Overtime Pay for 9 Extra Months in Space? Nope.

[Shootist Comitatus]

Butch & Suniydance got ripped


Overtime Pay for 9 Extra Months in Space? Nope.

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore do not get overtime for their unexpectedly long stay on the International Space Station, according to NASA rules. But they do get $5 a day for “incidentals.”

This means that in addition to their annual salary — about $152,258, according to NASA — Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams received around $1,430 for their 286 days in space.

Still, if a $5 per diem seems low for a job that causes enough muscle and bone loss for you to need a gurney when you return to Earth, spare a thought for Clayton Anderson, the NASA astronaut who spent 152 days aboard the International Space Station in 2007.

Mr. Anderson said he received a per diem of only about $1.20, or $172 in total.

Being an astronaut was amazing and his dream job, Mr. Anderson said on social media in 2022, “but it IS a government job with government pay.”

He added: “I would have done WAY better with mileage!”

Source: NYT

[dncdawg]

Why would they deserve overtime for doing their job? They get paid their salary whether they are in space or on Earth or somewhere in between. They aren't hourly employees. Do you get paid more when traveling for work? I sure don't.

[deathdawg]

Why would they deserve overtime for doing their job?  They get paid their salary whether they are in space or on Earth or somewhere in between.  They aren't hourly employees. Do you get paid more when traveling for work? I sure don't.

Concur.  It's a salaried job.

[McDonoughDawg]

Why would they deserve overtime for doing their job?  They get paid their salary whether they are in space or on Earth or somewhere in between.  They aren't hourly employees. Do you get paid more when traveling for work? I sure don't.

So if you had a week long work trip to wherever, but you had to stay 9 months..no possibility of seeing Family, etc..you’d be cool with that? I doubt it.

[dncdawg]

Why would they deserve overtime for doing their job?  They get paid their salary whether they are in space or on Earth or somewhere in between.  They aren't hourly employees. Do you get paid more when traveling for work? I sure don't.

So if you had a week long work trip to wherever, but you had to stay 9 months..no possibility of seeing Family, etc..you’d be cool with that? I doubt it.

Being cool with that and expecting extra compensation are two different things.

If you are an exempt employee and are not happy with this risk, you have two choices:  Ask for higher pay or quit your job and go somewhere else.

Last year this time, I was looking at having to go to South Sioux City Nebraska for 2 months to sit in a trial on behalf of my company.  Might as well have been the ISS.  Luckily, we settled, but I was willing to do it.  I'm sure my company would have taken care of me at some point either with extra time off or more money, but no promises were made.  I was just reluctantly willing to do it because it was my job.

[Milldawg]

$5 a day? Are there vending machines on the ISS? Asking for a friend

[dncdawg]

$5 a day? Are there vending machines on the ISS? Asking for a friend

lol.  it was for tipping the bellman.