> the advice I've heard from contractors is to charge more. Maybe I need to get out. I can't charge more: I'm salaried in a giant corporation full of consultan

> the advice I've heard from contractors is to charge more. Maybe I need to get out. I can't charge more: I'm salaried in a giant corporation full of consultants. They literally have a "quota" for how much they can give out in raises each year, despite the fact that me earning more means they also earn more (via the multiplier). Doesn't matter, it's heresy to give employees high raises. Except I'm not really salaried, because I only get paid what I bill. And I can't bill for downtime, because that's fraud. So I really have the worst of all worlds. Going for a 30 minute walk to clear my head means 30 minutes of less pay, even though my employer benefits from that. For tax, overtime, and labor law purposes, I'm salaried and exempt (to the benefit of my employer), but for my actual paycheck, I'm hourly (to the benefit of my employer). Frankly I doubt the practice would be legal in any country with reasonable fair labor laws. Unfortunately, I live in the U.S. Still, it's better than working in some code mill where they burn you for 60 or 70 hours per week and pay you for 40.