Greater Milwaukee Jobs

The new overtime rules for white-collar employees could force some employers to reconsider allowing part-time work for exempt staff – or to seek ways to reclassify those positions as nonexempt. The reason: The Fair Labor Standards Act does not allow prorating the exempt employee salary threshold to account for less than a full week's worth of work. The DOL said as much in an opinion letter back in 2008 before the salary threshold was increased to $913 per week: "The salary requirement of $455 per week may not be prorated to reflect reduced hours, and the employee paid a salary of (less than that) does not qualify for the exemption." Part-timer compensation is usually determined by calcu- lating a percentage of what would be a full weekly wage. An exempt manager might, for example, take every Friday off to care for a grandchild, earn- ing 80 percent of the usual salary for that exempt posi- tion. Until now, there hasn't been a huge bar to such arrange- ments. The Department of Labor has taken the position that the number of days or hours an exempt employee works isn't any of its concern as long as he or she is paid on a weekly basis at least the min- imum salary for exempt status. And, at least until Dec. 1, when the new overtime rules take effect, most exempt staff working at a level high enough to warrant the opportunity to work a part-time schedule easily earn more than the cur- rent $455 per week salary threshold. Will that still be true when the threshold hits $913 per week? If not, employers have tough choices to make. They could: – Raise exempt part-timers' pay to more than $913 per week – Increase their hours so they earn more than $913 per week – Scrap exempt part-time work altogether to avoid the overtime pay hassle. Or they could take what is likely the most favorable approach for employers: Con- vert exempt part-timers into nonexempt part-timers. Of course, that will be easier said than done. Exempt/ nonexempt status depends on more than simply deciding to pay hourly wages instead of a salary. It requires careful analysis and adjust- ment of duties to avoid mis- classifying employees and inviting a lawsuit. Do OT rules mean end of exempt part-timers? Business Management Daily (TNS) You think arriving 20 minutes early will impress the interviewing committee? Think again. "They won't know what to do with you." Her suggestion: Arrive five min- utes or so before the scheduled time unless you've been told there will be application forms to fill out beforehand. Also, get familiar with the com- pany's culture. If it's a workplace where everyone wears jeans and polo shirts, "You need to come in one step above what you think the company policy is." In this case, a shirt and tie with khakis would work for men, a pantsuit, skirt or dress for women – "whatever feels most comfortable." Once that preparation is done, you've come to an often-over- looked phase: Those first few min- utes of "small talk" after introduc- ing yourself to the interviewing committee. Even if the topic is weather (and hopefully not religion or the cur- rent election cycle), remember that you're making a first impression. If they offer a beverage, Hyatt said, "The best answer is, 'If you have water, that would be great.' " Touch lightly on the personal, if at all. It's OK to say you have rela- tives in the area but telling them you want the job so you can move closer to family will not help your chances. Watch for unknowing tics, such as talking with your hands or dropping "ums" into every sentence. Once the formal interview begins, she said the best responses fall in the 2-4 minute range, touch- ing on how you would handle the situation and drawing on a related personal experience. If you don't understand a ques- tion, don't fake it. "Just say, 'I'm not sure exactly what you're look- ing for.' " Not every answer will be a winner, she said. "You just continue to smile." If you've been invited to inter- view, the company has probably already decided you have the tech- nical skills for the job "so they want to find out if you are you are the right fit for us," she said. The objective of the "small talk" phase is to avoid giving them reason to choose someone else. "You want to make them like you for who you are and what you can bring to the institution." 2 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS • June 16 2016 small talk ... from p. 1 Settling realistic expectations for career satisfaction & A Q A. The root of your problem lies in bonding so firmly to an unknow- able future that you can't accept the present. This is a bit of a confusing situa- tion emotionally.You consider your- self successful, yet in your disap- pointment feel that you're not suc- cessful. And liking what you do doesn't fully give you a feeling of success. Let's untangle this. Make a list of all of the ways you can think of that success can be measured in the world. Here are some starters: money, power, fame, making a difference in the environ- ment, helping others, making your family proud . it can go on and on. Be as extensive as you can even if you find them unappealing. Using the list, note the success measures that reflect your beliefs. Then consider the fit of your cur- rent position against those meas- ures. Challenge yourself to notice if some aspects of your current role resonate more with success meas- ures that you may not be as com- fortable with. Now, recalling your point of view in your earlier years, think about what may have changed. For exam- ple, maybe social responsibility was a driving force and your current role has drifted from that. Or it may be the opposite – you'd envi- sioned a high-flying career and now you are in a lower key role. Finally, take stock of all this. To what extent are your old precon- ceptions limiting you? You might not even have been aware that your old beliefs are affecting your attitude about your current situation. Think about this as well: Do you feel that you deserve to be happy? If you have an underlying sense that what you've accomplished is never enough and that you always need to be striving for something else, satisfaction will remain elusive. Also consider whether your defi- nition of success in life is balanced. We aren't just our jobs, important though that aspect can be. Even if you determine that you've "set- tled" in terms of your work, what will it take to accept that – at least for now – and move forward? Consider whether the rest of your life brings you satisfaction and if some of the trade-offs have been worth it. Try focusing more on others to take the pressure off yourself.What are ways you can give back, profes- sionally or personally? Mentor others in the workplace, and if you've made mistakes, help others learn so they can avoid them. If you still need some self-forgive- ness, think forward 20 years. Can you imagine that you really know now what your 64-year-old self will value and need? Recognizing this, give your 24-year-old self a pass on not having a crystal ball.Take where you are now, treat it as a gift, bene- fit from the positives, and let go of the might-have-beens.This will help you grow and flourish as you con- tinue through your career and the other aspects of your life. Q. I have a successful career but it falls short of the expectations I set for myself years ago. I can't help but feel disappointed and embarrassed by that, even though I like what I'm doing. What should I do? By Liz Reyer Tribune News Service (TNS) Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Her company, Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services for organizations of all sizes. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at lizdeliverchange.com. A publication of Conley Media Call Center Director: Cindy Shaske 262-306-5016 cshaske@conleynet.com Account Executive: Julie Sears 262-306-5008 jsears@conleynet.com Story Coordinator: Dan Muckelbauer 262-513-2626 dmuck@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262-513-2690 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS Volume 18 • Number 39 June 16, 2016 To place an ad: Call us at 262-306-5008 or fax us at 262-338-5271 deadline: Noon on Wednesdays Distributed by: Conley Distribution 262-513-2646 ©2016 by Conley Media, LLC Waukesha County Independent and Locally Owned GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS is published weekly by Conley Media – Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS assumes no liability for any error in copy or content. It is the advertiser's responsibility to be aware of the laws pertaining to employment advertising. Call 262-306-5008 for information.

• Cover