Overtime pay over 8 hrs?

U.S.A. California

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Do nurses working in California get overtime pay for hours worked over 8 in a day? For example, say you are scheduled to work three 12 hour days in a week: do you get paid for 12 of those hours (4+4+4 extra hours worked each day) at time-and-a-half?

Thanks.

Specializes in Medical-Surgical Nursing.

It depends on what hospital you're working at. I just recently got an offer by one of the hospitals in SoCal that will pay me the base rate for the first 8 hours (7am-3pm), and after that (3pm-7:30pm), it's time and a half. That is if you work 12 hours per shift, 3 days a week as a full time employee. 

In my current hospital, I am paid the same base rate for 12 hours, and beyond that is double pay as OT, 12 hours per shift, 3 days a week as a full time employee. We always have online modules that can be served as education classes and no matter how many modules you have, you can only do 4 hours per week to never go over 40 hours total per week, regardless of how many OT you have beyond each shift. If in case we do bonus shifts (extra shifts), we are paid a time and a half per hour. 

1 Votes
Specializes in Med/surg.

Hi vince_reads,

     I see that you work in Southern California. I was wondering if you could tell me how much you make as an hourly rate? I am currently a registered nurse working in Honolulu and I’ve been a bedside Med/surg nurse for 19 years. I am planning a move to San Clemente but most likely working in the San Diego area And I’m wondering what bedside med/surg nurses make? Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Specializes in Medical-Surgical Nursing.
On 11/20/2020 at 2:32 PM, Angela Wilson said:

Hi vince_reads,

     I see that you work in Southern California. I was wondering if you could tell me how much you make as an hourly rate? I am currently a registered nurse working in Honolulu and I’ve been a bedside Med/surg nurse for 19 years. I am planning a move to San Clemente but most likely working in the San Diego area And I’m wondering what bedside med/surg nurses make? Any info would be greatly appreciated!

I don't currently work in Southern California. I work here in Northern California. I applied in SoCal just to have the proof of the rate differences because I have friends who tell me that SoCal hospitals pay way lesser than NorCal, which is apparently true. This Los Angeles hospital gave me an offer that is $10 minus my current rate here in NorCal. Not to underestimate this hospital, but they're like one of the top hospitals in LA because I saw their rankings every year at the U.S. News & World Report website. I tried to negotiate because I said that the rate is too low. I said, at least my minimum is $50/hour. I have more than 2 years of experience already, plus my LVN and CNA experiences. The job recruiter said that based on my more than 2-year RN experience, that (classified) is the rate, and she said that even their new grads usually start at $35/hour. I was appalled. I started as a new grad here in NorCal and my rate started way more than what their newly hired-experienced RN offer is. The job recruiter told me that NorCal's cost of living is expensive that's why nurses have higher rates. I said that's not true. First, I don't live in the SF Bay Area. LA is expensive too, and anywhere you go in a highly urbanized area, the cost of living is somehow similar. I have friends in LA and they are always complaining about cost of living, and moving out just to taste a bit of quality life. 

I don't intend to disclose my hourly rate. I'm sorry. That's too personal for me to type it here, but you can do your research at Glassdoor, Indeed, LinkedIn and other job sites for salary insights. Yes, I work in a Med-Surg department, but I just got hired as well at a Kaiser hospital. You already have a great amount of experience. 19 years is a well-established experience and you might get a higher rate in the San Diego area. 

Specializes in ICU.

Hi vince, question, do you have any information if Kaiser hires RN with BSN with 10mos. RN experience plus 10yrs CNA experience? Do you have any recruiters info I could get in touch with? Thanks 

Specializes in Medical-Surgical Nursing.
6 hours ago, crystlbsnrn said:

Hi vince, question, do you have any information if Kaiser hires RN with BSN with 10mos. RN experience plus 10yrs CNA experience? Do you have any recruiters info I could get in touch with? Thanks 

Hello there. Kaiser hires RNs with BSN degrees. That is their priority. It is only when you internally work at Kaiser as Medical Assistant, Patient Care Technician (similar to CNA) or whatever non-nursing positions, then you have your ADN degree, that you can be absorbed for their new grad program. But as an external RN applicant, you must have your BSN degree. 

