# I'm The ONLY Serf in a Pile of Overlords, or Would YOU Quit This Job?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-the-only-serf-in-a-pile-of-overlords-or-would-you-quit-this-job/390438>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 1, 2007, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-the-only-serf-in-a-pile-of-overlords-or-would-you-quit-this-job/390438 "2007-02-01T18:24:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-the-only-serf-in-a-pile-of-overlords-or-would-you-quit-this-job/390438/21 "2007-02-02T02:00:12Z")

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It would probably do you more harm than good to bring this up, but one thing that struck me is that an Office Manager is very rarely a legitimate exempt/salaried position. If you’re really interested in reading up on that, it’s the Fair Labor Standards Act that determines such.

I agree with the other advice above, focus on the lunch hour, ideally by working directly with the coworker and if necessary by going to managment. They’d be nuts to lose a good receptionist over not being able to get the lunch thing worked out.

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**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-the-only-serf-in-a-pile-of-overlords-or-would-you-quit-this-job/390438/22 "2007-02-02T17:02:06Z")

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[QUOTE=Rick]  
In California IIRC it is against the labor code not to give a FT employee a lunch in the first 5 hours of the work day.  
Not getting your lunch till 1:30 sucks donkey balls.  
I would speak up about it, and basicly say fair is fair, if I come in early, then I should get to go to lunch early. Not two hours late.  
If you want me to take a late lunch, then I should get to come in later.  
[/QUOTE]

Agreed - I believe that in most states, if you work 5 hours in a row you _have_ to get a break. Working from 7:30 to 1:30 exceeds that. So you’ve got a real, legit, legal complaint. The rest of the stuff? Annoying as hell and maybe worth changing jobs over but it probably isn’t productive to try to fight it.

Oh - on the picking up drunken friends: Are they asking you to do that using your own car??? What if DF barfs in your car???

Maybe point out to the “office manager” that if you get the early lunch, then she won’t have to rush back and can do her afternoon errands without waiting.

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