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Staff writers at ABC bristled when they were asked to sign a waiver saying that they would not be entitled to overtime for checking their company-provided Blackberries (in file photo) at home. The dispute was settled internally, but it raises a growing concern among workers for whom technology is increasingly intruding on private time: if you are an hourly worker and are required to check your emails off duty, should you get overtime?
A worker who is entitled to overtime for working more than 40 hours would not normally be compensated for on-call time where he’s free to leave the workplace, but has to leave word where he can be reached. But if he’s required to perform services after normal hours—even at his own home, he does need to be compensated.
For the two minutes it takes to scan over one’s inbox, not much overtime will accrue. But as technology allows more and more work to be done remotely, the issue of overtime pay will become a bigger budget item for the companies who will be required to pay it.For other stories about KYW go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/
