Working for your family can have its perks. Easy access to your boss, more leeway when you need time off, and more opportunities for advancement. Of course, this is textbook nepotism and is why many millionaires have money.
He writes:
I (31M) started working for my uncle two years ago. He has a company with some business partners, and my work is now directly under him, learning every perk of running the business and being a personal assistant to him.
We settled on a contract in which I'd receive a fixed monthly amount with an additional salary bonus by the end of every year. While I had no overtime pay, I had total control of my work schedule, and by total, I meant TOTAL, where I could come to the job just three days a week as long as I delivered results.
My uncle knew my work ethic, so it was a win for him since when needed, I'd work 60-65 hours a week; I also could work during a holiday (we have around 10-12 festivities days that are non-working days - if I were to put into an American perspective, is just as if we had over ten July 4th holidays during the year); also I was available on call nearly 24/7 if anyone needed anything from me related to work.
Work was running great until September of last year when my uncle took a couple of days to travel to another state to meet new clients, and one of his associates (let's call him Gordon) took his role in the company for those days to support some of his parts.
Due to having worked a 14-hour shift the day before the travel and two 12-hour shifts the week before, I was dead tired. Since we had little to no work piled up, I took an early leave the first day he was there and arrived after lunch the day after, then started working normally from the third day until he came back a week later.
Gordon was furious at my 'attitude,' berating my uncle for even hiring me in the first place since I don't even work regular full hours, and demanded that I at least punch in my working hours. If I don't meet the 'quota,' those hours will be deducted from my monthly payment. The other owners agreed with him (there are six owners in total, including my uncle).
There are many labor laws where I live; employees have a certain amount of hours required to work each month; every hour short of that is deducted from the monthly payment, and every hour beyond is paid as overtime.
The other partners backed up Gordon's claim stating that I needed more supervision on what I was doing, to which my uncle was forced to comply. His only remark was, 'since we're doing it by law, it means that we also will pay him overtime according to the law, right?' - they all agreed, and from October forward, I would start punching my hours on the job every day.
Cue the malicious compliance; that was precisely what I did. Gordon was expecting a decrease in my pay due to being in the company at my least busy week since I arrived, when in fact, I usually pull a cr*p load of overtime; also, if they need to call me after I left, they have to punch in the hours from the moment I left until the I finish the call, resulting in 'free' overtime pay.
One more thing, by the law, the rate of overtime pay increases the more overtime is done in a month, it's a bizarre formula, but to simplify, my average overtime hours pay 1/3 higher than the average overtime hours of other employees that have the same monthly salary as me.
My monthly income is now 30% higher due to the overtime I started receiving. In a busy month, that could get even close to 50% higher even though I am working a little less than before, and Gordon can't go back in the same situation as before since my uncle made sure that once I started punching my hours there was no going back, and all partners approved.
The internet has its thoughts.
AnonFoodie says:
Your uncle knew and let them set themselves up for this. Nice guy.
CoderJoe1 says:
You should send Gordon a thank you card for being your biggest supporter.
Cfwydirk says:
The smartest man in the room took his uninformed opinion and screwed himself and his partners. I hope you are not too obvious with your grin whenever you see him. Nice to have unintended 30% raise to go along with you learning how to run a business!
OP, are you sure Gordon isn't secretly your uncle too?