Need suggestion for UNPAID OVERTIME (72 hours a week!) 26

[billbusy]

Just started as an intermediate field engineer in a construction project in the USA.

during the offer negotiation, I was told there will be some overtime work and I will only get paid for 40 hours.

In the job offer letter, it states, 6 days per week and work up to 10 hours a day.
As the salary seems ok(based on MAX. 60 hours) and I don't have other better choices in Canada, I accepted it.

We start at 6:30am. The 1st day in this project, one of my coworkers asked the site manager what is the regular working hour, site managers didn't answer but only said, I work 12 hours each day.

Since then, everyone (2 site engineers+ 3 superintendents + safety officer + site manager) left work ~6:30pm everyday.

It means 6 x 12=72 hours per week.

Another engineer (senior level) complained about it with me privately (he has the same term in the offer letter), but nobody say anything publicly.

I can not survive in the current schedule. What should I do?

Should I　talk to someone, like HR or site manager? The site manager knows my contract term. The HR is not here and I don't think he can really help.

Or I just leave earlier quietly everyday by myself? I also feel a little isolated if I am the only one leaves earlier.

I think the site manager just want to create an environment to force people work overtime (as it is a lump sump project). I don't want to challenge his management, but I can't work 12 hours everyday.

What other good ideas or solutions?

Thank you.

 

[Belgiancadengineer]

Foundries are the closest you'll get to hell on earth, no amount of money is worth that shit.

 

[HamburgerHelper]

Kenat,

Even in a low cost of living area like Oklahoma, fresh grads make more. The only engineering graduates that are making that little are working as technicians, not doing engineering.

 

[capnhook]

We used to have a little saying around the Model Shop...."Don't complain about your job, or your wife is gonna make you go work in the foundry..!"

Proud Member of the Reality-Based Community..

[green]To the Toolmaker, your nice little cartoon drawing of your glass looks cool, but your solid model sucks. Do you want me to fix it, or are you going to take all week to get it back to me so I can get some work done?[/green]

 

[racookpe1978]

We used to work those in the Navy in the shipyard, or while deployed.

But, no. Did my share of 52-60 hour weeks on salary.
Now am on 7x12 and (less often) 6x10 hour weeks. But that's while on a job order, on the site during an outage. When that is finished (3-6 weeks) you are finished. You are back on 40 hours at the office, or are on wait time at home, or are not on paid hours at all. More, when on 60 or 84 hour weeks, every hour is paid as either straight time (40), overtime Saturdays and weekdays) at 1.25 rate, or on double time (Sundays). With 2x 12 hour shifts, you need a 1/2 hour turnover meeting with your opposite shift engineer (or the night crew - depending on what is working), and then you are off.

It happens, but you try hard not to bring work with you.

And that is hard when you are calculating, designing.

I agree with the others above. You "can do it". For a short time, maybe you have to do it. But, no at that rate for free.

 

[Terratek]

You first mistake was accepting 60 hours a week for 40 hours pay... Bet you don't do that again!

 

[ProEpro]

I learned something from my last Director of Engineering. He told us nothing needed to change because no one was quitting. So we all quit.

If the boss it driving for a bonus is he sharing it with you?

Good luck

 

[billbusy]

Update:
Quit after two months as I found another job. but everyone else seems still there.

Past: Oil & Gas industry in Canada.
Present: desalination pump manufacturer in the US

 

[SNORGY]

billbusy,

Glad it worked out, you deserved better than that nonsense.

Keep in touch.

 

[CWB1]

Just my opinion, but work is a balance of $$$ in to effort out. If you severely dislike an aspect of your work then go elsewhere, simple. I would NEVER judge a position by hours alone as I've had several where I worked extreme hours, was more than compensated for it, and enjoyed some other really nice benefits because of it. Others are welcome to make claims about XX hours = no life and other nonsense but personally I've been running fine on 4-6 hours sleep for 20 years and don't get distracted much by life's bs like television. Acquaintances usually believe I'm joking or suicidal when I tell them I did an hour+ in the gym before work, worked 10+, put in another eight hours in my home shop after, and still met all family obligations...I prefer the term discipline, can't help if others struggle to keep up.