Question/Gripe about salary/shift diff

SydneyJo1 · Oct 1, 2011

I'd be annoyed, too! I'm a new nurse as well, and YES, those of us who have been fortunate enough to find jobs should be (and ARE) grateful for the opportunity, but it sounds to me like the NM pulled the wool over your eyes on that one. Since she had already discussed the salary with you, why would you have asked? If there was a difference between the wages for FT vs. PT, then SHE should have told you that. And I've never heard of such a thing anyway! I don't know anyone who works nights (FT or PT) and does get a shift differential. I don't know how you should handle the situation, because I know you are just happy to have a job and don't want to jeopardize it. But wow...that sounds so unethical to me.

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Oct 1, 2011

Am I being stupid? I need the job, not for the money, but the experience. I'm OK with 27 an hour. I just feel a little irritated and maybe I shouldn't be???? Is it common for PT jobs not to pay a shift diff???

Take the job, be the best employee they ever saw, and when you leave your job tell them exactly why.

Lifeofanurse · Oct 12, 2011

I'm seeing this more and more.

Part time pays less. Doesn't give you the same benefit package. No shift diff....

so they are filling those hard to fill spots with part timers because it's cheaper than to put full time people in there.

I saw a job recently that had the most horrendous hours..it was like M-F for 3 late evening hours, and all day Sat and Sun. LITERALLY 7 days a week and then on top of it...they had it listed as a lower pay grade because it wasn't full time? Another job...same place was days..regular 8 hour day shift and was the next higher pay scale.

And they wonder why after 3 months that job is STILL open. Who wants to work 7 days a week and be paid less than your just as sister nurses who work the day shift? It's like a slap in the face.

I want a job...any job if for no other reason than to gain experience...because it's so hard to get a job without it but....

will I let myself be taken advantage of...7 days a week??? NO.

I'll happily take a night, day, evening, weekends, whatever...but if your taking a crappy shift no one else wants...you should be offered a BETTER pay rate...not worse!

caliotter3 · Oct 12, 2011

Take the job. Say nothing while you look for something better. The less time you allow them to take advantage of you, the better.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 12, 2011

In my last job, part-time staff got the shift differentials. But as I've said many times, this is an employer's market They're not struggling to fill jobs any more so they can be more picky and/or offer less than they used to.

Take the job because it's experience, which for a new grad is very dear to come by. You can always look on the side if you want to make more money.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Oct 12, 2011

I've never seen a part-time position that didn't pay shift diff (they even gave it to per diem/PRN folks!), but I've only worked for three medical/hospital systems.

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Oct 14, 2011

someone tell me i'm being stupid.
i graduated in may and had a hard time (like everyone) finding a job.
about a month ago, i have an interview at a womens correctional facility in my state. the nm has 2 jobs open. ft and a pt. during the interview, she mentions that the salary is 28.50 an hour plus $4 shift diff for evenings and $5 for overnights. i'm totally happy with that salary.
about two weeks later, she emails me to tell me that she decided to go with a more experienced rn for the ft job (days) but would like to offer me the pt job (overnights). i happily take it because i really just want to start getting some experience and i like the overnight hours. i stupidly assume that it's at the salary she mentioned in the interview. i complete all of the paperwork, background check, etc but never receive a formal offer letter. i ask, she says she'll have it for me on my first day. no problem. my first day, i arrive to find that the other new nurse, the ft one, is a classmate of mine which sort of irks me because she had no more experience than i. i let it go though because i figure maybe the nm and she just clicked better or something. no big deal. i receive my offer letter and find that the salary on it is 27.00 an hour and not the 28.50 she stated in the interview. i ask and am told that pt pays a little less than ft. ok, whatever. i'm a brand new nurse and i'll take it because 27 is still pretty good. however, im then told that pt positions don't offer the shift diff either. now i'm kind of annoyed. why??? i get i'm a new nurse, but that doesn't make me any less responsible or legally liable. after training, i'll be the only rn on staff at night along with 2 lpns which makes me very responsible for what goes on. it's not like the board of nursing will say "gee she's a new nurse so lets not suspend her license because the lpn on duty made a mistake that she's responsible for." i feel duped almost. i'll be making $6.50 an hour less than i thought and i feel like, yeah, i definately should have asked first but she definately should have told me. i feel a little bitter and maybe i shouldn't? every other nurse who works nights gets the shift diff.
am i being stupid? i need the job, not for the money, but the experience. i'm ok with 27 an hour. i just feel a little irritated and maybe i shouldn't be???? is it common for pt jobs not to pay a shift diff???

i was the only rn with 3-4 lvns on a 27 bed acute med-surg/ortho floor for years. how is what someone else does your responsibility? lvns are responsible for their own license. so are cnas. if they tell you something that you do need to do, they you are responsible for your actions and follow up ....but you are not responsible for what someone else with a license does with it.

