Sudden Hours Structure, Please Help

[vfink]

Hi guys, I'm new here and am trying to do research on some company changes that I feel are unfair and illegal.

I work for a company that does point of sale software and my job entails that I go out and install these systems. This company is based out of California and most recently opened an office in Nevada and will be opening an office in NJ. I get paid a base wage, per diem (38/day for out of town), and ot occording to state laws (Nevada in my case). If we are "on project", those hours are billed to the client and we kill ourselves with work, traditionally, if we are not, we are scheduled 40 hours per week in office doing our thing without any structure unless our supervisor instructs us specifically. (Granted, that time can be wastefully without direction, but it almost makes up for the 80 we work other weeks. It gives us time to have lives again, see our familes/friends, and do trip paperwork) I like many other's in this same position relocated from our home base in Santa Barbara, California under the assupmtion that if we were working and doing our jobs well, we would have jobs still under this same structure, granted, times change and companies adapt. Now, my company was privately owned and recently bought out by a large investment/capital firm and we have to answer to stockholders and there is a bigger emphasis on cost/benefit ratios rather than people and one change has everyone in my position, the foundation of the entire company up the creek without a paddle...

My company has said if you are not on project and are not specifically told to be in the office, you have no work. I was hired on as a full time employee and have no work for almost a month. I am expected to be oncall during that time and have specifically asked "what are our guarenteed hours/week?" and told "none" in a company meeting that there is no record of. We are told that we can take this time as unpaid or use our PTO...
Our HR dept has washed their hands of it and I am at my witts end with rent to pay and not enough PTO to suppliment my income.

Please help us, we need a little direction.

veronicafink@gmail.com

[Pattymd]

duplicate post.