I have been a salary employee working as a manager for about six years. About 4 months ago they demoted me to Field Support Technician. I have looked at the requirements on the Federal Labor Website and I qualify for hourly & overtime pay. My employer several months ago moved everyone in the same field to hourly with overtime pay about 8 months ago.

Since I have received my new position I have been required to work out of town for 2 to 3 weeks at a time for over 4 months. I have been putting in 70 to 75 hours a week. When hired it said some travel is required and some overtime is required.

When I go to them and tell them I want to be hourly I already know the game they will play since I was a manager. They will try and reduce my wage a few thousand dollars as hourly. Stating that the Salary wage I am making had overtime included.

I know it is not fair, but do I have any precedence or laws to work with?

I have been keeping records of all my hours since the demotion.:)

I appreciate any help.

Are you not being paid overtime at all? Are you normally scheduled for a 40-hour (or whatever the company defines as full-time)?

I have never been paid overtime pay.

They post our core hours as 8:30 - 5:00.

In the last 3 years though I have been expected to work 12 -14 hour days, 7 days a week because of special projects.

The special project I am working on now was to only be for 2 weeks. As said before it is now over 4 months out of town.

Thanks Rick

Whether you are paid on an hourly basis or a salaried basis, if you are nonexempt, you must be paid overtime. Period. You can file a claim with the state Dept. of Labor.