I can see that you specialize in ICU, and Kaiser is always hiring ICU positions internally especially in the Sacramento region (South Sac, Morse, Roseville). You might wanna look for the external career website. You have 10 months of experience, but I don't know if that would suffice. I've heard that you must have at least 1 year of RN experience before you can get hired. When I had my 1 year RN experience in the Med-Surg Stepdown Unit, I started applying at Kaiser. But it got me more than 40+ applications for the Med-Surg position all over California just to get in, and by the time my application was noticed by the Talent Acquisition Agent, I already have 2.5 years of RN experience. 

Kaiser is tough in terms of getting in as an external applicant, all because you have a lot of competitions. I also believe that they're the highest in terms of RN hourly pay rate. That is why. Their unions work really good here in NorCal.

Prior to applying, I already knew a lot of friends who worked/still work at Kaiser. But to be honest, that didn't help me in getting hired. They always say, "you have to know someone inside to get hired." That's not my case, and I can't say for the others too. Kaiser has Talent Acquisition Agents. I don't know who they are. I've realized that when a department manager opens a position, that job position will be open for an internal bidding for 1 week (in our internal website). If no one applies for that position INTERNALLY (within the facility, surrounding facilities, region, and so on), then they will post it EXTERNALLY. Who handles external applicants? The talent acquisition agents or the recruiters. I don't know if they work mainly at the Oakland offices (headquarters) or if they're contracted by Kaiser. In short, you can't just keep in touch with a recruiter based on referrals, because these recruiters do evaluate each applicant's resumes extensively.

Specializes in ICU.

Thanks Vince! This is very informative. Yes. I actually do have 10yrs RN experience across ED, IMC, stepdown ICU and ICU. I also have my BSN, also my CCRN and PCCN. We actually wanted to move to Sacramento area and I really wanted to work with Kaiser as per diem RN. 
However, my husband only has almost a year of RN experience although he has his BSN and he has been working as a CNA for 10yrs. We are wondering if he could atleast secure a full time position so we could move. Thats the only thing that had been holding us back for the move because im thinking the same that it might be difficult for him to get a full time position with only 1year of RN BSN experience.
We are coming from the east coast. Thaaaanks so much for all the info! 

Specializes in Medical-Surgical Nursing.
1 hour ago, crystlbsnrn said:

Thanks Vince! This is very informative. Yes. I actually do have 10yrs RN experience across ED, IMC, stepdown ICU and ICU. I also have my BSN, also my CCRN and PCCN. We actually wanted to move to Sacramento area and I really wanted to work with Kaiser as per diem RN. 
However, my husband only has almost a year of RN experience although he has his BSN and he has been working as a CNA for 10yrs. We are wondering if he could atleast secure a full time position so we could move. Thats the only thing that had been holding us back for the move because im thinking the same that it might be difficult for him to get a full time position with only 1year of RN BSN experience.
We are coming from the east coast. Thaaaanks so much for all the info! 

So there's no problem with your experience because you have so much. You'll prolly be hired right away as an external applicant. Hahaha. Tell your husband to start applying when he reaches 1 year of RN experience while building more experience. Get all the certificates too, I mean all of them just to have the edge. Just prepare his resume. Create an account through the career website, upload all certificates. Subscribe to RN positions. I recommend KP South Sacramento if you can. Make sure the location says S. Sacramento, because if it doesn't, it's the other KP hospital that is old, but still okay, hahaha. I came from there. I transferred to South Sac. Each KP facility is hecka different.

At Kaiser, it only takes a minimum of 20 hours/week to get benefited. You might be blown but yes, Kaiser offers you a minimum of 20 hours/week to get you benefited. Insanely good! Especially for couples who have children, good coverage without deductions every paycheck. Awesome! And you can put your Available days too if you wanna work extra. You can stay over too for OT if managers need more staff for the next shift. I have a co-worker who has these number of hours (20) now. She's the only one on our day shift in our unit so far. There are also 24 hours/week (too common for mommies and daddies), 32 hours/week (mine), and 36 hours/week. Commonly, a lot of nurses work 24 hours or 32 hours. 36 hours is too much, but they are commonly offered to new grads who are in the new grad residency program, but anybody can apply for that number of hours too if open.

