Salaried nurses, How much OT is acceptable? What to do? - page 2

KelRN215- I understand that nurses can be considered exempt. It still depends on the contract; which is why I stated that she look into it. I personally know a few nurses that are salary, yet their employers pays them overtime when they work more than 50 hours a week. Granted, the employer may not be legally bound to offer that to them but once he added it to their employment contract, he has stuck to it. The OP seems to have been duped into taking a salaried position and I tried to suggest that she look for some type of employee manual or contract that would have spelled out the terms of employment. Sorry for statement possibly being misleading that all salary employees are the same.

I did some digging and found Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Coverage (Exempt vs. Non-Exempt -- The Online Wages, Hours and Overtime Pay Resource which gives all the details of flsa in it's legal glory.

According to that, an exempt employee pretty much has no protection whatsoever. No guaranteed lunch breaks, no protection from being required to make up lost time, no guarantee of extra pay...

That said, I make straight time for time over 40, usually in the form of Comp time. I will work a maximum of 24 extra hours per month and that is if my schedule permits.

Unless my finances change drastically or the economy tanks so that I can't find another job, the day I don't get credit for it in the form of time, money, or an equal incentive (a company car, perhaps) will be the day that I am no longer able to work anything over the 40 in my contract.