The Wage Theft Tango
The phones in the call center are open from 9:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. I work a later shift from 11:30 to 8. One week, the following happens.
Monday
I clock into my job at 11:30 A.M., do five minutes of setup and start taking phone calls from customers by 11:35. I clock out at 8:00 P.M. that night.
Sometime during the day, a memo comes down from corporate, “Call center representatives should start taking calls the moment their shift is scheduled to start.”
Tuesday
In order to avoid working off the clock I clock into my job at 11:15 A.M., do five minutes of setup, 10 minutes of administrative work, and start taking phone calls from customers at 11:30 A.M., when my shift officially starts. I clock out at 8:00 P.M., having done 15 minutes of overtime that day.
Wednesday
In order to avoid working off the clock I clock into my job at 11:15 A.M., do five minutes of setup, 10 minutes of administrative work, and start taking phone calls from customers at 11:30 A.M., when my shift officially starts. Sometime during the day a memo comes down from corporate, “Overtime is not approved for call center representatives.” I clock out early, at 7:45 P.M. in order to avoid doing overtime.
Thursday
Starting at 11:25 A.M. I do five minutes of setup. I clock in at 11:30 and start taking calls immediately. I stop working at 7:55 but don’t clock out yet. 156
I’ll be damned if I let corporate make me a victim of wage theft. Over the next five minutes a couple of calls from last-minute Karens come in. I don’t take the calls and at 8:00 P.M. I clock out. The customers eventually hang up, disappointed.
Friday
Starting at 11:25 A.M. I do five minutes of setup. I clock in at 11:30 and start taking calls immediately. Sometime during the day my boss comes to talk to me.
Boss: “When you clocked out at 8:00 last night there were still customers waiting in the call queue. Why didn’t you take their calls?”
Me: “Sorry, Boss; my shift ends at 8:00 and OvErTiMe Is NoT aPpRoVeD fOr CaLl CeNtEr RePs.”
Boss: “Oh, well, you’re allowed to stay late to finish up the customers that call in.”
Me: “Sure thing, <PERSON>! Can I have that in writing?”
Later that day a memo comes down from corporate, “Overtime for business needs is approved for call center representatives.” At 7:59 P.M. a last-minute <PERSON> calls in. I help her until 8:05. I clock off 8:15 to make sure I get paid for the extra ten minutes of work I did.
Keep trying corporate, I’m hourly. 329