Boss won’t pay overtime hours

Dear Annie: I work in a small office with two other people. The office was understaffed to begin with, and my boss is now undergoing chemotherapy and is out two weeks of every month. Then my co-worker decided to retire. As a result, I had to work a fair amount of overtime in our busiest season.

Right now, the office consists of a part-time worker and me. Even though our busy season has passed, I still often end up with an hour of overtime each week. My boss’s boss has decided that since my peak-season overtime wasn’t “pre-approved,” she isn’t going to pay it. Furthermore, she had my time clock hard coded so that no matter what time I log in or out, I only get credit for a standard workday.

I’m the only full-time, fully compensated employee, and I have significant responsibilities. If I don’t stay late and do whatever needs to be finished, I get in trouble. If I do stay late, I don’t get paid. I guess in this labor market, the boss wins.

Needless to say, I am looking for another job. In the meantime, what do I do about this no-win situation? – Workplace Dilemma

Dear Workplace: You are being treated unfairly. However, in a small, privately owned business, there are likely no higher-ups to complain to. And although we agree that you should be compensated for the overtime, one extra hour a week is, frankly, not that much. What many employers fail to realize is that employees need to feel valued. You put in a lot of hard work during a busy season when you were effectively flying solo. The boss could alleviate much of this ill will (and the possibility of losing a loyal employee) simply by letting you know how much she appreciates you. We hope she sees this.