The hospital I work at schedules us 4 days on 3 days off. It is nice to have 3 day weekends (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) but on the days we do work we are working 12 hour days - night shift. Gets a little exhausting - especially since lunch is eaten on the go and breaks are scheduled but somehow never happen. They are always really good about taking out lunch time from our pay though - as if we actually had time to sit down and each lunch. The one saving grace is that we all get along and there are no real feifdoms.
Not meaning to be whiny, but I am going back to work in 7 hours and I am not a happy camper.
I live in California, and I get 8 hours of straight pay, and 4 hours of OT per shift. If I pick up a 7th day in a pay period (we're scheduled 6 shifts in a 2 week period), I am entitled to some sort of DT... I would definitely consult a lawyer as well as try and obtain an employee handbook.
I work in Cali also - we get 8 hours of straight pay and 4 hours of 1.5x pay for each shift worked. We also get 2 30 minute lunch breaks per shift - and if we don't have a break within the first five hours, we're paid a meal penalty of $35 or so. (I'm not entirely sure what it is because my hospital is really good about getting us out.) It sounds like you're getting screwed - I'd talk to either an attorney or the labor board.
@bittybritty - I will get an employee handbook - I think that's a good idea.
@nurse2033 - class action makes me a bit nervous. I guess I will call an attorney and see if we should be getting OT and breaks.
Thanks for your help.
Not to be snarky, but Steve, you state that you have been a nurse for 17 years and you didn't know that anything over 40 hours in a work week is overtime???? Kind of hard to believe.
Take it from a burnt out nurse: it will catch up with you. Slow it down. The job is not worth your health. You probably spend the 3 days off resting an vegging out. Look out for yourself. Good Luck.
I work 6 12hr nights then off for 8. Like my long stretch off but sometimes the week I work can be a nail biter. Been nursing for almost 30 years and majority has been nights. Figure I have about 15 years more til retirement not sure if will be able to work this schedule when in my 60's but at that age want be able to find another job. The new grads work 6months on nights and want a day job. I remember when I first started out the only way you moved to days was if someone died or retired. I have always like nights and not sure when or if I would take a day position.
Double check with your company's policies--I work in California and at my hospital we're on the alternate work week so 12 hr shifts do not = 4 hours of overtime. We don't get overtime until it's over 40/hours in a week, and everyone signs a 2nd meal period waiver on hire so we legally only get one 30 minute lunch. If you do not sign the meal waiver you get your 2 30 minute meal periods, but you also stay 30 minutes later. So most people just sign it.
I work in Cali also - we get 8 hours of straight pay and 4 hours of 1.5x pay for each shift worked. We also get 2 30 minute lunch breaks per shift - and if we don't have a break within the first five hours, we're paid a meal penalty of $35 or so. (I'm not entirely sure what it is because my hospital is really good about getting us out.) It sounds like you're getting screwed - I'd talk to either an attorney or the labor board.
It's only because of the penalty that you get breaks- they're not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.....I've worked management- so not anti-management, but I've also worked staff- and nobody in mgmt ever thought of us when they left for the day....or even while they were still at work.....LOL
Take it from a burnt out nurse: it will catch up with you. Slow it down. The job is not worth your health. You probably spend the 3 days off resting an vegging out. Look out for yourself. Good Luck.
Burnt at one year? I'm so sorry....is there any other area of nursing that sounds good?
It's only because of the penalty that you get breaks- they're not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.....I've worked management- so not anti-management, but I've also worked staff- and nobody in mgmt ever thought of us when they left for the day....or even while they were still at work.....LOL
I know they're not doing it because they love us - but if the threat of having to pay a meal penalty is all it takes for us to get to sit down for a total of an hour a day, then I'm all for it.
Gratefulprn
33 Posts
Could not imagine your schedule or some of the other ones mentioned on here. It exhausts me just reading about them.