Am I working for free?

[AriGriffin]

I work at the public library in my town. It is small and there are only three of us working there. There is supposed to be two, but J, the head librarian, said she didn't want to work every day, so her friend, G, is there. The library is open from Tuesday to Friday- 2:30 PM until 6:00 PM.

J works Tue & Wed 2:30-6:00.
G works Thurs & Fri same time
I work Tue, Wed, Thur, & Fri from 3:00 until 5:00 (longer if needed).

Last week, I took over G's two days, 7 hours. J said I would only get paid for what I regularly work (4 hours), and that G would owe me three hours. Meaning G would work three hours and I would have that time off.

That doesn't seem quite right to me as I worked those three extra hours... shouldn't I get paid for them? If I take one hour Thursday and two hours Friday, would that count since G is supposed to work those days to begin with. I know it isn't a lot, but I could really use the 'extra' $21.75 Maybe I am over-complicating things... my brain hurts now.

-~-~-~-~-

We are having a local author come speak and sign books today at the library at 3PM. The only problem is... no one told us. We didn't know about it until we read it in the local paper yesterday. J said the author most likely talked to the previous librarian (she has been gone since 2009, but keeps her nose in the library business), and she forgot to tell J about it. Cue us phoning people to see if they would come so the author wouldn't feel bad about there being no one there today. So far, only one person has said they'd come and that was my Mom. Most people said they had plans and the rest said they were sick.

I hadn't heard of the author before so I amazon-ed her. She is an 'Award Winning, Internationally Acclaimed Author.' The book she is promoting came out on March 31st and has 11 reviews- all 5 stars. Which makes me think something is fishy- most of the reviewers haven't reviewed anything else.

We are also having a children's Bingo game at 4 PM. Free to play and win prizes. Hope they aren't beating down the door for that. I tried holding a Disney trivia contest (free/refreshments provided/play for prizes), last Friday and no one came to that.

-~-~-~-~-

J has gone through the stacks and weeded out a lot of books. Mostly those Avon romance or mystery novels from the 60s/70s. There are also a lot of larger print books. They are on a cart with a free sign on them. There are also some stacked on a table and jammed in a closet. We can't get rid of the darn things. We've called all the senior care centers, used book stores, and craigslist. No one wants these books. J doesn't want to just throw them away, but they just sit there... and the mound grows from a few patrons bringing in books they don't want anymore. We also have a ton of magazines we need to get rid of. I've taken a bunch to use for crafts, but there is a room full of them.

[Seshat]

Last week, I took over G's two days, 7 hours. J said I would only get paid for what I regularly work (4 hours), and that G would owe me three hours. Meaning G would work three hours and I would have that time off.

That doesn't seem quite right to me as I worked those three extra hours... shouldn't I get paid for them?

In Australia, some places do 'time off in lieu': basically, if you work an extra day this week, you can take a day off next week (or some other future time) and be paid for that time.

Basically you're being told 'we don't want to pay you for extra time, we'd rather you took a day off and got paid for that'. If you're okay with that, make sure you use that time off as a kind of vacation time, NOT as a sick day!

[scruff]

We have time-off in lieu over here too (UK), saves the boss paying overtime.
:-)
Can be a nice way of getting some more holiday.

Can you donate the books to a charity shop? Or to a local school for crafts?

[AriGriffin]

I live in the USA- North Carolina to be more specific. J said I won't get paid for the time I worked when I take the couple of hours off.

The books aren't appropriate for school aged kids and the nearest charity shop (over 20 miles) said they didn't want to come pick them up. There are too many for J to fit in her car in one trip and she said she didn't want to take more than one trip due to gas being so expensive.

[Gerrinson]

I live in the USA- North Carolina to be more specific. J said I won't get paid for the time I worked when I take the couple of hours off.

Whoa, back up there. Let me make sure I understand this:

You worked several unpaid hours to cover for someone else. In return, they said that person 'owed' you a few hours and you could take the time off. Since they didn't pay you, it was implied that you would be paid for the time off.

Now, you did the extra work, you get the time off, but you don't get paid for the time off?

That means you did do several hours of free work. If you're in the US, that is basically illegal everwhere. I'd run it by your boss and if that is the case, the next step is the labor board.

I realize it's only a handful of hours, but don't go setting this precedent. It leads to bad places.

[Treasure]

as long as your hours equal out, then you should be fine; so if you work 80hr a PAY PERIOD and work 45 the first half, and only work 35 the second half - then when you turn in your time sheet, payroll sees 80 and that is what you get paid for

HOWEVER if you worked 45 and are being told you can only claim the 40 AND you're going to only work 35 and NOT claim 40 and on top of that G only worked 35 (but gets to claim 40 - the work you did) That's when you have a problem - and need to go direct to the supervisor over J's head, or to the Labor board.

