I’ve been working very late hours — not because my boss asks me to, but because there is so much work to get done. And now he is telling me I can’t put in for all of that overtime pay because he didn’t authorize it. Is that fair?

Assuming that your position is an hourly, overtime-eligible position, it’s not only not fair — it’s not legal. It is true that an employee cannot unilaterally decide how much overtime he or she wants to work and rack up 1.5 times his or her pay accordingly. It is also true that an employer must “authorize” you to work OT. However, if they don’t expressly tell you that you can’t work those hours, and allow you to work OT without officially approving it ahead of time, they are still obligated to pay you for those hours worked. Now, to be fair, if you’re not actually “working” every hour that you stay late — which happens, as people can socialize at work — you’re not technically entitled to be paid for that time. So unless you want to punch a clock in and out, consider whether there is a compromise in how many hours you actually worked and how many for which you should rightfully get paid.

I’m a veteran and am having trouble transitioning to a civilian career. Any advice?

Do I have advice for a vet on Memorial Day?! Can a Navy SEAL swim? First of all, thank you for your service! Hug, kiss, buy a beer or simply say thanks to our servicemen and women this weekend. As far as career services, the Veterans Administration — despite the bashing it is taking for how it handles medical care — does a good job of offering career counseling and employment services on its Web site. Military.com is another good place to go, or go directly to the Web sites of employers, many of whom have special hiring programs for vets — including Walmart, for example. And here’s another service: Any veteran who sends me his or her resume will get a free, personal, online resume review. Just submit your resume as an attachment and put “VET REZ” in the subject header. Stay safe my friends, and thank you again.