarding Exempt or Non-Exempt status per labor laws, in Government Contracting, you are really just hourly (you simply don't get overtime).
Most professionals at any company work 45 hours a week. I am shocked when I hear a salaried person works 40.
If you have evidence of EEI and Yield conversations with your manage in which they ask you to work or charge more on a program, save it or document it. Capture dates, witnesses, names, etc... this will be importan down the road. It is just a matter of time before Honeywell gets sued. We are all witnesses to a federal crime. Managers are complicit.
This is my first time here and I am not into airing dirty laundry, but today I was told I need to work more to ensure I am not part of the next layoffs. Something is way off with this company. They are definatley doing something illegal. If Honeywell has layoff people just because they don't work more than 40 hours a week, the they should be a class action lawsuit from all the people layoff. This EEI and Yield thing is getting out of control.
Some managers in Clearwater are directing staff that if they can't work OT then they need to put an additional 4 hours of vacation time on their time sheet each week. That way their time sheet shows 44 hrs of work every week and EEI metrics look good.
1grd
Maybe...
We used to do OT when we were behind to get us back on track. Since they only pay us for 40, then nothing was gained. Only works if we finish early, but we all know that hardly ever works. Too many issues that slow down a project that are WAY outside of our control.
They force everyone to do it because they can book the revenue associated with the spend. If the project is worth $10M and it costs us $5M, for every $1 we spend we book $2 in revenue.
Same here out west. Verbal on 44 hours and yield tracked on each person at arround 95 percent minimum. Hard workers that only work 40 hours every week are considered scum and will suffer at review time since both metrics are documented in our goals.
Furloughs, RIFs, s---y or no raises, biometrics geared to raise premiums, etc...
And they want us to put in free labor!!!???
Are they really that stupid or evil? We should all band together and give them a resounding NO!
Put in 40, and try not to let the door hit you in the keester as yer running out...
My issue is why do they demand high EEI if you are on schedule and the project is performing well? Our plant does not charge the gov, but we are still getting pressure to put in 110%+. Are they just whipping the horse for no reason? Sick bastards is what they are!
Need a whistle blower not a class action lawsuit
I assume people are afraid of losing their job that’s why no one wants to challenge it. Also who would we bring it up to? I am still unsure if Honeywell is doing something wrong or within their right to ask this of the employees. However I suspect it’s not legal. When I first started working for Honeywell we did get paid for some overtime so I assume we are Eligible to recive overtime pay but why would they pay the employees if they can get it for free.
Why doesn't someone report this, they will have to conduct an investigation. And if enough people speak up something will be done
Honeywell has been skirting the labor laws for years like this. I'd like to see a class action lawsuit challenging the idea that they can perpetually demand 115%. I know it's immoral, I suspect it's illegal too, and since the policy is not in writing I'm sure that Honeywell knows it's wrong.
I refused to play that game and only worked 8 hours. It took 5 years of that before I got riffed.
To answer the direct charge question above, I do direct charge to pool numbers. Which in turn get charged back to hours to customers. Now I’m still very confused on if I’m considered exempt or non exempt however I am salaried. My take on the situation if it was legal for the management to “request” the employees to work overtime regardless of whether or not it’s needed to meet their bottom line, it’s unethical and pretty sure it would fall into the mischarging category. That being said the way they are so sneaky and slimey about it, they know they are doing something wrong and that’s why it’s never expressed in writing.
I was told by my manager to ensure we work at least 10-15% extra a week and at least 95% of those charges are to a direct contract. We all know Honeywell is defrauding the federal government, but what can we do. If we do not work the extra hours we will be replaced with someone that will during the RIF and Layoffs cycle.
We were told (verbally of course) if the employee regularly only put in 40, even if they were competent, they were not "team players" and should be managed out. Then it was put us on to come up with some BS justification to get them on a PIP, so unethical.
I'm curious about whether or not you direct charge that time. Legally, salaried employees are "exempt" from tracking their time for payroll purposes and an employer can require that they work any number of hours at any time of day unless there are contract agreements, etc. Legally, a company has no problem putting that requirement in writing and probably should if they want to enforce it.
However, legally, that time must be reported correctly into the system in order to stay compliant with government accounting rules even if the time charged has nothing to do with the government since the split between government contract and non-government, and overhead, affects the hourly rate charged to the government.
I also got paid overtime a bit in the late 70s at AiResearch, but in the end if you can get paid OT then by law you are a hybrid called "non-exempt" salaried no matter how high your pay rate. I think just about all companies did away with that practice long ago.
S.A. in Clearwater ETS - Space forced us to work mandatory overtime and forced us to get her approval to charge General Allowabe as a way of intimidating us into charging the cumtomer for generall allowable tasks. She needs no broom. And that is just the tip of all the unethical things she has forced us to do.
I hear it over in Glendale Az Space . Immoral. Management can claim "oh, but you are salaried, exempt so you are Expected to do free OT." Well I was first hired-in in 1981 we got paid OT at Sperry, then Honeywell got us and nimbled away at it. I will Never work it if it goes demanded now I am not a coolie . Fortunity the support group I am in never went there on free OT demand. But I do 1 hour or 2 occasionally unpaid to meet a schedule /deadline. What gets me is big Tim still gets his bonuses .
Don't do it or do it. Completely up to you no matter what anyone tells you. I wouldn't do it.