Do you think this is fair?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in tele, ICU.

I'm in the weekend program at work, and work every single weekened. I only work Sat & Sun, so I am considered part time. We have 4 weekenders on my unit, and as a result, the rest of the regular staff only end up having to work maybe 1 weekend shift every 1.5-2 months.

Since I'm a weekend person, I get the higher weekend rate. If a holiday happens to fall on a weekend, I have to work it, and I do NOT get time and a half like the rest of the staff, because I'm already paid at "a higher rate"- but when you do the math, the regular staff are making more hourly than me on holidays.

Not only do I have to work these holidays at my regular rate, I am not allowed to request vacation time if it's a holiday.

So basically, I don't make any extra working on a holiday, I don't have an extra holiday requirement because I'm part time weekend staff, but I'm denied any requests to take a holiday off because "that's not allowed". Does that seem right to you? It seems to me that since I don't make holiday pay and don't have an extra holiday requirement like the rest of the staff, I should be allowed to take the holiday off if I request it (not to mention I have #2 seniority on this unit). Also, as a result, a lot of regular staff get out of working a weekend holiday because the weekend people have already filled in most of the slots.

I have to admit, I have a "thing" for when a situation seems unfair and get worked up about it- but am open to someone else's input and perspective to tell me I am looking at things incorrectly. My manager does not seem to understand where I'm coming from. It's hard when I have NO family time because I'm working every weekend, and then I miss out on family time during a holiday too because it happens to fall on a weekend. And no, I don't think anyone would willingly switch with me to work on a holiday.

0 Votes

i have heard of this to some degree.

were these conditions told to you before accepting this weekend shift ? if so, it sounds like your schedule may be a bad fit for you.

have you considered changing your shift?

0 Votes
Specializes in ICU.

Well, I too only work Sat & Sun, but I have only been at this job for 2 months, and haven't dealt with the holiday pay issue yet. I guess I should look into it myself. I have a base pay rate, then I get extra per hour for working weekends, just like everybody else. If I work the occasional weekday shift because of a call in or something, I only get my base pay. Is your situation similar? If so, then the argument that "you are already getting paid more" doesn't hold water, because when your weekday coworkers work on the weekends they should also get paid the higher rate. If you only get weekend pay when you work a weekend holiday, then your coworkers should only get weekend pay when working the weekend holiday. That is my opinion.

0 Votes
Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele/Onc.

I'm not sure if it is unfair. Let's talk about the typical American Holidays...New Years, Memorial Day & Labor Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, 4th of July. Since Memorial, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving NEVER fall on a weekend, you'll never have to work those. Since the other holidays fall on a weekend twice in every 5 - 7 years, your chances of working those are pretty low too.

Most staff nurses are asked to work at least half the holidays a year. You have lots of years where you'll never have to work a holiday.

I don't think it looks so bad, even if you don't get paid time and a half. If you want the pay, go work for an agency or work somewhere else PRN and volunteer for holidays, since you aren't working then at your regular job anyway.

0 Votes
Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele/Onc.
Well, I too only work Sat & Sun, but I have only been at this job for 2 months, and haven't dealt with the holiday pay issue yet. I guess I should look into it myself. I have a base pay rate, then I get extra per hour for working weekends, just like everybody else. If I work the occasional weekday shift because of a call in or something, I only get my base pay. Is your situation similar? If so, then the argument that "you are already getting paid more" doesn't hold water, because when your weekday coworkers work on the weekends they should also get paid the higher rate. If you only get weekend pay when you work a weekend holiday, then your coworkers should only get weekend pay when working the weekend holiday. That is my opinion.

At the hospital where I used to work, the weekenders made significantly more than shift differential. So if I worked a weekend, I got shift differential ($2 -$3) an hour. They got paid time and a half. That's fair, they worked every weekend all the time and I didn't. But they still got paid a lot more than me.

0 Votes

Yes, it's fair. Get over it.

0 Votes
Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

It's unfair on one particular year, and will change the next. You can opt out of working weekends.

Some places exclude holidays on their weekend plan...but I suppose it's unfortunate yours doesn't. Perhaps you need to ask HR to review it?

0 Votes
Specializes in ICU, Cardiac.

Yes, it's fair. Weekend option at our hospital does not work holidays unless they fall on the weekend. If it falls on the weekend, it is their responsibility to work it. If it doesn't, they never work a holiday.

Weekday people work most of the holidays, so we lose family time on holidays the majority of the time.

As for the no family time issue - you choose to work weekend option and if that is not working for you anymore, maybe it is time to make a change. I worked weekend option when my kids were younger and then switched back to the week when it didn't work anymore for us.

0 Votes
Specializes in ER/Ortho.

At my hospital if the holiday falls during the week then I may have to work it. This year that includes Thanksgiving, Christmas eve, and New Years eve.

If the holiday falls on the weekend then I do not have to work it (I am not a weekender). This includes Christmas Day, and New Years day.

So the weekend staff only has 2 holidays while the week staff has three.

0 Votes

This is a hard one to decipher. Most weekender are paid roughly time and a half to begin with. And few holidays - Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day - fall on the weekend.

Also, most places allow at least one weekend off every 6 months or so.

Do you get other benefits? You should not be considered part-time for your benefits. Many places offer benefits.

Your manager has nothing to do with the guidelines; talk to HR.

Best wishes!

0 Votes

Whether or not something is fair is irrelevant IMO unless it is violating employment law. What is relevant is what is the market for your replacement. Rates of pay and benefits are not exempt from the laws of economics and as I understand it, right now there are many, many nurses available to take your place if you leave. Therefore, pay rates and amounts of benefits given will fall. Supply and demand in action. That does not mean that you can't ask for a review, and if yours is positive then you can ask for some changes to your structure. Fair is where you take your pig to get a medal, as my Paw Paw used to say.

0 Votes

I think it is plenty fair. I am so glad that with the economy being the way it is that many hospitals in my area are doing away with weekend option. As a regular staff employee that worked regular weekends at some point in my career I can't even begin to tell you how many weekenders would ask me to work their weekends for them, especially when they fell on holidays. Uh, no. Work the weekends yourself or become regular staff like the rest of us. You don't get to pick and choose your weekends off. A big part of the reason why weekend option gets paid so much extra is because regular staff don't want the burden of working weekends. If they have to pick up extra weekends on holidays to cover shifts that you as a weekender would like off, then what is the benefit of having weekenders on the unit in the first place?:confused:

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment