TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
You are comparing your apples to my oranges <vbg>.
The issue in this thread is not under what conditions the employee
agreed to work. If you agree to the commute, as I have to my 50-minute
jaunt, then so be it.
However, the original poster went from a short commute and 4-day work at
home to a 90-minute one-way commute. By making that _change_, the
employer has increased the employee's costs (to the tune of $5-10,000,
by my guess) and has _also_ increased the employee's work hours from an
assumed 8/day to 11/day.
So, in addition to losing $5-10,000 per year in pay for commuting
expenses, the employee in question has also had their per-hour wage
diluted because of the additional 38% increase in work hours.
That is, to keep things equitable and not even to include the
lunch-table work environment, I'd estimate the employer should increase
the poster's salary to 138% and then add $5-10,000 per year. In my
opinion, it is abusive to change somebody's working conditions so
much--but, then, if you want to eat I guess you have to suck it up. (It
is conditions like these that cause powerless employees to form unions,
remember.) Not good, all-around.
-----Original Message-----
From: Amy Smith/Westford/IBM [mailto:amy_smith -at- us -dot- ibm -dot- com]
Sean Brierly wrote:
<snip>
...I did an 85-mile, 90-minute commute when I was first getting
into technical writing as a college intern. If I did it today, I'd
expect to be compensated for it.
</snip>
If you were a contractor, perhaps that expectation is reasonable.
Not so for full-time employees. I choose to live in the town where I do
for any number of reasons - schools, cultural activities, whatever. I
chose to take a job 35 miles away. I can't expect my employer to
compensate me because I choose to live where to do. You pick where you
live, and you pick where you work.
<snip>
The expectation for a full-time employee is that you are paid your
salary
for a certain number of hours per week. The number of hours spent
getting
to the job does not factor into it.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Your monthly sponsorship message here reaches more than
5000 technical writers, providing 2,500,000+ monthly impressions.
Contact Eric (ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com) for details and availability.
Save $600: Create great-looking Help files and software demos with
RoboHelp Deluxe. Get RoboHelp and RoboDemo - our new demo software - for one
low price. OR Save $100 on RoboHelp Office in June with our mail-in rebate.
Go to http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
