salary employee required to work while clocked out

[harleyriders226]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

I'm in Iowa. I had been working salary as a parts manager. I would punch out for my lunch and as of late was being asked to work, take phone calls during so. In turn, my boss and I had a disagreement about whether I work over lunch or not. We ended up having a disagreement last Thursday. At first he stated to pack up my things, I was fired for not being a team player. He then stated for me to take the next day off so we could both cool off. I had tried to call him on several occasions to work things out, leaving him a message each time politely asking him to return my call and work this out. He never returned my calls. Then today (Sunday), I got an email (sent to my home personal email address) stating I was terminated. That while I was a good employee, I was not a team player and it was not up for discussion, that I was fired. He couldn't even call me in to work and fire me face to face - he emailed me???

I can't believe this has happened and wanted to know if there are any laws out there that state salaried employees should or should not work on their lunch hours while clocked in. I did have a signed contract, but it was very basic and did not include breaks/lunch, just my salary and benefits.

 

[cyjeff]

Salary means nothing.

If you were an exempt employee - in other words, you got the same pay no matter how many hours you worked - you could have absolutely been asked to work through lunch.

Oh, and if you and your boss got into a shouting match, I would most definitely agree that you are NOT a team player.

As a former retail manager, I have only fired more people for theft than for insubordination. You do NOT have the right to yell at your manager.

 

[cbg]

Salaried is only a pay method and has no legal status of its own. What matters is exempt or non-exempt. Not all salaried employees are exempt; not all hourly paid employees are non-exempt.

The state of Iowa does not require any breaks of any kind; therefore, it is legal for an employer to require you to work through them. The only question is whether or not you are due additional compensation for that time. If you are non-exempt, then you are due additional compensation at the rate of time and a half IF you work over 40 hours in a week; if you are exempt, then there are no circumstances whatsoever under which you are entitled by law to a single penny over and above your regular salary regardless of how many hours you work.

 

[harleyriders226]

I agree, nobody should disrespect one another by a shouting match. I had gone to him earlier in the day to discuss this manner in a professional way. He later came to me, began yelling at me and at which point things did get heated.

Regardless what is done is done and I can't turn back the hands of time.

I am unsure what the difference in exempt and non-exempt is?

 

[cbg]

Start with this:

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Coverage (Exempt vs. Non-Exempt -- The Online Wages, Hours and Overtime Pay Resource

 

[Hot Topic]

As a non-exempt employee in California, I had to fill out a timesheet every two weeks in order to be paid. I had to account for the time taken off for a dental appointment, for example.