Question:
I have a
salaried exempt position as a computer support professional (Oracle DBA), and I
am now being asked to work for free on evenings and weekends. When I
complain I'm told "that why you make the bug bucks", and they note that as a
salaried professional I get stock options and other perks.
What are the customs regarding overtime pay for computer
professionals?
Answer: I'm not an
attorney, and this is not legal advice, but I do know that pay customs for
computer professionals vary widely by country and jurisdiction.
Historically, "professionals" comprised only three groups, physicians, attorneys
and soldiers, but this expanded in the 20th century.
Regarding abuse of a salaried pay structure, I was at one shop where I would
work all night, and then get yelled at for coming-in at 11:00 AM, after only 3
hours of sleep. They could not hire DBA's fast enough, as they were quitting
rapidly. On my next job, I negotiated a "comp time" deal where I got 1.5x
time off for evening and weekend work.
The traditional salaried professional is supposed to do whatever it takes to
get the job done, and working evenings and weekends is part-and-parcel of DBA's
job.
Types of computer professionals and salaries
As I stress,
payment customs for computer professionals vary widely by
country and jurisdiction. I've noticed two tiers of DBA's, the
traditional "professional DBA" (with a professional degree and qualifications),
and lower-skilled "contractor DBA", without a professional background. See
my notes on
Oracle
professionals salaries and compensation.
In some places, Oracle is considered a "trade" (wage), while in other areas a
professional background is required (salary).
In some circles, a professional background is not even desirable for a computer
professional, and in some countries, Oracle is a "craft",
not a
profession:
"I have a very basic high school education but left pretty quickly to
play around with computers and taught myself. I've lost count of
the number of degree-educated colleagues who I wouldn't allow near a
database. This is a craft"
Over the years, I've worked for many Fortune 500 Corporations, and there is a
wide variance in DBA work policies. In general, there are two-tiers of
computer professionals:
- Hourly Technician (non exempt) - These are computer technicians
without any formal education or university training in computer science or
information systems, usually "database babysitters", who earn anywhere from
$25 - $40 per hour in the USA. Like all wage earners, they get overtime pay,
etc, but they do not enjoy the "exempt" goodies (stock options, private
office, secretary).
- Salaried Professional (Exempt) - If the computer professional has
an advanced degree and high responsibility. If the pay is more than a
low-level manager, the HR departments usually make them salaried
professionals.
An Oracle ACE notes that extra hours are part
of any computer professionals job:
"Any computer professional worth his salt is going to have to put in the
extra hours.
In every place I have ever worked, it was written into the job description.
And if the employee can't figure out what the line about 'carrying a pager
and working on call means', he has no business being a DBA.
Most places reasonable about granting comp time when the hours added up,
mostly because they like to keep their good computer staff.
There are times when the hours are just going to add up working weekend
after weekend, and there are going to be a couple of months every year where
you go home at 5 every day. The trick is to manage your database well enough
that those late hours are most often for managed downtimes, upgrades,
new hardware and such, and not major crises.
But, when it gets right down to it, a DBA is like any other Information
Systems professional; they are going to have to work the excess hours, it
goes with the job.
And by the way, don't whine about working the long hours. An Oracle DBA is
expected to be a responsible professional, and nothing can hurt morale at a
company more than someone continually griping, whether it be long hours or
unreasonable bosses.
If you want a full time DBA job at a single company, the drawback will be
the on call hours.
Very few companies will hire a full time Information Technology support
person at an hourly wage, at least in the US. They will expect the person to
work the necessary hours without additional monetary compensation.
Typically the compensation is reasonable for the job and additional hours.
As I said, most companies are reasonable about comp time for the extra
hours, but if you aren't willing to work the occasional 'white night'
without extra pay, you might as well find another line of work. Its just
part of the DBA's job.
Of course, hiring an outside consultant is a different issue, and companies
will pay a flat hourly rate for that. Consultants however are often hired
for a single job/project, not as full time staff.
However, in other countries no doubt the expectation is different, I am
talking only about the US in this case. "
Reference on salaries for computer professionals:
The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment Standards
Administration Wage and Hour Division has published Fact Sheet #17E:
Exemption for Employees in Computer-Related Occupations Under the Fair Labor
Standards Act (FLSA). It notes:
"Computer Employee Exemption
To qualify for the computer employee exemption, the following tests must be
met:
? The employee must be compensated either on a salary or fee basis at a rate
not less than $455 per week or, if compensated on an hourly basis, at a rate
not less than $27.63 an hour;
? The employee must be employed as a computer systems analyst, computer
programmer, software engineer or other similarly skilled worker in the
computer field performing the duties described below;
? The employee's primary duty must consist of:
1) The application of systems
analysis techniques and procedures, including consulting with users, to
determine hardware, software or system functional specifications;
2) The design, development, documentation, analysis, creation, testing
or modification of computer systems or programs, including prototypes,
based on and related to user or system design specifications;
3) The design, documentation, testing, creation or modification of
computer programs related to machine operating systems; or
4) A combination of the aforementioned duties, the performance of which
requires the same level of skills.
The computer employee exemption does
not include employees engaged in the manufacture or repair of computer
hardware and related equipment.
Employees whose work is highly dependent upon, or facilitated by, the use of
computers and computer software programs (e.g., engineers, drafters and
others skilled in computer-aided design software), but who are not primarily
engaged in computer systems analysis and programming or other similarly
skilled computer-related occupations identified in the primary duties test
described above, are also not exempt under the computer employee exemption."
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