Paycheck Question

[onthemark]

I have a question about how my facility determines our pay but don't know where to put it on this site. Hopefully, one of you will see this and have an answer or suggestion for me:

During a 2-week pay period this summer, I used one week for vacation and in the other week, I worked a total of 5 hours overtime. When I got my check for this period, I saw that I was paid the 5 hours overtime but was not paid for 5 hours of my vacation. When I inquired, they said, "when a person works overtime and then takes time off, how do we know the person just didn't work overtime to make up for the time they were going to take off?" This response shocked me -- it doesn't make sense! -- but when I asked my co-workers about this, they said they'd been told the same thing and that they just accepted it!

I thought I was doing them a favor by accepting the overtime when asked, and never dreamed it would mean I'd be penalized for vacation time! Furthermore, I got permission months in advance for my vacation and I just don't see how I can be denied 5 of the hours because I helped out by working 5 hours overtime the previous week!

During a pay period in November, I see I'll have one vacation day but I was asked yesterday to work another day in that same pay period as overtime......so now I'm worried I'm not going to be paid for the vacation day!

Do any of you have this same policy in your facility? If you agree that this practice is unethical, do you have any suggestions for me? Thanks for any thought you put in to this.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Thank you all for your input. You're making me realize that my situation certainly isn't unique. I still feel these practices are unethical, though. KeIRN215 says "paid vacation time is not guaranteed in this country." However, when the contract we signed when we accepted our jobs stated the benefits, then I believe the facilities are under contractual obligation to fulfill them. We were guaranteed a set number of vacation, personal and sick days, and I believe we should be able to use them regardless of any overtime we work.

You have contract? Are you union? If you are call your union rep.

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

At OP, if this is what your job is doing, save your vacation days for a time when you want or need them in such a way that you will NOT come back to work if they call. What's the point in going to work on a requested week off? I would suggest asking to work x-hours on x-day so that you can be off on y-day. That way, you helped out, you got your day off, and you still have your vacation days for another time.

In my opinion, if a nurse reports to work on requested time off, that nurse just showed that he/she really didn't need or want the time in the first place. Once 'they' see that, they will do it to you every chance they get, in the interest of the job...not the nurse. The bean counters NEVER take a day off.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

My take? It's probably just a miscommunication or clumsy payroll process because there is really no money saved. Vacation time is accrued no matter what... it's paid out of a different bucket than "labor budget" for worked hours.

I have found that many organizations have 'default' processes in payroll that were designed with the best of intentions - supposed to streamline things and make it easier for everyone. But sometimes the "solution" can cause huge problems due to unintended consequences. One case in point.. "automatic" mealtime deductions will prevent staff from having to clock out and in for meals (good thing) but it causes enormous issues if the normal meal break is not taken (bad thing), including causing 'accidental' violations of Federal laws (very bad thing) that can incur huge penalties for the organization.

[Conqueror+, BSN, RN]

It is common but it still stinks to me. That is why I ONLY do overtime the last weekend of the pay period. No cancelling me to short my overtime. Live and learn.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Thank you all for your input. You're making me realize that my situation certainly isn't unique. I still feel these practices are unethical, though. KeIRN215 says "paid vacation time is not guaranteed in this country." However, when the contract we signed when we accepted our jobs stated the benefits, then I believe the facilities are under contractual obligation to fulfill them. We were guaranteed a set number of vacation, personal and sick days, and I believe we should be able to use them regardless of any overtime we work.

If you have a contract then this should all be spelled out. There may be a policy in your facility that states that if you use vacation time during a week when you also work, the total hours cannot be more than your regularly scheduled hours.

You are still guaranteed these vacation, personal and sick days, no one is taking them away from you. There are just rules about how they are used.

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

I'm reading some of the responses, and I'm confused. OP, you intended to take 40 hours PTO in week 2, but you worked 45 hours in week 1, correct?

When you got your pay stub, you were paid for only 35 hours from your PTO for week 2, but you did receive 40 hours straight time and 5 hours overtime in week 1, correct?

My question is this, then: was your PTO bank reduced by 35 or 40 hours for week 2?If it was 35 hours, you're not really being penalized in any way, although I think it's odd for your facility to do that. If your PTO bank was reduced by 40 hours, but you were paid for only 35, that seems as if it should be illegal.

[amoLucia]

It is common but it still stinks to me. That is why I ONLY do overtime the last weekend of the pay period. No cancelling me to short my overtime. Live and learn.

You learned the ropes well!

[ArtClassRN, ADN, RN]

You have contract? Are you union? If you are call your union rep.

I'm betting the OP doesn't understand the work rules as explained by others.

[onthemark]

Again, thank you for your comments.

Although we don't have a union, every January we sign a contract stating what our pay/benefits will be for the new year. However, in reading their policy manual, I think they get out of giving the full number of days off with this statement: "...any authorized paid leave taken in a week in which an employee is asked to work beyond the normal schedule is not counted toward the forty hours after which the overtime pay rate goes into effect." keIRN215, this must be what you're referring to.

Dudette10, you are right.....I was paid the 40 + 5 OT in week one and then paid for 35 vacation hours in week 2. They told me this was to my advantage because I then had an extra 5 hours vacation time left over. But they didn't seem to understand that there's no way I can take 5 hours because once I'm on duty, I'm there 100% for the full 8 hour shift. Well, I'm happy I was paid the time and a half for the 5 hours but I still feel a little cheated.

As many of you have suggested, live and learn -- I now will refuse any overtime in a pay period in which I plan to take vacation time. I still feel "there ought'a be a law" -- if any of you have any suggestions, let me know :)

[krisiepoo]

You ended up ahead in my book since you weren't charged the 5 hours PTO and were paid 5 hours of OT so while I get where you're coming from in a way, you actually came out ahead and they were doing you a favor. This is how it is at my (non-nursing) job as well.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

You didn't "lose" anything, you just didn't get it when you expected it. There are probably some that like the way it was done and that's why it's their default. You probably don't have to refuse overtime before a vacation, just make sure it's clear with whomever does payroll that you still want the whole 40 the next week.

[kcochrane]

Same at every facility I have worked at. So it's not uncommon. Just be careful if you have a facility when you can only bank a certain number of vacation hours.