Question

A salaried worker has 40 hours in one week and earns $400. What is her pay for a week if she works 50 hours?

Answer 1

The key here is that the worker is salaried. In the US, at least, a salaried worker is paid on a regular schedule and receives a predetermined amount each time, regardless of the number of hours worked.

If this is a math problem, it is poorly written, as math problems should not rely on knowledge of labor law to reach the correct answer!

Answer 2

if she makes 400 for 40 hours that is
$10 an hour
so 50 times 10
=500

Answer 3

Not if she is salaried! Salaried workers do not receive payment on an hourly basis.

I agree that an hourly worker who makes $400 for 40 hours of work would earn $500 for 50 hours of work if overtime is not considered. Again, in the US, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) dictates that working more than 40 hours in a 7 day period requires paying the hours beyond 40 at a higher rate.

So, again, a poorly written problem, unless intended for a business class where the students would be expected to understand these details. And whether it is a problem for a business class or a math class, the Writing section is the wrong place to post it.

Answer 4

Clarification: a non-exempt (hourly) worker gets overtime, an exempt (salaried) worker does not get overtime. The FLSA says a non-exempt worker working more than 40 hours in a 7 day period gets overtime pay, but there is no requirement to pay exempt workers extra for extra hours.