Voluntary Work Closure

[BLACK 1.8T]

Hey guys. I've got a question for you regarding voluntary closure of your work by upper management. If your work voluntarily closes up work for the day, should you still get paid for that day? I'm asking because due to the fires, my work voluntarily closed its doors Monday and Tuesday of this week. When my manager notified me that our work will be closed, I really didn't think too much of it since I assumed we would still get paid. I was wrong. I come in to work and my manager comes at me with "did you wanna use your vacation time to make up for Monday and Tuesday, or did you want to work extra hours to make it up?" I was seriously thinking to myself "WTF?" I understand that some of our employees may have been affected by the fires and I'm seriously not trying to be greedy, but those who were not should not have been forced to not show up for work. So what are your thoughts?

This is the question for the poll. It got cut off.

Should employees of places that close voluntarily without any reason or notice still get paid for those days not worked?

[bugzy]

i dont really have any comments since it goes both ways

im salary, so im covered

my office closed monday and tuesday, but i believe we are still paying people for those 2 days here at my work

[Paul]

whether the closure was voluntary or mandated, you didn't work, you don't get paid.

If an earthquake hit san diego, leveled your offices, you can't expect the company to pay you. Unless your contract has a clause that says you get paid regardless of company status you don't get paid.

[FunkTron]

salary = getting paid (typically)
hourly = save your pennies....

[themandillon]

im hourly and my work closed monday and tuesday. i doubt im getting paid. im not toooo worried about it even though the money would have been nice.

[bugzy]

same logic that if i have to work overtime, i dont get paid for it because im salary, unless its agreed

[GTiGirl]

My office is closed until further notice. We are all hourly, including our Vice President. We have been instructed to bill all our hours to Administration - therefore we are still getting paid for those hours - but we are not billing our time to clients. People who have the will and access have the OPTION to work from home, but it's not required. Basically, our company is keeping us safe and continuing to ensure our financial safety as well.

I worked a few hours yesterday from Rob's office, so I'll be billing that time to clients, but 5+ hours of my day will be billed to Administration.

We had a similar situation this summer when a coworker had a stalker and we closed the office for 2 days until he was arrested. Also, when I had to go to the Philippines because my grandmother passed away, the policy manual was only supposed to cover 3 days. They covered all 10 days for me because I had to travel internationally.

I realize that my company goes above and beyond the requirements for us, but the company also values all of us and tries to keep us happy as possible.

[bugzy]

My office is closed until further notice. We are all hourly, including our Vice President. We have been instructed to bill all our hours to Administration - therefore we are still getting paid for those hours - but we are not billing our time to clients. People who have the will and access have the OPTION to work from home, but it's not required. Basically, our company is keeping us safe and continuing to ensure our financial safety as well.

I worked a few hours yesterday from Rob's office, so I'll be billing that time to clients, but 5+ hours of my day will be billed to Administration.

We had a similar situation this summer when a coworker had a stalker and we closed the office for 2 days until he was arrested. Also, when I had to go to the Philippines because my grandmother passed away, the policy manual was only supposed to cover 3 days. They covered all 10 days for me because I had to travel internationally.

I realize that my company goes above and beyond the requirements for us, but the company also values all of us and tries to keep us happy as possible.
but its not required

thats just benefit of your particular company

[Bimmer Pilot]

I've been in both situations in the past as a contractor. In '03 I was working in UTC and the company paid me full for the week, since I was commuting and there was no way for me to work remote. I think it also helped that my Director was living in Murrieta at the time ;)

Coming down to brass tacks, Paul is correct. It's really up to the company and its culture whether they want to pay you for not allowing you to work, though they are not forced to.

[madajb]

_Should_ they?
Yes, they should, as a matter of good will.
Strictly adhering to a "You didn't work, you don't get paid" mentailty only breeds employees who have no interest in going the extra mile for the company, as well as breeding employess who will jump ship at the first sign of a better job.
_Will_ they?
Depends on your particular contract with your particular company.

-ajb

[fcastle]

whether the closure was voluntary or mandated, you didn't work, you don't get paid.

If an earthquake hit san diego, leveled your offices, you can't expect the company to pay you. Unless your contract has a clause that says you get paid regardless of company status you don't get paid.

I get what you are saying Paul, but there was nothing wrong at his office. He would've reported to work as usual had they not closed down. Why should that cost him vacation time or increased hours?

If you went to work and your boss said, "we are painting your cubicle red today," should you not get paid, because he had a whim of decorating frenzy?

[SYNYSTAGLI]

As long as logged onto my work email and answered a few questions...I worked from home.

[netnet]

I spoke with my Boss. And asked him the same question.
He said that he is going to make sure the company pays us for the days that we missed. He also said that it isn't fair to make us use our vacation and or sick pay.


I LOVE MY JOB!!!!!
:D

[RavinJetta]

I am hourly and got paid for Monday and Tuesday. Plus I left after half a day today to get my stuff moved back in and I still get paid. Basically anyone affected still by the fire will be getting paid until they are able to come back to work as well.

[MikekiM]

If you weren't paid, couldn't you get some reimbursement from FEMA? You're probably near the end of the line, at least in my book, but would seem like a fairly reasonable application for some reimbursement.

[BLACK 1.8T]

As much as I just don't want to, I'm gonna take the loss and use my vacation days. If my manager is willing to come at me with a straight face and pretty much force us to take vacation days, then this really isn't a company I'd want to work with for much longer. The workload has been increasing more and more here due to employees in my department leaving the company and we've received not even a slight bump in pay to offset it, and forcing me to take vacation days or work extra hours because work was voluntarily closed just topped it off for me.

Now I'm looking for a new job. Hope I can find one soon.

[SYNYSTAGLI]

Looks like Qualcomm has a charge number for any employees who can't get to work and for the shutdown. I love this company ;)

[GTiGirl]

As much as I just don't want to, I'm gonna take the loss and use my vacation days. If my manager is willing to come at me with a straight face and pretty much force us to take vacation days, then this really isn't a company I'd want to work with for much longer. The workload has been increasing more and more here due to employees in my department leaving the company and we've received not even a slight bump in pay to offset it, and forcing me to take vacation days or work extra hours because work was voluntarily closed just topped it off for me.

Now I'm looking for a new job. Hope I can find one soon.

I think this "proves" madajb's comment.

Oh, and so that we could decompress, the company ordered in awesome Sicilian pizza from a local place and shared our experiences with each other. Now we can get back to work! But we still have one person stuck in Sun City because her home is still under mandatory evacuation in Fallbrook. She just started 3 weeks ago and will get all of her days covered without taking sick or vacation days.

[bugzy]

i just got email stating temp/contracts will not get those days paid unless the temp agencies cover them

if temp came into work mon or tuesday and they were sent home after working, they can charge up to 4hrs of show up time

but those that are employeed full time will have the days covered