Question on Comp. Time

[Liz 0513]

RNs at our home health and hospice agency are salaried. Comp time is permitted to accrue up to 30 hrs. Most of the RNs earn it if they see patients over the weekend and it doesn't accrue much beyond 8 - 10 hrs. However, we have one RN who takes longer to do everything and manages to always have comp time to take multiple days off at a time. Does your agency have comp time policies and how is it managed. Thanks....

[annaedRN, RN]

There is nothing more frustrating than people who take advantage of benefits. We are salaried too but get a set amount of PTO days according to how long we have been employed. We also get 15 sick days a year which roll over. It's funny how I have enough to be sick for a few months and other people have used their days up by June! I like the set PTO and I can see how earning comp time could be frustrating.

Could you request that comp time simply be based on a per visit basis - since you are salaried everyone would be earning the same. Anything on-call or weekend could be a set amount of comp time per visit/admission/etc so whether you are fast or slow it earns you the same. Just my thoughts..

[Freedom42]

It is generally illegal under federal law for private employers to give employees comp time instead of paying them overtime. I filed a complaint against a former employer some years ago when I accrued 180 hours of comp time, and they still wouldn't let me take time off. (Turns out that was a good thing. After the Department of Labor investigated, I and each of my co-workers received checks for $2,000 -- the max allowed for back pay at the time -- and the company was forced to convert to a payroll system in which all of our work hours were documented. Then, if we worked overtime, we were paid at the rate of time and a half, not the lesser valued comp time. Since that employer didn't want to pay comp time, once we reached 37.5 hours, we were sent home until the next pay period began. No more unpaid overtime.)

If you are an independent contractor, you might be exempt from comp time. If you work in the public sector, you are exempt. Your local DOL office will have accurate answers.

[barefootlady, ADN, RN]

Seems some companies here talk comp time but it never gets awarded. Rather have overtime.

[wonderbee, BSN, RN]

Seems some companies here talk comp time but it never gets awarded. Rather have overtime.

It doesn't work with salaried employees. So you're looking at comp time again.

The company I worked for had a separate pay arrangement for weekends. The choice was offered for straight time pay or time off at the company's convenience. They were pretty good about it. We usually took the time off in the same week.