I am in a weird spot and need some fast advice before a meeting tomorrow morning. I work for a mid sized manufacturing company in Pennsylvania as a tech and lately things have been chaotic. Last month we had a massive project push and I ended up working about 25 hours of overtime. I tracked everything on my personal log and it shows up in the digital clock-in system too so there is a clear paper trail of me being there. Today my HR manager called me into her office and handed me this one page document. It basically says that I am "voluntarily" waiving my right to overtime pay for the previous pay period in exchange for "consideration for future career advancement opportunities" and a "professional development credit" whatever that means. When I asked what happens if I do not sign it she got very cold and said that the company needs team players who understand the current budget constraints and that if I am not a fit for the company culture they might have to "re-evaluate my continued employment" effective immediately.
This feels incredibly illegal but she played it off like it is a standard thing they do when projects go over budget. I have been here for a few years and never seen this before. She even mentioned that since PA is an at-will state they can let me go for any reason anyway so I might as well sign and keep my job. I told her I needed to think about it but they want a signed copy by 9 AM tomorrow. I havent signed anything yet but I did take a photo of the document when she wasnt looking. Can they actually fire me for refusing to sign away money I already earned? I am worried that if I sign I lose the $1,000+ they owe me but if I dont I am walking out with no job and no way to pay rent next month. I thought the FLSA protected against this kind of thing but the way she phrased it as a voluntary waiver for "career growth" made it sound like they found a loophole. Does anyone know if "at-will" actually covers them firing me specifically for demanding my legal pay? I really dont want to cause a scene because I need the reference later but this feels like straight up theft and I am stressed out as hell right now.