What should someone expect when being an exempt employee for the first time in the US? At first it sounded great (better pay, flexibility), but after doing a bit of research it sounds like exempt employees have almost no rights compared to non-exempt employees. Some of the things that worry me are:
- No overtime (nothing stops employers from asking for 60-70 hours a week)
- Are allowed to make you buy company equipment as long as you still make min wage
- Require you to travel out of state without reimbursing gas or plane tickets
- Always on call
So what should I expect before getting an exempt job? Are any of these fears reality or is it usually just like working as a non-exempt? I'm aware that you "work until the job is done", but at previous jobs, the job is technically never done.