My supervisor expects all employees, even those non-exempt, to track their extra working hours and take "comp time" instead of reporting the overtime. While this seems reasonable for exempt employees, it is illegal for non-exempt employees.
Since discovering that this unofficial policy is illegal, I'm interested in discussing the matter with my supervisor. I'm concerned that the reputation of the institution I work for is at risk if I continue incorrectly reporting my hours and this practice is exposed, but I'm also worried that bringing it up will jeopardize my employment.
I am not the only employee in this situation, and others have expressed that they don't want to discuss the issue with HR without speaking to our supervisor first.
My primary goal is to stop behaving illegally by either a) convincing my supervisor to make me an exempt employee (eliminating my need to report my exact working hours), or b) getting permission to report my overtime and earn monetary compensation for it.
Is it reasonable to expect that broaching this topic with my supervisor will result in my goal being met?