I should also add that salaried positions usually do not compensate workers for overtime, unless it’s with comp time, which may or may not be an official company policy, cannot be accrued, and is not compensated at time of termination (Comp time is off-the-record time off when things are less busy). In theory, salaried individuals are considered “professional” and are expected to do whatever it takes in order to get the work done, and their salary is supposed to reflect this demand. If you take an annual salary, and divide it by 2,000 (40 hour work week, less two weeks time off) you get an hourly rate. Divide that same salary by 2500 (50 hour week) or 3000 (60 hour week) and the hourly equivalent falls dramatically. Which explains morale issues.
This is important for new students out of college to realize when starting a career. When you’re asked desired salary, it’s important to know how much overtime is expected in certain positions. $60,000 a year equates to $30 an hour at a 40 hour work week, $24 an hour at a 50 hour work week, and $20 an hour at a 60 hour work week. The amount of work done by one person working 60 hours a week equates to 1.5 full time employees, or $90,000 in annual salaried time.