Is OVERTIME a big part of our nation's financial problems?

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: bamacre

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil
The economy is in trouble because of DEMOCRATS.

You aren't playing with a full deck, are you?

I've mentioned it to him on numerous occasions but he's in denial.

 

[Stunt]

Honestly...
The reason for the US's financial problems is increased spending by government, excessively low interest rates (increasing money supply), expensive wars, and deep tax cuts. You cannot expand the size of government, decrease taxes and devalue your currency all at once. Very poor risk management by banks loaning money to people who don't make that much money inflating the housing market, people using their houses like an atm, debt levels skyrocketing. Once housing values declined (lower demand, too much supply), interest rates increased (to fend off inflation); people stopped borrowing and spending and when you have 80% of the economy driven by the consumer...it all goes downhill from there. Less spending = less jobs = less people paying tax and being productive.

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: Hacp
Who says we need to give health benefits? Only unions do. Thats why they are slowly killing the American economy. Take away overtime from the fatcat union workers and hire some of the millions of Americans who are out of jobs. I'm sure they'll love to find work, any work.

Who told you that, your mom? LOL at some of the opinions I read here.

 

[miketheidiot]

ok how about this:

is it cheaper to pay 40 hours of overtime pay, or 40 hours of regular pay + benefits and training cost etc on another employee?

 

[miketheidiot]

Originally posted by: Hacp

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: Deleted member 4644
I think I am saying reduce overtime hours, but hiring more workers. But possibly reduce overtime pay also?

I agree that in SOME cases, agencies should hire more people to reduce the overtime, but hell, as long as we're just cutting costs, let's do away with benefits...that you'd have to pay to those new employees on top of their salaries...the fringe benefits package costs a company/government agency big bux...and are usually a significant part of a company's payroll costs.

Another big hole in your plan...if a fireman is working on an active fire...say in the middle of a burning building...does he get in his firetruck and go home at the end of his 8 hour shift? After all, he didn't drive his personal vehicle to the fire...

Same with cops. IF they're in the middle of a bank robbery some afternoon, do they just say, "OK fellas, shift's over, let's go home and let 2nd shift take it from here?


Yes, some government agencies have people who abuse the overtime system...but even hiring more people isn't gonna fix the entire problem.

Another huge cost to local cities is paying sick leave when someone retires. In many cases, the final payout of sick leave is easily in the 6 figures. The local paper's been doing a bunch of stories on that very problem.

There shouldn't be an overtime. They should be working for a salary. If you get the job done, you get paid. If you are incompetent, you get the axe.

i will trust businesses to determine the best methods for their compensation, not some dude on an internet forum

 

[miketheidiot]

Originally posted by: bamacre

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil
The economy is in trouble because of DEMOCRATS.

You aren't playing with a full deck, are you?

something we all can agree on

 

[Hacp]

Originally posted by: miketheidiot
ok how about this:

is it cheaper to pay 40 hours of overtime pay, or 40 hours of regular pay + benefits and training cost etc on another employee?

Training costs is a one time expense. Businesses can easily cut benefits or not offer them at all. Or, maybe overtime should be 1x pay and not 1.5x pay. We don't need uneducated high school dropouts making 100k a year when any day laborer can do the same job or better.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: Hacp
Overtime is a problem, but not the only problem. Unions drive up the costs of labor which encourages companies to move the jobs overseas. The minimum wage is also something we need to tackle. It should really be a minimum salary instead of a minimum wage. Eight hours if frankly too short to be competitive with 3rd world countries in terms of manual labor jobs. Saftey regulation and taxes also increase costs for business discourages them from hiring American.

How do you outsource a firefighter/policeman's job?

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Hacp

Originally posted by: miketheidiot
ok how about this:

is it cheaper to pay 40 hours of overtime pay, or 40 hours of regular pay + benefits and training cost etc on another employee?

Training costs is a one time expense. Businesses can easily cut benefits or not offer them at all. Or, maybe overtime should be 1x pay and not 1.5x pay. We don't need uneducated high school dropouts making 100k a year when any day laborer can do the same job or better.

Uneducated High School Droputs making a 100K a year are few and far between and those that do probably earn that 100K.