I am worth less for Christmas?!?!?

Nurses General Nursing

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Okay so I volunteered to work Christmas because the poor LPN that works day shift has had to work all holidays for 5 years. She has a son going to Iraq and I felt I simply had to help her out by letting her have 5 days including Christmas with her family and son!:)

Then I found out for the first time in 7 years..my hubby FINALLY had Christmas off (he is paramedic). Uhgggggg..oh well, I still did a nice thing...and besides, I get off work at 1430...so not bad.:rolleyes:

Then I remembered..oh yeah I get double pay because my organization appreciates people that work on Christmas! (all other holidays are time and a half). Yeah..well that will help me out quite a bit...so cool!:biggringi

WRONGO!!!!!!:angryfire

Because I am part-time, I don't get double..but time an a half. Now granted, I shouldn't complain but that hit me SO WRONG! What...my Christmas is worth less than anyone else working it??? Like my family is worth less for their sacrifice of their mommy being gone Christmas eve and Christmas day!?!?!? OH I was livid!!!!!!!! :eek: :nono:

I would understand this policy better if it was a detour from people working part-time, but they mandate that all RN staff to be part-time, and LPN's to be full for money reasons (sick I know!!!!)...so it isn't like it was my choice...so why am I worth less???? OH yeah..I am more expensive..UHGGGGG!!!!!!!!

Is this common where you all work? Do you feel it is right? I mean, I can come up with 101 reasons why adminstration would do this..but knowing their hiring practices I can blow each one out of the water!!!!!! (I work in Admin!).

Simply another tactic to save a buck to the expense of RN's! WOW, wonder why we are leaving the field or thinking about it????

My hubby is as mad as I am, and he said "well since you are part-time then they must abide by your schedule..so NO MORE working holidays under any circumstances...and you will submit a calander of days you are available and not and they will either abide by that or you quit!" Okay a little harsh but...I can see where he is comming from!!! I get NO benifits whatsoever, the least they can do is treat me as they would anyone else at that place for this Holiday they claim is to be the "foundation of the family unit..therefore double pay for you and your families sacrifice". UHGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!:angryfire

Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Ahhhhhhh you guys thanks! The nice thing about it is that I didn't give it a second thought when I volunteered! I would hope someone would do the same for me if it was my family :). She didn't even ask..I just said "hey I noticed you were working Christmas...nope, I will do it for you if you have no objection so you can enjoy Christmas at home!" She said "OH YEAH!!!!!!" That was so cool to see her light up like a Christmas tree!!!!!!

My child is home for quite some time, hers is not going to be home for a while...it was the right thing to do!!!!! :)

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.
Just want to add my two cents....my eyes filled with tears after reading the first lines of the original post. You are truly a Christmas angel for working for the LPN so she could have Christmas with her son. My son is also in the Army and every minute I am allowed to spend with him is ever more precious. It sounds like this whole situation has put the light on some unfair workplace practices. I hope you are able to resolve these. Please don't let the pay issue detract from the good mission you are doing. "The love you take is equal to the love you make." ( from the Beatles, I forget which one.)

OH I won't...not at all...yeah I found out a probelm with admin..but not my dear LPN or my Christmas spirit...no that is well intact :).

Oh yeah...Beatles, "Abby Road" was the album...last song...last words :)

"and in the end..the love you take is equal to the love...you make..." Very sound and wonderful words!!!!!

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Here, our nurses get NOOOOO, zero, zilch extra EXCEPT weekend differential. $4/hour. So, while I agree with you, it could be worse. :crying2:

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:pyour awsome triageRN:p That's what Christmas is really all about. Hope yours is a great one also.:p:Santa3:

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oh and in regards to pay...we get our normal diferential plus and extra 10 percert which is like 1.90 for me if I worked days.

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Here, our nurses get NOOOOO, zero, zilch extra EXCEPT weekend differential. $4/hour. So, while I agree with you, it could be worse. :crying2:

Hey at least you get the differential, We got a $25 gift card to the mall, that is all, nothing else, no bonus, no special pay, no "thanks" nothing

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Well, let me tell you what happens to Christmas and pay over here. But first, just to explain that we have two national holidays - Christmas Day and Boxing Day, which is the day after.

Weekend pay rates are normally time and one third and holiday pay rates are time and two thirds. But this year, because the two days fall over the weekend, staff will be paid the lower weekend rates when they work Saturday & Sunday (Christmas Day & Boxing Day). The higher, holiday rate of pay will be given to staff who work Monday & Tuesday, which have been classed as the national holidays! Happens every time the holidays fall over a weekend & I've never been able to work that one out.

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If they don't offer candy canes, nice coffee and cookies..I will walk out! LOL!!!!!!!!! (J/K)

Too Funny! :icon_lol:

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I'm a new grad now, but when I worked Christmas last year while a student nurse (a 16 hour shift in the ER because they were short), I didn't get holiday pay. As a matter of fact, I didn't get holiday pay on any of the other holidays I worked either. I didn't find out until after I worked my first holiday at the job (Memorial Day weekend) and received my paycheck without holiday pay. When I went to find out why I didn't get holiday pay, I was told my classification didn't award holiday pay. I cried and then was angry that I worked doing the same job as others who were ER techs (just not student nurses as my title was) in an unusually understaffed ER (because of the holiday) that was also a major trauma center in the area. I worked harder than any other shift I'd worked there at the time and on top of that, I was sick because it was my 7th shift in a row! I only came in to work b/c I thought I was getting holiday pay. Yet, because of how my job title was classified, I was less worthy. You're probably asking why did I continue to work holidays, but it was because I was in school and could only pick up extra shifts on the holidays. At least when I was an EMT-B I got holiday pay! But alas, my hourly pay was still better as a student nurse than an EMT's, not to mention I experienced so much more.

Michelle

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my facility gives NO bonus pay for any holidays. they employ many international employees and have international patients as well. to give a bonus for christmas also requires a bonus for hanukkah and all muslim, hindi etc. holidays. they say to give a bonus for one holiday and not another shows favoritism for one religion over another. how many jewish people get all the days of hanukkah to spend with their families?

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my facility gives NO bonus pay for any holidays. they employ many international employees and have international patients as well. to give a bonus for christmas also requires a bonus for hanukkah and all muslim, hindi etc. holidays. they say to give a bonus for one holiday and not another shows favoritism for one religion over another. how many jewish people get all the days of hanukkah to spend with their families?

can you tell me the percentage of jewish nurses that would have to worry about that?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.

to the OP,

this is yet one more ridiculous tactic by a facility to cut costs. I am sorry for you. So you tried to do a good thing but it has come back to haunt you? Well, just try to see it as a self-less sacrifice for the good of another and DON'T volunteer for any more holidays...at least not the ones that mean the most to you. And if the facility has a prob....tell them "well...i am part time!"

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