Overtime pay versus holiday pay

OC_An Khe · Jan 14, 2011

Just because you are getting time and a Half pay, doesn't mean you are getting OT. OT at a minimum is described by federal and state law. OT and holiday premium/bonus are not the same thing. To the OP situation I would say he deserved the 12 hours holiday premium and 8 hours OT based on his base rate of pay. He did work 48 hours.Providing he is on a weekly payroll as opposed to a biweekly payroll.

Another way of looking at it, say I work 3 12s on the day shift, worked an extra night shift thereby working 48 hours and qualifying for 8 hours OT. And the night shift premium/bonus was 50% of my base rate, wouldn't you feel you were entitled to the 8 hours OT and the night shift premium?

Mulan · Jan 14, 2011

To heck with their "policy" and their system that won't handle it.

What does your state labor board say? Contact them and find out.

If you are entitled to the overtime, report it to the labor board, I bet you get paid for it then.

It's very convenient for them that their "system" isn't set up to pay you what you are owed.

Noimanurse · Jan 15, 2011

It may be a few more days, but I will keep you update.

steelydanfan · Jan 15, 2011

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.

There was something in the original post which talked about the holiday being the last day of the pay period,...which is usualy not an issue. The contract issue usually comes in when a nurse comes in on her first day off, which entiltles her to time and one half.

As far as I know, if you agree to work OT on a holiday, you are already being paid time and a half, and thats what you get, unless your contract specifically states that you are due double time. (Which some do).

Noimanurse · Jan 25, 2011

Well, apparently the hospital is going with the state minimum on this one. By law in Illinois they are only required to pay 1 1/2 for any over time hours worked, since that is the pay rate of the holiday pay and my ot hours were during the holiday they are going to stick to that. So as I previously told them, the minimum I'm required to work are the shifts I'm scheduled to work. Maybe the CFO or President who were adamantly opposed to providing the extra 1/2 time for my OT would appreciate a phone call at 5 am on their next day off to come in for a day of poop, blood, and sputum on their day off...I have a family time now on my days off.

Music in My Heart · Jan 25, 2011

My employer does the same thing and no, there is no incentive to work a holiday simultaneously with OT. Unless they have trouble staffing, it'll never change.

Plenty of places I know pay DT for holidays so their folks still have an incentive, albeit a small one.

Here's another screwing, IMO: If you work nights, you only get half the holiday pay since the first half of the shift precedes the holiday or the second half follows it. However, you still have to work the holiday.

Just one of many ways that the NOC folks get the short end of the stick.

Bigdaddy_RN · Dec 19, 2012

I'm a registered nurse in a small hospital in Michigan, I have a question about overtime and holiday pay. When I work a holiday early in the week I am paid double time, but later that week if I work overtime the hospital won't pay me the overtime, is that legal?

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Dec 19, 2012

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.

Different companies have different policies. It is up to you to learn the compensation rules before agreeing to shifts.

They probably would have been just fine with you staying home and paying someone else the regular holiday pay. There is no incentive for you to work OT hours on holidays because your employer isn't interest in offering that incentive.

jewelz60 · Jan 30, 2013

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.

I have a new twist to present. Our nurses have a set schedule so they know which days of the week they work. You are also rotated throught holidays so you know which holiday is yours to work. Now if the holiday was your regular day to work but it was not your holiday to work they just randomly assign you another day during the pay period to cover a hole ing the scheduling. This defeats the purpose of having holidays recognized. One nurse had booked travel plans that were non refundable and then they put her on the schedule during the time she should have been off and was scheduled to travel. Are other hospitals doing this?

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jan 30, 2013

I'm a registered nurse in a small hospital in Michigan, I have a question about overtime and holiday pay. When I work a holiday early in the week I am paid double time, but later that week if I work overtime the hospital won't pay me the overtime, is that legal?

Federal law requires overtime (time and a half) for any hours worked over 40 in a week. How many hours do you work?

Let's say you work 36 hrs/week. You get double time for your first 12 hr shift because it's on a holiday, then you pick up an extra 12 hr shift at the end of the week and your employer doesn't pay you time and a half because they already paid you double time on the holiday. You've worked 48 hrs/week and earned double time for 12 of those hours. By federal law (I don't know about Michigan law), your employer only needed to pay you time and a half for 8 of those hours. So you're actually making out better than what the law requires.