Hi everyone
I'm trying to see if I'm naïve or if my experience is abnormal. I started a new position a few months ago that was advertised as a fully remote, flexible, salaried position with unlimited PTO. In the interview process it was explained to me that by “flexible”, they meant I was fine as long as I was getting my work done. I am expected to be available during the majority of the core business hours, but needing to leave a little early sometimes or going to an appointment in the morning wouldn't be a problem. I don't need to use PTO unless I'm taking the whole day, and they'd like a heads up in that case.
Now, a few months later, it seems that very little of that is true. I still have to complete a timesheet that not only shows how long I worked that day, but also what I did hour-by-hour. A snowstorm cut my power for about 30 minutes last week so that was reflected on my timesheet. I worked 7.5 hours that day instead of 8. Because of what I was told in the interview, I thought that this 30 minute gap would be fine. But nope. I got an email saying they couldn't approve my timesheet because I'm responsible for 88 hours during the pay period and I had only accounted for 87.5. Since PTO is unlimited, I thought it would be fine to account for that half hour with PTO. I was then told that there is indeed a cap on the PTO, and it's not unlimited, so I'll need to make sure I monitor how much I have left.
None of that is considering the fact that for the last week, I have had no work to do. I mean absolutely none. I was assigned to one project, it has been put on hold until mid-January at the earliest, and I've been assigned nothing else.
So if I'm accountable for a specific number of hours every pay period, with no work to do, and I have to use PTO any time I can't account for what I was doing…..what's the benefit to being a salaried employee instead of an hourly one? I mean there's clearly no benefit to me but what benefit do THEY get by calling me a salaried employee? When I leave this job in a year or two, how do I ask about this kind of thing in the interview process so I don't get roped into it again, or is it inevitable?
Sorry if this is common knowledge, it's just so different than what I signed up for that I can't wrap my head around it.