Tech Writers Get No Overtimefrom UGS

Good thing I don't write for them: "UGS technical writers put in long hours and helped UGS bring in over a billion in revenues last year, but they were not compensated for those long hours."

A California law firm is suing UGS for failing to pay them overtime. UGS apparently classified them with software programmers, who are exempt from getting overtime pay.

(I feel for them. My kids work up to 50 hours a week in their summer jobs at a plant nursery, but here in Canada farm workers are exempt from receiving overtime payment -- representing a loss of some $2000 that otherwise would have helped towards their college costs.)

We may finally have an explanation for poor software documentation: grumpy writers. "According to [law firm Schubert & Reed], in addition to UGS's employees, there are many thousands of additional technical writers working for other California employers who are improperly classifying these employees as exempt."

The law firm is targeting UGS first, with others to follow. I am guessing that UGS was targetted because they now have the biggest sugar daddy, Siemens. Indeed, the law firm's press release specifically notes that UGS was recently acquired by the German industrial giant, a company that is used to paying millions for -- and getting fined millions because of -- unethical behavior.

Technical writers of California: raise up from your keyboards! More info here.