Nurses Exempt

roser13, ASN, RN · Feb 24, 2015

I have not heard of this.

theRNJedi · Feb 24, 2015

Nurse salaries, income scales, and pay models are very diverse from state-to-state and organization-to-organization. You did not identify what state you work in or if you are part of a union. What you are describing is fairly common for salaried employees (non-exempt). What might be unique is if your position is a staff nurse and you are being paid a salary versus an hourly rate; that's unique but not unheard of. I've done both. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. There's so much more to write about this topic, but in short, salaried employees have a set income even when there is a low census (which is nice because it's a stable steady reliable income), but you can lose differential pay and can be unfairly over-worked and underpaid if your job has a trend of making you work over the salaried hours. Hourly employees earn only what they work, however they are vulnerable to being cancelled with low census and losing income. As with anything, there's pro's and con's to each. The biggest driver for your pay will be what state you are in and the labor laws. 'Overtime' is a controversial topic in the nursing workforce in general and I don't foresee it will soon end.

-TheRNJedi

justmia1089 · Feb 24, 2015

I'm in PA. The hospital is going for magnet status, so maybe that's the reason for the change?

Nurse salaries, income scales, and pay models are very diverse from state-to-state and organization-to-organization. You did not identify what state you work in or if you are part of a union. What you are describing is fairly common for salaried employees (non-exempt). What might be unique is if your position is a staff nurse and you are being paid a salary versus an hourly rate; that's unique but not unheard of. I've done both. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. There's so much more to write about this topic, but in short, salaried employees have a set income even when there is a low census (which is nice because it's a stable steady reliable income), but you can lose differential pay and can be unfairly over-worked and underpaid if your job has a trend of making you work over the salaried hours. Hourly employees earn only what they work, however they are vulnerable to being cancelled with low census and losing income. As with anything, there's pro's and con's to each. The biggest driver for your pay will be what state you are in and the labor laws. 'Overtime' is a controversial topic in the nursing workforce in general and I don't foresee it will soon end.
-TheRNJedi

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Feb 24, 2015

Is is 80 hours per week or per pay period?

justmia1089 · Feb 24, 2015

It's per pay period. It used to be overtime after 40.

Is is 80 hours per week or per pay period?

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Feb 24, 2015

Overtime after 40 hours per pay period? Is the pay period just a single week? I'm confused.

justmia1089 · Feb 24, 2015

The nurses used to get overtime once they hit over 40 hours in a week. Now if a nurse picks up another shift, say an 8 hour shift and they already worked their 3 12 hour shifts, Instead of getting overtime for those 4 extra hours, they won't get it unless they have a total of 80 hrs worked for the pay period. You get it?

Overtime after 40 hours per pay period? Is the pay period just a single week? I'm confused.

kalycat, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2015

Hmm. Interesting. I haven't heard of nurses being exempt unless they were in management with a more traditional schedule. I can only speak from my experiences at a union hospital that has extensive pay policies for shift differentials, weekends, holidays, on call time, over time, and the like, as well as policies surrounding low census. I think the Jedi is right -- it would really depend on the hospital and how they're usually staffed. I was exempt for my last several jobs in my previous career, and even in business administration, it is possible to be taken advantage of under this pay model. At least there is an option for OT after 80 in a pay period? I would personally want to know a lot more about their average hours, by seniority, and how often people are held over before making a decision on that one....along with what other benefits they provide. Good luck! I know it's a tough market in many areas, so I'm sure that is a huge consideration as well. -- kaly

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2015

I've seen OT pay only for >40 hrs in a week; I don't remember if I've seen it only for >80 hrs in a pp.

I've definitely never seen staff nurse positions as truly salaried/exempt in the sense that you're paid a set number of dollars per year. I would never ever take such a position because that would mean I could work extra for no extra pay. Couldn't take a lunch break? Free labor for the hospital. Had to stay late to chart, or because a pt coded during report? Free labor for the hospital. Nobody would ever pick up shifts voluntarily because there's no extra pay, so then what's to stop the hospital from mandating extra hours? Nothing. Nurse is mandated? Free labor for the hospital. Staff nurses absolutely should be paid for every minute they work.

llg, PhD, RN · Feb 24, 2015

Many years ago (back in the 1980's), I worked for a hospital in South Carolina that paid that way. At that time, an employer could choose among different options for defining "overtime."

One option was to pay "overtime" rate for anything over 40 hours per week

The other option was to pay "overtime" for anything over 80 hours in a 2-week pay period

There were some other details in the options (which I forget) that gave each of the 2 options both its advantages and disadvantages. Because my hospital wanted RN's to work 12-hour shifts that would usually lead to us working more than 40 hours one week and less the other week... my hospital chose the 80 hours in 2 weeks option.

Staff liked it because they could work 4 12-hour shifts one week and 2 the other week to take a vacation without having to use vacation time -- especially if they only worked 2 shifts the first week back and 4 shifts the next week. Using the 40-hour system, we all would have had to work 3 shifts per week or use a vacation day.

The hospital ended up paying less overtime pay in the end ... and the RN's were able to save up more vacation time by manipulating their schedules.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Feb 25, 2015

A person who isn't paid overtime until he has worked over 80 hours would still get hourly pay for each hour worked. He just wouldn't get time-and-a-half pay. This is intended to balance the budget, no doubt, and also to get those who stretch their shifts so they do get time-and-a-half, to not do the stretching unless they have to. I've worked with nurses who always stay over for at least an hour, and some of that time shouldn't have been necessary.

If one has to stay late, or has a crisis, or misses lunch, there are systems available to make sure an hourly rate for those times is paid.

I've worked where nurses had the "no overtime until more than 80 hours per pay period" policy. It was standard in one big hospital years ago.