We also work 8 hours/shift. Some KP hospitals, their EDs and ICUs have 12-hour shifts. But in my KP hospital, we work 8-hour shifts. Let's say, I work 32 hours/week, I work 4 days/week. And the schedule is fixed. 

Specializes in ICU.

Oh wow. Thank you so much!! Ill keep this in mind. If my husband cant get through Kaiser you think it would be easier for him to get through the other hospitals in Sac like UC or sutter with a year experience? Then probably just wait to gain much more experience till Kaiser gives him a shot. 

also, in Kaiser, or hospital in Sac, do they pay OT automatically after 8hours? Or it should be something written that I should look into an offered contract? 
 

thank you so much! 

Specializes in Medical-Surgical Nursing.
19 hours ago, crystlbsnrn said:

Oh wow. Thank you so much!! Ill keep this in mind. If my husband cant get through Kaiser you think it would be easier for him to get through the other hospitals in Sac like UC or sutter with a year experience? Then probably just wait to gain much more experience till Kaiser gives him a shot. 

also, in Kaiser, or hospital in Sac, do they pay OT automatically after 8hours? Or it should be something written that I should look into an offered contract? 
 

thank you so much! 

Yes. Applying to UC Davis, Sutter and other hospitals like Dignity Health can be an option to get hired even with 1 year RN experience. And you can work as Per Diem for us, while he works at a non-Kaiser hospital. Ahahaha. 

I can't say for other hospitals in Sac cuz I didn't get RN experience in Sac prior to getting hired at KP South Sac. But yes, at Kaiser, it's automatic time and half pay after 8 hours. For example, I work 0700-1530. If I'd stay over for another 4 hours (1500-1900), that's 1.5; if I'd stay another 4 hours (1900-2300), that's double pay. It works whatever shift you start.

Also the shift differentials at Kaiser are the highest. If you work evening shift (1500-2330), your shift differential is $7.70/hour. If you work night shift (2300-0730), your shift differential is $12.50/hour. Imagine if you start your base rate at $70s-$80s. How much more if you work Per Diem? My friend who works full-time at UC Davis is also working Per Diem in our KP hospital and her starting hourly base rate is $107/hour. Hahaha. Plus she works NOC shift, so she gets $12.50/hour shift differential. Basically, her hourly rate is $119.50/hour. Hahahaha.

Specializes in ICU.

Oh wow. I really need to pack my things right now. I would be on the look out for Kaiser openings in S. sac! Thanks so much for all the info. This is a lot of help for our move! Bless your heart!

Specializes in ICU.
vince_reads said:

Yes. Applying to UC Davis, Sutter and other hospitals like Dignity Health can be an option to get hired even with 1 year RN experience. And you can work as Per Diem for us, while he works at a non-Kaiser hospital. Ahahaha. 

I can't say for other hospitals in Sac cuz I didn't get RN experience in Sac prior to getting hired at KP South Sac. But yes, at Kaiser, it's automatic time and half pay after 8 hours. For example, I work 0700-1530. If I'd stay over for another 4 hours (1500-1900), that's 1.5; if I'd stay another 4 hours (1900-2300), that's double pay. It works whatever shift you start.

Also the shift differentials at Kaiser are the highest. If you work evening shift (1500-2330), your shift differential is $7.70/hour. If you work night shift (2300-0730), your shift differential is $12.50/hour. Imagine if you start your base rate at $70s-$80s. How much more if you work Per Diem? My friend who works full-time at UC Davis is also working Per Diem in our KP hospital and her starting hourly base rate is $107/hour. Hahaha. Plus she works NOC shift, so she gets $12.50/hour shift differential. Basically, her hourly rate is $119.50/hour. Hahahaha.

Hi Vince! Just circling back, so a Talent Acquisition reached out to me and my husband to do an Ondemand video interview via HireVue which we already completed. Do you have any idea how hiring process is with Kaiser. Are we suppose to hear from them after or we have to wait again for more months? Or just wait for status update at the website? 
 

thanks!!

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