EXtra compensation for mandatory inhouse call for salaried crna?

sweetnepenthe · Dec 21, 2004

Just another thought to add to Yoga's excellent advice - on the discussion of hours and safety, the issue that research brings up is really excess hours per day - not per week. Unfortunately, most residency programs have have addressed the safety issue by limiting hours per week that residents work, still allowing them to work 24 or 30 hour shifts (as does my current hospital). If interested, google "Lucian Leape" of Harvard, or "To Err Is Human".
Good luck with this; let us know how things go.

Thank you. I will do that

Businessman · Dec 21, 2004

http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/flsa/index.htm

This link is the official website of the Dept. of Labor.

By law, your employer should pay you 1.5 the hourly rate after 40 hours.

However, the law gives employers flexibility on the matter of mandating the OT - your case might fit emergency or "vital" personnel (or something like that).

In conclusion, here are the options:

1. Try to renegotiate on your own - very unlikely for you to win (will set precedent)

2. Try to renegotiate as a group - all of you have to be willing to step out if you reach that point (difficult, given the fact that it will result in loss of income)

3. Look for a greener pasture - many groups offer in writing what happens in case of OT.

If you are living in Erie, let me know ...

jwk · Dec 22, 2004

http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/flsa/index.htm
This link is the official website of the Dept. of Labor.
By law, your employer should pay you 1.5 the hourly rate after 40 hours.
However, the law gives employers flexibility on the matter of mandating the OT - your case might fit emergency or "vital" personnel (or something like that).
In conclusion, here are the options:
1. Try to renegotiate on your own - very unlikely for you to win (will set precedent)
2. Try to renegotiate as a group - all of you have to be willing to step out if you reach that point (difficult, given the fact that it will result in loss of income)
3. Look for a greener pasture - many groups offer in writing what happens in case of OT.
If you are living in Erie, let me know ...

Aren't CRNA's considered "professionals" and therefore exempt from any government required OT regulations?

Businessman · Dec 22, 2004

Aren't CRNA's considered "professionals" and therefore exempt from any government required OT regulations?

JWK,

CRNA's are a rare breed - they get paid a salary, for an assumed 40 hours per week. Beyond that, it's hourly rate. (i.e., all locum tenens get paid hourly and are guaranteed a minimum amount of work per week/month). In some cases, the hourly rate of OT is flat - not 1.5 the regular. It all boils down to how the contract was written.

The law in question has been approved only recently, therefore, a preexisting contract with different terms may still be legal (I think it's called "grandfather" clause).

jwk · Dec 22, 2004

JWK,
CRNA's are a rare breed - they get paid a salary, for an assumed 40 hours per week. Beyond that, it's hourly rate. (i.e., all locum tenens get paid hourly and are guaranteed a minimum amount of work per week/month). In some cases, the hourly rate of OT is flat - not 1.5 the regular. It all boils down to how the contract was written.
The law in question has been approved only recently, therefore, a preexisting contract with different terms may still be legal (I think it's called "grandfather" clause).

I fully understand how CRNA's are paid. My point is, that as "professionals", they are generally exempt from any government-mandated overtime requirement.

If someone is paid a salary, there is no "assumed" 40 hr work week unless that is spelled out in an employment agreement or policy. I used to work for a group that paid a salary only. That salary included any and all hours that we worked per day/week/month/year. Could have been a low of 30 hours, sometimes as much as 90 hrs/week. Same salary regardless. Perfectly legal. (also the reason I left).

A good point for anyone, especially for those earning the higher incomes that anesthetists tend to earn, is to make sure that you understand EXACTLY how you will be compensated for your time. Hourly pay? Salary only? Salary plus OT? OT after when or how many hours? What's the OT rate? Call pay? Holidays? All of this can be very different from hourly nursing pay.

I have new grads coming to work for my group that are totally overwhelmed by their new income levels and benefit packages available to them. Big signing bonuses, six figure incomes and meaningful pension/profit sharing/401k plans are just the start.

yoga crna · Dec 22, 2004

CRNAs are exempt from federal overtime laws. The exemption is because we are considered professionals and, as such are held to a higher level of responsibility. It is assumed that as a professional, you have the right to a contract that delineates the terms of employment. Those terms typically include, compensation, hours, duties, benefits, termination clause, and other items that may be specific to the position. The one exception to this is being a member of a labor union, where the union negotiates the contract for its members.

Give a lot of thought to what is in a contract, know how far you are willing to negotiate and what other options are out there.

Remember, there are many ways to practice as a CRNA. You can be employeed, self-employed, part-time, full-time, hourly, contract, fee for service and many combinations of all of the above. This is much different from generic nursing, where the primary practice model is being employed.

Yoga CRNA