Being A Jerk Comes Back To Bite You Over Time

At my company, at some point, if you want to earn more on your basic salary, you have to take a salary position. It’s more on your basic wage, but you lose overtime. You can start later and in a cool office, but you work later in the evenings. It’s not for everyone, but it works for some, me included; I took the role a few months ago, much to the amusement of my old workmates.

Coworker: “Why would you take a promotion for less money?”

Me: “It’s not always about the money.”

Coworker: “With overtime, I earned an extra ten grand on what you did.”

Me: *Annoyed* “And I’m at home on time every time, spending time with my family.”

Coworker: “Yeah, whatever. Good job with your ‘promotion,’ idiot.”

I was annoyed; he got to me. But I took the job for a reason and it was for the long-term. 

A year later, the economy took a downturn. Suddenly, orders weren’t coming through and work was drying up. We were pulled into a big meeting. All overtime was cancelled.

Coworker: “But what about them?” *Gesturing to those of us on salary* “Will they get a pay cut?”

Boss: “No one is getting a pay cut. We don’t have the work to keep going in normal hours, let alone at weekends, too.”

Coworker: “[String of expletives]. Well, we will walk!”

Boss: “In this economy? I wish you luck.”

He didn’t walk. A few of them tried to work slowly to get overtime anyway. They were just disciplined. Overtime didn’t really come back for another year it two, and not like it was before. At least I didn’t have his snarky comments for a while.