big hourly pay increase?

[littlegreenfrog]

So. . .I started my job about 18 mos ago on the floor at $22/hr. . .after 3 months, I was increased to 22.50/hr. . .then I had to take off 6 mos (medical reason) and when I returned my pay was now $24/hr! Do you think I got that big of an increase or do you think someone messed up somewhere when I returned from my leave? I am afraid to ask because if it is a mistake, they may take it away. I didn't even notice the increase for several months. Anyway, I am not complaining. . .I just think it is odd. They never mentioned the other raise to me so I am not surprised no one said anything, it just seems like a large increase.

[shhhh]

A nurse I once worked with was upset one day because payroll found out she erroneously got a wage increase. She had known that she got the raise and wasn't supposed to, but she kept quiet. Someone in payroll eventually found out about the mistake. They figured out how much they had overpaid her over time, then they took the money back in installments over a few months. She was expecting us to feel bad for her, but she got no sympathy because all of us she was telling this to were like, "Hey, if you knew you got an increase you weren't supposed to get and did nothing about making it right, you were being a tad dishonest there!"

You can always look in your union contract to read about nursing pay raises if your hospital has a nurse's union. Usually, it's very explicitly written in union contracts. Since payroll hasn't notified you of any mistake after so long, it's probably not a mistake at all and it's an increase you're entitled to. A $2.00 raise after six months (presumably after you made it through your six-month probation) doesn't seen that out of the ordinary. If there's no nurse's union, or if just knowing for sure would make you feel better, I'd address it with someone. But it sounds like you have nothing to worry about. Good luck!