just 8 years ago, with 17 years of experience, i was offered 25$/hour with shift diffs.... and the cost of living is not great here (better than big metro areas, but still not great...). look at the cost of living as well as the dollar amount. 25.00 an hour in a small town goes a lot farther than in a big city. :)

you're not responsible for the lvns care- just what you do in response to what they may tell you (and most shifts, even with a lot of fresh post ops, it wasn't an issue). rns are not responsible for the entire hospital :) just your assignment.

some places do give per diem nurses more- but they get no guaranteed hours at all, and no benefits (that's why the increased hourly).... but part time generally don't get what full time does... if you find one, grab it :)

checker1981 · Oct 14, 2011

It's annoying they did that to you, but it is an employers market. If you start there I would just work hard to get to FT and get the benefits you are expecting. If you do leave for that reason I wouldn't mention that, leave on good terms and say you are leaving for a better opportunity.

There is a hospital in Massachusetts offering around $11/hour really taking advantage of the new grads in dire straights. I personally know I would always hesitate to work for a company like that. https://allnurses.com/massachusetts-nurses/mgh-offering-new-531951.html

Sounds like your company has a crappy HR department, sorry you have to put up with that junk.

MJB2010 · Oct 16, 2011

It's annoying they did that to you, but it is an employers market. If you start there I would just work hard to get to FT and get the benefits you are expecting. If you do leave for that reason I wouldn't mention that, leave on good terms and say you are leaving for a better opportunity.
There is a hospital in Massachusetts offering around $11/hour really taking advantage of the new grads in dire straights. I personally know I would always hesitate to work for a company like that. https://allnurses.com/massachusetts-nurses/mgh-offering-new-531951.html
Sounds like your company has a crappy HR department, sorry you have to put up with that junk.

That is pretty low! Yikes! As a new grad getting a job is hard, so I am sure many will apply.

OP- I would call them out on it and ask them to make it right, if they refuse they stick around until you find another job if you NEED a job, otherwise I would prob decline and say exactly why. Only because working nights might make it difficult for you to job search and interview during the day. If you can juggle working nights and interviewing, then take the job and get some experience. But now you know for next time, get the job offer and everything IN WRITING before you start. I got burned by my first job, too. Now I always ask for everything in writing and it can be like pulling teeth but they will do it for you.

Lifeofanurse · Oct 22, 2011

It's annoying they did that to you, but it is an employers market. If you start there I would just work hard to get to FT and get the benefits you are expecting. If you do leave for that reason I wouldn't mention that, leave on good terms and say you are leaving for a better opportunity.
There is a hospital in Massachusetts offering around $11/hour really taking advantage of the new grads in dire straights. I personally know I would always hesitate to work for a company like that. https://allnurses.com/massachusetts-nurses/mgh-offering-new-531951.html
Sounds like your company has a crappy HR department, sorry you have to put up with that junk.

Now that the market is flooded with nurses and the 'shortage' caused healthcare to get creative in making staffing decisions ....there is going to be more and more of this.

It's like...I did HR work before the recession. I made $14-17 an hour. Now that same job pays $9-11 an hour. THE SAME JOB.

because they can.

Would I want to work for a company that does this because they can...? nope.

Would I take the job to just get me through....yes. and when I found another position...I would give a proper notice and move on. But I would most definitely remember...they have no sense of loyalty or ethics. They would never get a penny of my money...regardless of what they sold/services/produced.

I think it's important to not support bad business' whether it be a hospital, dr, or any other industry.....

I would also pass on my displeasure by not visiting dr's who work out of that hospital. Where is THEIR loyalty too?

chicklet74 · Oct 25, 2011

So I did what someone here suggested and called them out on it. I was given the shift diff. However I've been working fir a few weeks now and just completed training. My trainer was awful. Just a miserable person. That's ok though because I was hired PT to cover the two days a week she has off (she's FT). Because of this, we won't be working together and most of the other people I work with are very nice.

Here's the thing - I work every other Sat and Sun. The week I don't work the weekend I work Fri and Mon. The schedule is set and i was asked to try not to change it if i can help it The DON released the Nov and Dec schedule and I was surprised to see I'm working Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, NYE and New Years Day. The FT girl has requested

off those days. I get that nurses work holidays and I'm fine with that. However, I do feel as though I'm being taken advantage of. None of those holidays fall on my scheduled days. So I guess when they said not to change it if not necessary they meant unless it's convenient for them/HER. I'm irritated about this. Don't most places have people take turns working holidays? Being PT I won't even get the holiday pay the FT people get.

I'm really not this much of a whiner, I swear. I'm just really not liking the way this goes.