Overtime/Underpay Abuse affecting our profession in general - Forum...
POST YOUR DISCUSSIONS HERE @ ARCHITECT
Or email to [email protected]
as we begin compiling resources
Every architect understands about the 3rd day of S.O.A. that they are destined to a life of long hours. What this forum hopes to discuss is the abuse which employees + principals do, and how that affects our profession at large.
I am a young architect with about 6 years experience trying to start an employee rights campaign/forum/discussion/website to hopefully help the profession of Architecture back in a positive trajectory.
HAVE YOU EVER WORKED MORE THAN 50 HOURS PER WEEK?
WAS YOUR STARTING PAY LESS THAN $10 PER HOUR?
HAVE YOU EVER INTERNED FOR FREE?
DO YOU EVER GET PAID FOR OVERTIME?
DO YOU RECEIVE LESS THAN 2 WEEKS PAID VACATION?
DO YOU NOT RECEIVE HEALTHCARE BENEFITS?
PRINCIPALS - HAVE YOU EVERY UNDERCUT ON A BID TO WIN A PROJECT?
HAVE YOU EVER PARTICIPATE IN A COMPETITION?
ALL PART OF THE PROBLEM
Every time an architect works that extra 10, 20, or 50 hours beyond their 40-50 hour week without additional compensation (pay or vacation), or accepts a low salary, or undercuts another firm to get a job, he/she is contributing to the problem.
Lets start at the bottom. Three people, each basic ”˜architect 1', all take a job for say $40K, at a firm. Then each of them works an average of 60 hours per week (which I am sure is not unfamiliar to any of you). Obviously it is a very simple equation - If the employee worked only 40 hours a week, then that employer would need to hire four people instead of just the three, which would cost him $160K not $120. Where do you think the additional monies come from? He obviously would have to charge more for his services instead of making less people do more overtime work for less money.
THE PROBLEM IS VERY SIMPLE:
Every little decision we make each day in how we live out our working days, every little seemingly insignificant stretch we ”˜let slid', is what has gotten us to today, a world where we are the only licensed profession where the mean salary is only 15% higher than the average office assistant, and generally LESS than the average laborer/contractor building our buildings.
THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL
Somewhere along the line, all of these decisions, that each and every one of us makes, eventually leads up the channels to the decision makers. This in turn contributes to the ever eroding fee schedule as firms continue to out bid each other with 10, 9, 8, 6, 4, and even on some large projects now at 2 or 1% FEES. THIS ABSURD, REALTORS MAKE 6-10% AND DO NOT HOLD ANY PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY??? Obviously you can see where the trend leads. We already have many firms outsourcing CAD drafting. If each of us continues to let the little things slid - eventually we will eliminate our own jobs and where does it stop? 0.5% fees? 0.2% Fees.
THE PROFESSION OF ARCHITECTURE IS GRINDING TO A HALT - WE MUST ACT!!!
CONTRIBUTE - and I don't mean $$$
At this point, myself and a collaborative of colleagues who share some of these views and aspirations to change things are trying to GATHER ANY + ALL contribution. We are looking for facts and figures - like the archinect salary poll. We are looking for resources for employee LAW, RIGHTS, ABUSES, and what can be done, even on the micro scale. Even if you just want to show your support and/or share your personal story of how you have just finished a 100+ hour work week, or how you got outbid on a project - WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR VOICE. GIVE US YOUR IDEAS...
LONG-TERM,
Forum,
Website,
Liason between employees, employers, AIA, etc.
Employees Rights/Laws Information on website.
UNION FOR ARCHITECTS?
Possible National/International Day/Week strike for the good of your cause - salary, hours, whatever you are seeking to improve
POST YOUR DISCUSSIONS HERE @ ARCHITECT
Or email to [email protected]
as we begin compiling resources
Overtime/Underpay Abuse affecting our profession in general - positivevectorarchitecture
Overtime/Underpay Abuse affecting our profession in general - Forum...
