Benefits - I'm In Shock

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

I didn't know that the 25 days of PTO we get must be used to be paid for holidays. I knew they were for sick time, vacation days, and personal emergencies. But they also must be used to get paid for the holidays that the employer "gives" us.

How does it work at your place of employment?

[roser13, ASN, RN]

It works differently everywhere. Within my own company, it has worked both ways over the years. It used to be that PTO was in addition to paid holidays. Then, after some corporate upheaval, it changed and the holidays were not separate any more. However, also at that time, the PTO accrual rate rose for everyone to compensate for the change, at least partially.

It's all relative. As a new employee, you likely have X number of PTO hours - probably enough for 2-3 weeks vacation/sick days, plus paid holidays. Your accrual rate will increase with your years at the same facility.

[llg, PhD, RN]

But you are starting off with 5 weeks per year (assuming you normally work 5 days per week). That's about par for the course. A lot of places will have separate "holiday" days -- but they get only 2-3 weeks of PTO. It all comes out even in the end.

Another reason you should get all of that straight during the interview/hiring process -- to avoid those unpleasant surprises later.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Our holidays, sick and vacation are still separate, but my hubby's all in one. Just gotta learn to budget them.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I've worked at facilities where employees had to pull time from their PTO banks in order to get paid for the major holidays.

I've also worked at places where I received no holiday pay whatsoever. In other words, pick your poison.

[Nurse Kyles, BSN, RN]

I have to use PTO for holidays too. I generally like that all time comes out of one PTO bank. Usually I am scheduled the appropriate amount of hours even if I have the holiday off anyway. At my previous (non-healthcare) job it took me 7 years to get anywhere close to the amount of PTO that I received in my first year at my hospital. Also I got sick time, but it was separate from regular PTO. When I called in sick I could not use my "sick" time until the second consecutive sick day. I had 120 hours of sick pay that I earned but never got any compensation for. What a great reward for having good attendance!

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

My employer is happy to grant me some PTO during a holiday, as the usual accrual rate and as long as I'm at work!! My husband used to work for as a Paramedic and loved to work holidays. Why you ask? Because they paid you holiday pay (time and a half) plus they paid you for the holiday so those days paid double time and a half. He says it was actually competitive to work on the holidays!

The concept seemed foreign to me who had only worked unbenefitted fast-food or as a nurse.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

Our PTO bank is used for everything- sick time, holiday, & vacation. It sucks.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Our PTO bank is used for everything- sick time, holiday, & vacation. It sucks.

Same deal here- it indeed sucketh

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

I get 3 weeks PTO in addition to 8hrs off for holidays goes into my holiday bank for every legal holiday plus 2 8hr personal days. The difference is the PTO roles over year to year and the holiday pay is "use it or loose it" and we have 6 months to use it.

I find my companies policy to be very generous and have only had to dip into my PTO bank once when sick. Otherwise I have just used holiday pay when I want a vacation

[Altra, BSN, RN]

25 "days" per year ... assuming 8 hour days.

6 legal holidays are generally recognized in the U.S. (New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day).

10 days for the standard 2 weeks vacation.

Still leaves 9 days for personal holidays and/or sick time.

This does not seem to be out of the ordinary, worthy of shock.

[SoCalGalRN]

Hah. What is a paid holiday? My work states we get like 7 federal holidays paid but all that means is that we get 1.5x pay on the night before the holiday. Working the night of the holiday gets us no extra pay. We get no pay for not working on the holiday. So, yeah, I have no freaking idea what a paid holiday is supposed to be. We get 6.8 hours of PTO each pay period so I earn about 13 hours off for each month of work. Inevitably, I get sick or need emergency dental work or something and have to use that one day and once again have nothing or like now, 8 hours or so of PTO available.