Overtime pay versus holiday pay

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Med./Surg. and paramed. exams.

Ok, here goes, the facility I work for started a holiday bonus program about a year ago where anyone working specific holidays automatically gets time and 1/2. Yes, its a nice bonus program. As nurses at this facility we generally work 3-12 hour shifts per week. The last week of 2010 I was called into to work an extra shift and my last scheduled day of the week happened to be New Years Day. So my overtime hours happened to be on NYD. It was my understanding I would get the holiday pay, just like everyone else did that I worked with that day and since I was one of a few that actually agreed to come in an work an extra day and had 48 hours on the week that I should get overtime pay for the hours over 40. Apparently, seeing my pay stub, I only got holiday pay and NO overtime pay. After speaking with managers and upper level admin, the "policy" does not allow for overtime pay and holiday pay on the same day and "the system" just isn't set up to handle it. My response was, I no longer have ANY incentive to come in on my days off and without nurses willing to come in extra shifts that patient care "system" will be broken and pt. problems can be much more expensive for a facility than paying a few hours of overtime. Anyway, the admin. team will be meeting on this next week and is suppose to get back with me mid-week. I say, simply change the policy and give me my overtime pay, what do you all think? I will let you know what happens.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

So your holiday pay is time and a half, right? And overtime is time and a half also? So you expected to be paid holiday pay and overtime at teh same time, so triple time?

All places I have worked has overtime and holiday pay both at time and a half, you can never make more per hour than time and a half. So if you get paid $30/hour, the most you will EVER make per hour is $45/hour. KWIM? So if you are working a holiday but it is also overtime, you still only get $45/hour.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cath Lab/ ICU.

I'm confused...you got paid overtime. What more did you want? OT and holiday? Triple pay? Ain't gonna happen.

You got OT for your extra shift, so I'd say you got sufficient incentive to work extra.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes.

With my employer if you work a holiday and it's overtime, you get double pay instead of time and 1/2 for just one or the other. It doesn't happen often, but it's pretty nice come payday :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med./Surg. and paramed. exams.

NO, I never said anything about triple time, but thanks for jumping on my post. I was paid holiday pay just like everyone else that worked on the holiday. Problem I'm having is this, it just happened that this holiday was the last day of the pay period in which I worked overtime, so I did not get my overtime pay. If the holiday would have been on any other day of the week, I would have gotten holiday pay for working the holiday and then I would have gotten the overtime pay for my overtime hours. Since the holiday fell on the last day of the pay period I missed out on my overtime pay. NO I'm not looking for triple time, much more like the double time that a reasonable wsuRN09 posted about.

How did I get overtime for my extra shift? I got holiday pay for working the holiday.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I completely understand what you are saying and I posed this same question to my employer. Basically, we get one or the other. Had the holiday been the day before I think you would have received holiday pay for that day and the next shift would have been overtime.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, ER, OR.

at my hospital, holiday is time and a half. if you work it, and those are overtime hours as well..... we get double time and a half. so, yes, it does happen......

Up Vote Up Vote ×
How did I get overtime for my extra shift? I got holiday pay for working the holiday.

I must be dense. You got overtime because you got holiday pay, which is overtime. You got time and a half, which is what every employer I have ever heard of caps out at. I have never heard of someone paying double time just because you work overtime and holiday in the same shift.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in M/S, Travel Nursing, Pulmonary.

My hospital has a system that would have avoided your problem:

For holidays, we get "holiday time", simply put we get 8 hrs PTO. We have 30 days before and after to use this "holiday" time for a day off, or can cash it in for straight pay (reg. pay rate only). If you happen to have OT, you'll get that too. Some holidays you get time and a half.

I worked Christmas Eve., Christmas day, New Years Eve and day.............got all the time and 1/2, plus cashed in my holiday pay. So, I had 8 hrs str8 pay plus time and a half for working the actual holiday. Made for a sweet paycheck for me, and motivated me to go in all those holiday days so people with family could have off.

Works for me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med./Surg. and paramed. exams.

Thanks for all the input, seems there are different ways of dealing with it. Ericsoln, you share my sentiments on the incentive to work certain times so others can be off. I guess this is one of my problems, I worked extra unscheduled time and overtime, yet my pay time worked out the same as those that didn't work the extra time, where is the incentive? Other than being a nurse and loyal servant, of course.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, ICU.

Most places will only pay a max of 1.5x your rate, so yes you got a bit screwed, and no there is no real incentive in that situation. If they don't have a written policy that caps the pay at 1.5x the reate, you might have a shot, but what incentive will they have to write you a check? I doubt you'll get it but good luck. Let us know if you do so we can hoist one for the little guy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I don't get paid either so I would consider myself privileged to get time and a half.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment