churches are the worst employers...ever.

[Fireheart]

I'm convinced.

My mom is the communications director for a large church and has been for 10 years. She started off as a volunteer and eventually they hired her. Things got progressively worse from there.

First off, they pay her a pittance for what she does. The previous pastor put her on salary, so he wouldn't have to pay her for overtime. She works 60-80 hours a week, so that's a shit load of overtime. The rest of the staff works 8-4. The office full on closes at 4, and they go home. My mother works 8-8, sometimes more. This is with one assistant.

The assistant got sick this past week on the day the bulletin had to be in, which is pretty much the one thing this woman does (she works 8-4 too). Because my mother has many other things to work on and didn't have time, she called up one of the secretaries and asked her to do it. This woman bitched her out, about how she didn't appreciate it being dumped on her and how irresponsible my mother was, etc etc. Mom said never mind, she'd take care of it and hung up on her mid-bitch.

Another secretary volunteered to take care of it, and sweetly did just that. The pastor called and said he wanted to talk to mom. They met today, and the pastor yelled at her for not taking care of her responsibilities, dumping it in someone's lap, citing the fact that it's "her ministry."

The only reason my mom keeps this job is for the insurance. I have asthma, my dad has heart disease, my mom has hypertension (probably from her huging job)...there's no way anyone will insure us as well as we are insured right now.

It's just frustrating, and I think we all feel trapped by this shithole of a church. If you've got advice, I'd be happy to hear it. If not, that's cool too.

[Convallaria]

I just hope your mother defended herself and made all of the same points in the "meeting" that you made in this post. Maybe if she stood up for her position and stated her duties and responsibilities to him in the same way that you worded them here, he would see that he's treating her like a work-horse.

[Chicory_Witch]

You don't want to know what I'd do to a church that treated my mother like that. I'd probably get us both arrested. :gagged:

[Fireheart]

He knows how much she works, knows everything I've said. She's told him several times, and I just don't think he cares.

And yeah Chickory Witch, me freakin too. I want to rip him and that bitch of a secretary a new one. But as awesome as that'd be, it might affect my mom's job even more lol.

[Convallaria]

He knows how much she works, knows everything I've said. She's told him several times, and I just don't think he cares.

Well in that case I'm with Chickory Witch!

Also, this is why I'm so baffled as to why some Americans believe free health care is socialism... Here in Canada health insurance wouldn't really hold me back from quitting a job because it's so easy to obtain coverage in employment at most jobs...

[Lunacie]

I very much doubt that the pastor is paying her salary out of his own pocket, and I rather doubt that he's in charge of hiring and firing and overseeing the staff either. I don't know what makes him think it's his business to bitch at your mom for asking for help.

Hopefully your mom will go to the board or the elders or whoever is actually in charge and explain that she's already working more hours than she's getting paid for, she isn't getting paid to get bitched out for asking for some help when her assistant gets sick, and ask them what they recommend she do the next time someone gets sick.

Or she could just hand them a bill for all the overtime. Time-and-a-half for anything over 40 hours a week eh?

Or do a really crappy job on the bulletin and tell everyone very sweetly "Sorry I didn't have more time to check for errors." I've seen lots of funny errors that were inadvertently put in church bulletins - maybe she could a bunch on purpose?

[Cunae]

I so agree, Fireheart. My spouse is a pastor and we don't get health insurance of any kind.

[Tom Terrific]

Or she could just hand them a bill for all the overtime. Time-and-a-half for anything over 40 hours a week eh?

You reminded me of something I learned recently.

My last job, the manager and I got along pretty well. He was on salary and expected to put in 50 hours per week. The owner of the business tried to get him to do more, and he was able to cite federal law concerning some limit that exists even when you're salaried. I don't know what these limitations are, or whether they are applicable in this woman's case; but, if she's working 60 hours every week, it might be worth looking into.

[Lunacie]

You reminded me of something I learned recently.

My last job, the manager and I got along pretty well. He was on salary and expected to put in 50 hours per week. The owner of the business tried to get him to do more, and he was able to cite federal law concerning some limit that exists even when you're salaried. I don't know what these limitations are, or whether they are applicable in this woman's case; but, if she's working 60 hours every week, it might be worth looking into.

Looks like the main exemption to overtime pay for a salaried worker is how much money they get, i.e. at least $455 a week. If Fireheart's mom makes less than that she would be entitled to overtime pay for anything over 40 hours a week.

US Dept of Labor - Wage and Hour Division information web page (http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/fairpay/fs17a_overview.htm)

[Tom Terrific]

Looks like the main exemption to overtime pay for a salaried worker is how much money they get, i.e. at least $455 a week. If Fireheart's mom makes less than that she would be entitled to overtime pay for anything over 40 hours a week.

US Dept of Labor - Wage and Hour Division information web page (http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/fairpay/fs17a_overview.htm)

If it turns out that this applies to her, and has applied to her for some time, I would think about figuring out how much they should have paid me and going after that, too. Even if you think it isn't worth the trouble to pursue to the bitter end, it would be one heck of a bargaining chip -- especially against a church, which ought to be more concerned about its public image than an ordinary employer.