[AccountingDrone]

J has gone through the stacks and weeded out a lot of books. Mostly those Avon romance or mystery novels from the 60s/70s. There are also a lot of larger print books. They are on a cart with a free sign on them. There are also some stacked on a table and jammed in a closet. We can't get rid of the darn things. We've called all the senior care centers, used book stores, and craigslist. No one wants these books. J doesn't want to just throw them away, but they just sit there... and the mound grows from a few patrons bringing in books they don't want anymore. We also have a ton of magazines we need to get rid of. I've taken a bunch to use for crafts, but there is a room full of them.

Have you thought about the local hospital? A VA hospital? Red Cross blood donation center? Dialysis Center? Chemo center? [for the books, not the magazines]

[Andara Bledin]

I was also thinking maybe local shelters might take some?

^-.-^

[Geek King]

I hate to destroy any book, but you might check to see if the local boy/girl scouts (or like organization) would like them to turn into the local recycler for some cash. They don't pay much for paper, but a roomful might be enough to make a bit for the troop. Plus, if you tell them all they have to do is come get them, they'll provide the labor too!

--Former 'free labor' scout

[Indigo]

I live in the USA- North Carolina to be more specific.

Not sure where in NC you are but I always take my books to Ed McKay's and get trade-in credit (you don't get as much if you choose cash). You might be able to use the trade-in credit to get some other books for the library.

http://www.wefeedyourhead.net/1/

[It's me]

If I take one hour Thursday and two hours Friday, would that count since G is supposed to work those days to begin with.

What was probably supposed to happen: G gets time off and you do G's job for three hours and then later G does your job for three hours while you have time off.

I think what is making things confusing is that it seems you aren't actually swapping hours (G isn't filling in when you are away).

So, ignoring the "why" of it all:

Scenario 1:
If your manager asked you to work the same total number weekly hours but with the hours moved around a bit, they your pay will stay the same.

Scenario 2:
If your manager asked to you work extra (more than normal) this week and then to work less next week to make up for it, then overall your pay will stay the same, although you will get more than normal one week and less the next.

Scenario 3:
If your manager asked to you work extra (more than normal) this week, and then you just worked your normal hours for the following weeks: you should be paid extra for the additional hours.

One thing to note: For scenario 2, depending on how taxes & other deductions work for you, you may find the amounts taken for taxes etc. different than if you had just worked your regular timeslot. Come tax-filing time it will all get sorted out, but it is something you should be aware of. It does sounds like you are working few enough hours that this shouldn't matter, but it might if you are putting in a full 40 hour week.

[AriGriffin]

They pay by the month. It goes from the 1st to the last day of the month. J said they are paying me for working 17 hours this month, or $123.25.
I have already worked 31 hours this month, including the three that G 'owes' me. If I work the rest of my scheduled shifts, I will work a total of 37 hours ($268.25) during the month of May- I started on the 3rd and have worked every Tuesday through Friday since.
J said they are going to pay me for 17 hours ($123.25) for the month of June. The only problem with that is I should be working 36 hours that month as they want me to work from 4 to 6 PM Tuesday through Friday.

I really enjoy working there and want to continue to do so. When they merge with the county my hours will increase and I will get benefits- or so J says. I am scared to raise a stink about it because I don't want to get fired.

-~-~-~-~-

Only four people came for the author's visit -J, G, and two of J's friends- and G left half way through the author's speech. I stayed in the lobby helping patrons with their books as I was tempted to ask her why most of the reviews of her books on Amazon are obviously fake.

-~-~-~-~-

I took some of the books to Edward McKay's used book store a few weeks ago. They wouldn't do trade or cash for them as they are stamped with the library's name/info and have the card holder in the back. They put them on the free shelf. I went there on Monday and the books were still there. No one wants these. I called the closest thrift store and they said they didn't have the space.

[EricKei]

Unless you are a *fully* unpaid "volunteer", then "allowing" you to work without pay is legally the same thing as forcing you to do so, in most states (It is here; my boss pulled something like this on me more than once). Check with your local Labor website.

If they really do allow the hours to "balance out" within the same pay period, that's different. But, if you work X total hours and there is no reciprocity from the CW, they need to pay you for X total hours, not X-3.

[Kristev]

If they get you to work without pay once, they'll try it a lot more. Call the labor board now.

[redleg]

as for the books http://booksforsoldiers.com/ is a good charity. there alot of bored soldiers all over the world that will read anything we can get.