Apple engineers: We're indentured servants

It almost makes sense at this point, this is why companies are moving all of their business overseas. Working more than 40 hours in the IT field has been standard practice for several years anyway.

Dell is on their way to the phillipines, apple soon to follow. GG guys.

The dodo, the 8 hr day, the 40 hour work week, and for the most part overtime pay...

techy me

I guess a company in this situation has the choice to settle the claim and then outsource those jobs to India. Sounds like a bad alternative to me, but hey, what's how it goes?

You Americans are a funky bunch. I mean what are your labour laws for if not for the people working. And then you say "you don't like the working rules? Go work for someone else."

Well let me tell you something, those working rules are cleary set out in your friggin' law and the only one who doesn't seem to like those "working rules" are some big companies who think they can endorse certain laws and ignore others as they see fit. If the real situtation is that al of your employers are breaking the law, then don't blame the little man who ask them to stick to those laws for a change.

august08:

It wasn't the corporations that convinced me that Unions are a big joke these days, it was the WORKERS themselves. I worked a big show in St. Louis a few years back at the arena there. We had to pay 2 guys to sit through the show and keep an eye on the big projectors that WE brought in. They did nothing but sit and get paid. And once we hit the 10 pm mark, we had to shut off ALL our cameras, or they got paid triple time. Mind you, they weren't DOING anything, but we had to shut OUR cameras down, which were run by OUR camera guys at 10 pm or else. We even had an unmanned camera that we left running and the two guys walked around, noticed the screen still on and made us turn it off.

Another time I was at a hotel in DC and we'd paid for a sound system, which included a small Mackie mixer. We didn't think it would be an issue, except that once there we were reminded we COULD NOT TOUCH the faders in case of feedback, and that if we wanted someone to do that, we had to PAY THEM to be there ALL day. I said screw it, I ran their board anyway and just kept an eye out for the moron who was their sound tech.

At almost every other venue that wasn't union, I've had no issues, the people are friendly and love their jobs. It's always the union slackers that are the problem. With job security, comes laziness and an hugh entitlement mentality. That's what's ruined unions.

It's weird some people in these comments actually pride themselves on their shitty working conditions. Makes me think about the Bush quote about a woman working three jobs to get by. "Uniquely American" or something asinine like that.

I'm glad to work under European labour laws: a good salary, work 40 hours, get paid 36 - which results in one paid day off every other week. Overtime is compensated in time, not cash, but it is compensated which is important.

I have a full schedule, and occassionally have inevitable overtime, but for the most part I can do what needs doing in the allotted time. Efficiency and productivity count in my job.

Ok, now we italians are usually accused of being lazy and like to do nothing all day long. But 40hrs a week are more or less the minimum work week here in italy. I have a very privileged contract and i have to work 37hrs a week. 85% of the workers here have 40hrs weeks...

I totally agree that overtime work MUST be payed but, man, think twice before accusing people of lazyness, next time! ;)

M

"Walsh alleges that Apple deliberately classified Walsh and others as management employees"
If its true that they didn't know thats how they were classified then apple might be in trouble, however when I was offered a job I was told it was salaried (with a higher pay) or i could take a lower hourly wage with the ability for overtime.

Good Im glad that cheap a$$ company is getting sued. As rich as they are and they don't even pay their employees well. I am an ex apple employee and Ill tell you right now that every word is true. They expected us to sell and push their stupid worthless features like mobile me and .mac without giving any compensation for it and on top of that they only hire part time to avoid benefits and all that topped off with a meager $10 an hour. And before that I was making bank with AT&T. I think every apple employee should sue the turtle neck off steve jobs. Im sorry but this is America and they are an American company. Look Im not asking for the stars and the moon just some honest days work and a salary to match the back breaking foot blistering, whip cracking work that they would make us do. Oh and my manager was the fatest hefer of a biotch to!!!

What no one has mentioned here so far is the toll on the "significant others" who are in committed relationships with those who feel obliged to work beyond normal hours on a regular basis. I have worked in commercial post-production for 18 years and have seen SO MANY divorces, break-ups, and screwed-up children of those who put work before family and relationships, either out of necessity or induced mania.

There are times to put in the extra hours, but as a policy of industry or of a company, it breeds nothing but resentment and destruction to important relationships. That is why I will never work in IT. I love my wife and kids AND I work my ass off, but not at the expense of what really matters in life.

This country has a real problem with this matter, IMO.

Steve C. - Syracuse, NY