POST YOUR DISCUSSIONS HERE @ ARCHITECT
Or email to
[email protected]
as we begin compiling resources
Every architect understands about the 3rd day of S.O.A. that they are destined to a life of long hours. What this forum hopes to discuss is the abuse which employees + principals do, and how that affects our profession at large.
I am a young architect with about 6 years experience trying to start an employee rights campaign/forum/discussion/website to hopefully help the profession of Architecture back in a positive trajectory.
HAVE YOU EVER WORKED MORE THAN 50 HOURS PER WEEK?
WAS YOUR STARTING PAY LESS THAN $10 PER HOUR?
HAVE YOU EVER INTERNED FOR FREE?
DO YOU EVER GET PAID FOR OVERTIME?
DO YOU RECEIVE LESS THAN 2 WEEKS PAID VACATION?
DO YOU NOT RECEIVE HEALTHCARE BENEFITS?
PRINCIPALS - HAVE YOU EVERY UNDERCUT ON A BID TO WIN A PROJECT?
HAVE YOU EVER PARTICIPATE IN A COMPETITION?
ALL PART OF THE PROBLEM
Every time an architect works that extra 10, 20, or 50 hours beyond their 40-50 hour week without additional compensation (pay or vacation), or accepts a low salary, or undercuts another firm to get a job, he/she is contributing to the problem.
Lets start at the bottom. Three people, each basic ”˜architect 1', all take a job for say $40K, at a firm. Then each of them works an average of 60 hours per week (which I am sure is not unfamiliar to any of you). Obviously it is a very simple equation - If the employee worked only 40 hours a week, then that employer would need to hire four people instead of just the three, which would cost him $160K not $120. Where do you think the additional monies come from? He obviously would have to charge more for his services instead of making less people do more overtime work for less money.
THE PROBLEM IS VERY SIMPLE:
Every little decision we make each day in how we live out our working days, every little seemingly insignificant stretch we ”˜let slid', is what has gotten us to today, a world where we are the only licensed profession where the mean salary is only 15% higher than the average office assistant, and generally LESS than the average laborer/contractor building our buildings.
THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL
Somewhere along the line, all of these decisions, that each and every one of us makes, eventually leads up the channels to the decision makers. This in turn contributes to the ever eroding fee schedule as firms continue to out bid each other with 10, 9, 8, 6, 4, and even on some large projects now at 2 or 1% FEES. THIS ABSURD, REALTORS MAKE 6-10% AND DO NOT HOLD ANY PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY??? Obviously you can see where the trend leads. We already have many firms outsourcing CAD drafting. If each of us continues to let the little things slid - eventually we will eliminate our own jobs and where does it stop? 0.5% fees? 0.2% Fees.
THE PROFESSION OF ARCHITECTURE IS GRINDING TO A HALT - WE MUST ACT!!!
CONTRIBUTE - and I don't mean $$$
At this point, myself and a collaborative of colleagues who share some of these views and aspirations to change things are trying to GATHER ANY + ALL contribution. We are looking for facts and figures - like the archinect salary poll. We are looking for resources for employee LAW, RIGHTS, ABUSES, and what can be done, even on the micro scale. Even if you just want to show your support and/or share your personal story of how you have just finished a 100+ hour work week, or how you got outbid on a project - WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR VOICE. GIVE US YOUR IDEAS...
LONG-TERM,
Forum,
Website,
Liason between employees, employers, AIA, etc.
Employees Rights/Laws Information on website.
UNION FOR ARCHITECTS?
Possible National/International Day/Week strike for the good of your cause - salary, hours, whatever you are seeking to improve
POST YOUR DISCUSSIONS HERE @ ARCHITECT
Or email to
[email protected]
as we begin compiling resources
WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED WHEN THE WEBSITE IS UP!!!
.
great idea!
UNBELIEVABLE - the evidence mounts....
anyone care???
08/16/05 10:10
http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/15/pf/training_pay/index.htm
guess what archinect, we are number 1.
we're number 1!
we're number 1!
we're number 1!
mwad
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Total Comments: 171
08/16/05 10:14
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