Am I getting screwed?

So I have this okay “in the mean time” job right now. It’s graphic design, but the place is a little different. We are an MRDD day-hab workshop facility. So Developmentally Disabled adults come in during the day and work there for a job for them. A large part of this workshop is commercial tee shirt printing. This is where I come in, I run/maintain our printing machines, develop aids for the clients (MRDD workers) so they can do their tasks better, design most of the things that we will print, design and manage advertising.

The problem(s):

I was started out at low but okay hourly rate for the first month. It took the place six weeks to pay me for the first time and after the first pay period they just took that rate and gave it to me for forty hours, no OT and I was considered a salary employee. This wage is half of what the coroflot salary calculator says that I should be making. My boss SAYS he wants to pay me more but that was two months ago and all he has done is reiterate himself.

I now have to ride the client bussed that bring the clients to and from work. (unpaid, and outside of my 40hr/week)

I have to stay later to help print shirts with my assistant, who only comes in at the evening.


When I asked about comp time or anything like that I was told to stop complaining and that I would not be getting any as that my boss had been good to let me have three days off (non consecutive). I’ve been here for just over seven months. I am located in a blue collar town that I hate in NE Ohio. Also I think that this might be them trying to limit my ability to look for work in my free time. Any ideas as to what I should do?

It took the place six weeks to pay me for the first time and after the first pay period they just took that rate and gave it to me for forty hours, no OT and I was considered a salary employee.

Taking 6 weeks is a problem. Are they paying regularly now? However, if you’re considered salary… welcome to the real world. Salary ALWAYS equals no paid OT. You’re employer doesn’t have to pay you over time for anything, and he doesn’t have to offer you comp time. If he appreciates your work, he might do something, but he never HAS to.

This wage is half of what the coroflot salary calculator says that I should be making.

That salary calculator is pretty vague. It doesn’t take many factors into consideration, and also relies on truth by those surveyed. I almost always notice several $100k+ Junior Designers on that survey, something tells me that’s a bit inaccurate. You agreed to work for the price you are working for, that’s not your employers fault. Of course someones going to say “I really want to pay you more…” because they want give you hope and that you might stick around for a while.

Bottom line, you are getting screwed, but by yourself. You want more money? Ask for it, and back up why you deserve it. You’re at a non-profit (I’m guessing) which means there’s probably not a lot of cash sitting around, so keep that in mind. If they can’t get you close to where you think you deserve, and they should explain why they can’t, then hit the road. However, you are employed and these days that says something. Do yourself a favor and have a backup plan in place before you go pushing your employer around.

Ever since my first pay check I have gotten paid every two weeks. I don’t mind not getting paid OT when it is for things that pertain to my job. Being told that I need to get in a few hours early (like 6:30 am as opposed to :sunglasses: to do something not related at all, is annoying. From what I took of salary calculator it seemed that $33-40k might be typical. It’s about half of that. I only agreed to the rate with the stipulation that after the first month or so it would be reevaluated, so I did not mind getting less then what I would have liked to see. I did bring it up at that time but the person who was running the company then, they where more interested in other things. The way it works is like two separate company’s doing things with each other. One is non-prof the other is a typical for profit company. I know that I am lucky to have a job when unemployment is nearly 10% in the nation, I just feel that I am getting jerked around.

Bail.

Sounds like it is time to start focussing on finding another job.

Abort, abort, abort!!!