SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL AND TIME & A HALF...please define

In most institutions this is what I think it means:

Shift differential : it is the added amount you make for working a shift other than day shift. This can be done is a percentage for instance 10% for evenings or 20% for nocs, or a flat rate( $2.00/hr for evenings)

Weekend differential: the added amount to base pay one makes when one works a weekend.

Time and a half: premium pay for working over your schedule amount of hours. For instance if I work a half hour of over time, I make 1.5 times my base rate for the extra 30 minutes, I also make shift diffential and/or weekend differential.

Some hospital may also pay 1.5 times for coming into work extra.

Double time: This is what some hospitals pay for holidays and working a full double shift( the last 8 hours are double of base rate) anytime of the year.

This will vary greatly from place of employment to place of employment.

Thanks for that, batmik. Your definitions gave me a clearer idea now. Some more questions though, please bear with me. Is TIME AND A HALF mandatory to all institutions? Is it applied in excess of 8hrs if I go on a 12hr night shift duty? What if the requirement is 36hrs/wk and I work an additional 12hr. Will time and a half be applied to the extra 12hrs?:)

I don't know the legal stuff around overtime, but if you search "overtime" on this forum there are quite a few postings. The has been some stuff regarding federal laws and overtime recently making headlines. I haven't paid much attention to it, as where I work we have a union and our contract spells all the overtime rules out.

Where I work the units that have 12 hour shifts do not get 1.5 times for the hours after 8 hours. But anyone who is regular 8 hours would.

Where I work you would also get overtime for any hours over 80/hrs in a 2 week pay period. For instance say you work fulltime 8 hour shifts and you work an extra shift, the last 8 hour shift of the pay period would be overtime. In your example if you normally work 6 (12hr) shifts in 2 weeks and pick up another 12 hr shift , that would give you 84/hrs in that pay period. At my hospital anything over the 80 hrs would be 1.5 times. In this case 1.5 times for 4 hours.

Where I work if you work over your scheduled amount you also get a 10% bonus for those hours in excess . For example if I work 8 (8 hr) shifts in 2 weeks, then also come in extra on a day they are short. I have not gone over 80hrs that pay period so there is no time and half. But I will make 10% extra from my base pay on those hours above my work status.

This is how it is where I work.

That's really good! You must be making really much money!LOL Anyway, thanks so much for patiently answering my querries. :-)

The funny thing is I only work 2(8hr) shifts a week and rarely work extra. But I am pretty familiar with our contract.

My friend works at another hospital and they get 1.5 times pay if they come in extra on a day off etc. That would be more incentive for me to work extra. :)