Production supervisor back to operating machine

rrhammett

We are a printing manufacturer. As everyone well knows, times are hard. Hence, we are considering the transfer of our salaried production supervisors back to running some printing equipment.

If we choose to do so, should the salaried personnel's pay be converted to a hourly rate and pay overtime for hours over 40?

Your input will be greatly appreciated.

marc

Exempt or non-exempt status is based on the job description, not on the EEs history with the company. So, assuming the transfer is not just a temporary assignment and if the new job is a non-exempt category, they would be eligible for OT when their work exceed 40 hours for the week.

Don D

Based on your company practice and culture, you may want to do more than just 'convert' the salaried pay to hourly. You may in fact find it reasonable to REDUCE the pay to an hourly amount consistent with what you pay machine operators. It may be a tough bullet to bite, but when times are hard, times are hard. And it will create larger issues for you later if coworkers realize an ex-supervisor is operating side-by-side with them making much more money.

Brad Forrister

But remember you can have "working supervisors" who are exempt because they retain some of their supervisory responsibilities along with running a press.

Brad Forrister
Director of Publishing
M. Lee Smith Publishers

rrhammett

What constitutes "working supervisors" who are exempt because they retain some of their supervisory responsibilities along with running a press.

I searched the wage and hour website and all I could find was that the exempt employee does not spend more than 20% of his/her time on non-managment functions.

Is there some place that I could get the specific information regarding this issue?

Thanks

E Wart

We had to do this to one of our supervisors several years ago (but not due to "hard times". We evaluated what the hourly rate for the "new" job would be (which was significantly less than "present" job.) The employee was explained that he was no longer eligible for his "present" job [or however you would want to say it.. in your case it is being eliminated]. However, we did have the "new job" to offer him at the "new" rate. Basically he could take it or leave it. If he didn't take it he would no longer have a job. If this is the case, you had better be ready for this situation (would you pay severance, would the employee be termianted?)
Are you really eliminating the old job or just adding some other duties to their day, which happen to be what would be considered at a lesser pay?
E Wart