When I was hired in my previous job, I was given the choice of being exempt or non-exempt. (It was a very small company; when I started there were only 4 office employees, including the two owners and me, and a dozen or so factory workers, truck drivers, etc.) I chose non-exempt. It meant I had to punch the time clock, but I liked it that way. I figured it kept everybody honest. It meant, when times were busy, I could work overtime and get paid fairly for it, and when times were slow, I could come in late or go home early without feeling that I was cheating anyone. I took enough pride in my work, that when there was a lot of work to do, I wanted to put in the extra hours, since it meant our customers were getting better and more timely service. Some people wouldn't have liked the fluctuating pay, but it suited me just fine.

Frankly, I wish everyone had to be on the clock.