Getting the shaft

Totally depends on the facility's policies.

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I agree it is facility policy. What I am more used to is that you are called off, use your PTO, then a couple days later, called to see if you want to work an alternate shift (like a night shift, or a weekend shift, or stay 12 hours instead of a scheduled 8) you agree because it is "extra" however, it is not extra, becuase you just get paid your usual EVEN though it was not a day/shift you were scheduled to work.

Most places only allow you to claim a certain amount of PTO, and it has to be "approved". But it is interesting that they seem to "call off" the nurses who are running into overtime. So you would just get the $3.00 and hour or whatever it is that you are paid for being on call.

If you are finding that as soon as you reach 40 hours that they are calling you off on your scheduled days, and not allowing you to take PTO, or to work overtime, I would speak to your union person or HR. Otherwise, I wouldn't take any extra shifts, just what you are scheduled.

My facility's policy is to balance your 2 week pay period. If I work 48 this week & 24 next week, that's still just 72 hours & I don't get time and a half. If I work 48 hours this week, scheduled 36 next week but call off or get called off 12, I won't get any OT. The extra 12 on week one balances the short week two. And according to the really terrible labor laws and exceptions, it's legal. Which sucks.

They also have a policy that anyone on OT is the first to get called off.

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I have never worked anywhere that an employee was allowed to use PTO to accrue time above their scheduled FTE; even if called off on a scheduled OT shift.

I quickly came to learn many years ago that there are some things that need to be put in written rather than verbal communication before I agree to do them.

@Jade: Wow! Three bucks an hour to be "on call?" We get zilch. They can't technically say we are "on call," but they make it clear they expect us to be! With so many nurses applying for jobs, they pretty much know we will be "on call without pay" anyway, and it matters when we get our year-end evaluation. As a matter of fact, I don't recall getting paid to be "on call" at any hospital I have ever worked at, but we don't have unions around here.

If we are scheduled for extra/over time and call out or are downstaffed, we can take PTO AND get the overtime. If you want to save your PTO you can, but you won't get overtime or extra time. It is posted on the scheduled which day is your extra day, so the only exception to this is that the day you call out or downstaff cannot be that extra day (to get the OT/extra). We also get $5 an hour for call. After reading all this, I need to tell my coworkers to stop complaining! It can suck for the company though -- I know people who routinely sign up for extra time, have lots of PTO, and will call out one of the days.

I have never worked anywhere that an employee was allowed to use PTO to accrue time above their scheduled FTE; even if called off on a scheduled OT shift.

THIS !!! OT is called off first and you can't use PTO. FTE is 72 hours bi-weekly, if you are called off a regular shift, you can use PTO up to a total of 72 hours.

We cannot use PTO and get OT either.. Kinda crazy.