From what I understand, salary workers under a threshold ($455/week) will get paid a time and a half for working more than 40 hours, but past that, you don't get it. What I am wondering though, and can't find any information about, is what about normal pay past 40 hours? Your salary is based on 40 hours a week, right? So shouldn't you be paid normal pay if you are asked to work extra? I am in school for computer science right now, and will probably be a programmer when I am out, and have heard all kinds of horror stories of employees asked to stay to work 50-60 hours. I'm a single parent, and I really don't want to spend all my time at work away from my kid, and I feel like it's even more ridiculous to not get paid at all for the extra work..
Some salaried people get overtime. Some don't.
There are certain jobs that are exempt from the overtime pay requirement. In my state examples of those are management positions, commissioned sales positions, and licensed professional positions (teachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers, etc.).
That being said, many companies DO pay overtime in addition to the salary even if they are not required to by law. In particular this is often negotiated in union contract talks.
In my state being a computer programmer is NOT an overtime-exempt position unless the position is also a management position.
Keep in mind that just because the company has to pay you overtime doesn't you can just say NO. You work what the company needs you to work or you find another job.
I am a computer engineer and our company policy is:
Normal pay for the first 45 hours of the week you work. After that, you have to be on an approved overtime list and even then you can pretty much only get approved to work 13 hours of overtime. The joys of being a salaried worker.
As a programmer, you will probably work some long weeks, but then again you will have weeks with not a lot to do. The nice thing about being salaried is you have financial stability and a minimum paycheck each pay period.
The overtime policy will depend on your employer, but being at an entry level position you will probably qualify for overtime pay.
Sorry to disappoint you, but a salary is an annual wage and exempts the employer from paying overtime. You may be expected to account for a full forty hours weekly, but anything over that is considered part of your salary (some employers will compensate by allowing added time off - i.e., work on a deadline project 60 or 70 for a few weeks straight and get a day or two off as paid time off not deducted from your personal time off).
The horror stories you have heard are pretty true - it's not an ongoing occurrence but very common when projects with a deadline are due.
When you're on a salary you don't get overtime. You're treated better than someone on an hourly rate so you're expected to do pretty much whatever it takes to get the job done.
You have to be paid at least minimum wage with time and a half for overtime. Excessive unpaid overtime should not be the norm.
