Working For More Than It’s Worth
Have you ever gone above and beyond, just to be met with disregard? For many of the working class, it is normal to fall victim to office culture or simple overwork. Many are expected to work far past what's stated on their resume, and are often met with lackluster rewards for it. Over time, while not inherently corrupt, it is not something workers should regularly be subjected to. Cases where unpaid overtime forces employees into unfair situations are abundant. Even companies that, with the sheer amount of money they make, should be able to treat employees fairly, do not. This includes companies like Google and FedEx, which have funding in the millions. Whether it is due to odd hours, improper payment rate, or ignoring extra hours of effort, employees should not be taken advantage of when they work more than they are required to. In these cases, it is clear how improper overtime, especially without adequate pay, has immoral implications and a negative effect.
When tackling labor laws, the FLSA is the most helpful set of laws to refer to. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulates minimum wage and overtime. To be specific, it requires overtime pay for hours worked over the standard 40 hours a week, at a rate no less than 1.5 times the normal rate. In addition to knowing the FLSA, it is important to note that forced overtime is not always clear-cut. While there is the case of brute force being used in extreme cases, generally, workers are subjected to extra hours through sneakier methods. The withholding of money, as well as manipulation, puts employees in a predicament where they are forced to work more, as it becomes a matter of survival. Without enough pay for the effort put in, many of the working class struggle to make ends meet. The underlying threat of unemployment also hides behind this abuse of power, with the refusal to do work often being met with a resignation letter. Keeping an unreliable track of hours worked, overtime or not, is another way employees are indirectly subjected to further work. Whether it causes employees to work for dollars that they have already earned or push themselves harder just to make ends meet, it is corrupt nonetheless. Being aware of the different forms that workplace pressure can take shows that workers can be taken advantage of, without them even being able to fight back.
Backtracking to January of 2016, we see perhaps one of the biggest examples of how FLSA and other labor laws are put to the test. Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, one of the many workers hired by Google through Urpan Technologies, filed a class action lawsuit against both companies. McKnight, along with approximately 800 other employees, was hired under a one-year contract. While meant to be working under the normal 40-hour workweek, most of these employees were subjected to overtime of over 8 hours a day, as well as frequent overtime on the weekends. Not only did Google fail to keep records of the number of hours of overtime, but it also failed to pay the employees. This directly defied FLSA, as it requires significant overtime pay when the 40-hour mark is crossed. In addition, when fellow Plaintiff Tymuoi Ha went to seek help regarding the lack of pay, her employer terminated her work contract with Google. Along with their refusal to submit a work report and pay repercussions back in full, the court came to the conclusion that the Defendants would pay a total of $5.5 million to the 800 workers who were employed under the contract. Similarly, FedEx has also faced legal issues regarding the treatment of its workers. Carlene M. Craig and over a thousand other drivers sued FedEx for forcing them into overtime without pay because they refused to acknowledge the fact that Craig and the others were, in fact, employees. The drivers, while hired through a third party, were considered independent contractors. However, FedEx would still force them into working overtime, among other things. This treatment of the drivers was that of an employer to an employee, just without the subsequent pay. In the end, the court decided that the drivers were treated like employees, so they would be paid as much, not allowing FedEx to avoid overtime fees. However, this was incredibly inconvenient for Craig and the other drivers, leaving them without proper pay for a long time, resulting in a total of $446 million owed by FedEx across many states.
When companies as big as Google and FedEx abuse their power for profit, it very quickly paints a bleak picture. If corporations capable of earning millions a day still choose to exploit workers just to avoid paying them enough or hiring more help, what does this mean for the working class? As time goes on, workers do get more protection under the law, and it does become harder for companies to escape persecution under the law. Nonetheless, the fact that such abuse of power happens in the first place is an issue in itself. It is plain proof that workers need further legal boundaries drawn between their autonomy and their employer. Under the law, forced overtime is seen as manipulative and damaging. If that is the case, then employees should be able to draw the line of when they want to work more clearly. The choice whether to do overtime or not should rest only in the hands of an employee. With further measures to support this, we can become more sure that the workplace is supporting its employees, not exploiting them.
In summary, under the law, forced overtime is unacceptable, and workers are actively protected from it. Despite that, further measures can also be taken to protect employees from being targeted in the first place, such as giving them more liberty against their employers. Without proper protection going forward, workers will stay susceptible to the pressures and exploitation within the workplace. Acknowledging the ways workers are taken advantage of will help everyone recognize the patterns companies often follow. When ill treatment is recognized, it will help stop the cycle many people follow, and stop it for good.
Bibliography
Author, Blog. “Blumenthal Nodrehaug & Bhowmik.” Blumenthal Nodrehaug & Bhowmik, 26 Sept. 2025, www.bamlawca.com/california-labor-laws/fedexs-240-million-settlement-driver-misclassification-and-overtime-rights.
“Google, Inc. Wage and Hour Class Action – $5.5 Million Settlement | Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP.” Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP, 5 Feb. 2026, sanfordheisler.com/case/wage-hour-violations/google-inc-wage-and-hour-class-action-5-5-million-settlement/.
U.S. Department of Labor. “Overtime Pay | U.S. Department of Labor.” Dol.gov, 2024, www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/overtime.