Though work-life balance is often paraded as the new corporate buzzword, far too many employees don’t enjoy its benefits. Companies only offer work-life balance to white-collared workers while forcing the blue collared counterparts to work ungodly hours.
Part of the tumultuous labor relations of the early 20th century revolved around work hours. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA), signed into law in 1938, put restrictions on work hours and mandated that companies pay overtime for any work above forty hours per week (with some exceptions, of course.)
The intention was to offer workers some critical protections and prevent them from getting taken advantage of. Before the act, companies could force workers into 12-hour days without paying a cent over the hourly wage.
Unfortunately, the FSLA doesn’t say that a company can’t force employees to work over 40 hours per week; it only says they must get paid overtime if they work over 40 hours.
The background leads us to the current situation. Far too many companies advertise full-time positions, only for potential employees to discover outrageous expectations during the hiring process.
One man came to Reddit on behalf of her son, who struggled to find a job that didn’t require mandatory overtime.
“Every job he has applied to says M – F 40 hours,” the user shared. “Then goes in for the interview its 5 10s and mandatory Sat and Sunday,” he added, showcasing the reality of each...
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