If you really loved your job would you work for free if the company fell on hard times? What if the company was just being cheap?

Here's an example.. My hubby works for a city government as a police officer. He works 84 hours and gets paid every 2 weeks. Now the mayor only wants to pay them for 80 hours. But the work schedule requires them to work 84 hours. They were giving the option of taking off 4 hours every 2 weeks. But when my hubby's turn come. His supervisor said they didn't have enough people to cover the shift. So he ended up working for free. So do you thin this is fair?

I don't think it is fair at all and I would not do it.

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I don't think it is fair of them to expect it of you, but it's different if you volunteer for it. For example, my DH worked for a company that he really liked a few years ago. They were a small start-up company and had less than 20 employees. They fell on hard times when all the other computer start-up types did, and they asked the employees if they would be willing to voluntarily take pay cuts. Each employee decided for himself how much he would be willing to take as a pay cut, and the pres and vice pres were working for free. We took a pay cut, as did pretty much everybody else, and it helped the company get by for a few extra months, but in the end they ended up laying everyone off and sort of starting over with just 3 people. They promised that if/when the company got going again, they would pay us back for the period that we took cuts for, but we never really expected anything. Then last quarter we randomly got a check in the mail from them for like $200. They said they had finally had a profitable quarter and were going to start paying us back. We were really surprised! But that's the kind of company it was - the kind where everyone was willing to take a pay cut and do what it takes to try to keep things going. Jeff really loved that job.

I feel like I practically work for free in my teaching job. They only pay me about 2K per semester. But I'm not there for the money, I do it because I like it. I still get surprised sometimes when they pay me - like, oh right, I forgot they actually pay me for this! But then when I do my taxes and see how much they paid me last year, I feel like, I can't believe they pay me so little for this!

I think that the best work situation would be one where you would do it just because you like it even if they didn't pay you. Of course, you need something to live on too, so it's nice if they can pay you to do a job you like! When I imagine who must have jobs like this, I always think of artists or musicians, but I think that teachers and computer programmers could have it too!

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If I were in the same situation as your DH I would've asked for another day to take my 4 hours off. It is illegal for them to not pay your dh if he worked those hours. Like Alicia said, if someone volunteers then that is different, but the city can't just decide to not pay your dh.

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Asexuality: It's not just for amoebas anymore

"As long as two people love each other I don't think God cares whether they both have a hoo hoo or a haa haa" Marge Simpson

I work in a non-profit. I work for free all the time.

Because I work a 32-hour week instead of full-time, I'm supposed to be paid hourly rather than on an annual salary, but this doesn't mean that I'm punching a clock and only working when I'm physically here. I take work home with me constantly, and I'm constantly reading stuff that's work-related, or at least related to my field, when I'm not on work time. I definitely work at least as much as I did when I was salaried--probably more, since we've been short-staffed since July--but I do it for two reasons. a) I do love my job, and because I work in an art museum, a lot of the stuff I do for professional development is personally satisfying as well (going to galleries and museums, reading art history books and articles); and b) it's completely worth it to me to have Wednesdays off to spend with my daughter and to get the drudgery of the week done, so that the weekends can be family time.

I don't necessarily think this would all be free of my company to *expect* of me, but I dont have any problem doing it voluntarily as I am now. I do think that if I worked for a for-profit I'd probably feel differently.

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Jessica 34
DH 42
Darling Niece 14
Big girl S. born August 28, 2003
Expecting in January 2007!

I've already worked for a cheap company and quit.

In your dh's situation no, but I wouldn't mind being a volunteer at a hospital or something in the future but right now I need money.

They can't make them work for a shift and not pay them. Your husband should be compensated in some way for his time. If I knew they would compensate me in some way soon, it probably would not bother me. If they don't, then I would probably tell them they have to pay me for the time or else.

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Snowy days!



Jennifer (37) & Chris (41)
Alex 3.5
Teagan 1

My dh has been in this situation twice and is currently going through this. He is also looking for a new job. It is ridiculous, in our case considering both of his bosses have/had money , just not in the business account. The both don't want there personal lives (mansions porshes and beamers and privelidged children, posh "kept wives", being entertwined with business, therefore , my dh empatically refuses to work for free in this case or the former as it comes down to being cheap and trying to save a buck of the back of dh and his coworkers. In other circumstances, my dh would have no problem doing so for the team. .

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