To be Salaried or Not.

Otessa, BSN, RN · Feb 3, 2010

a salaried desk/teaching job is great (typically not going to work over 40 hrs), but can be boring (you can typically make more money some where else though). a salaried job were you may have to care for patients sux (you're gonna work over 40 hrs), you might as well bend over because you're going to get taken advantage of.
salary is definitely a no no if you're on call.
however, if you're a workaholic and/or like some prestigious sounding job title a salaried position might be for you.

I make similar money as I would in the hospital (work staff development in a clinic). There are pluses: no weekends, paid (off)holidays, no rotating shifts, no nights, no lifting, no patient's family members, lower wear and tear on body........ My job is part teaching and part desk job when working on projects.....never bored-thank goodness!!

If it was all desk job I would have said "no" from day 1!

otessa

llg, PhD, RN · Feb 3, 2010

I make similar money as I would in the hospital (work staff development in a clinic). There are pluses: no weekends, paid (off)holidays, no rotating shifts, no nights, no lifting, no patient's family members, lower wear and tear on body........ My job is part teaching and part desk job when working on projects.....never bored-thank goodness!!
If it was all desk job I would have said "no" from day 1!
otessa

Your job sounds a lot like my job.

glasgow3 · Feb 3, 2010

Many folks are confused and misinformed about wage and hour laws. Just because a person is salaried does NOT necessarily mean that they are not due overtime pay if they work in excess of forty hours a week. (or in some cases over 8 hours a dayover 80 hours in 2 weeks).

The key is finding out if your job is properly classified as exempt or non-exempt by your employer under the Fair Labor Standards Act. There are certain "tests" which must be met before your employer can make you exempt from that Act's protection; for obvious reasons some employers play hard and fast with the rules so that they don't have to pay overtime to their employees who are required to work long hours.

Unfortunately, many nursing jobs CAN legitimately be classified as exempt and my advice is BEWARE.

Take my current job, for example. I come in early most days and leave late, always working in excess of my employer's elected 40 hour week. But say I need to go to the dentist for a 3 o'clock appointment; under the law my employer can dock me 2 hours of accrued paid time off because I missed some designated "core hours".

On the other hand, I've worked salaried positions where if you worked any part of a work day, you weren't docked for sick time if you left early. I've also worked in situations where I worked in 2 job classes for one employer, one management and one staff so if I had to come in to work to cover a staff nurse's absence I could at least get SOMETHING beyond my normal salary for doing so.

The bottom line is this: If your job is properly classified as exempt from FLSA, your employer could legally make you work day and night, 7 days a week and you wouldn't get a dime extra for doing so. Unfortunately, many employers do just that, burning you out until the next sucker takes over.

On the other hand, there are ways employers can make even demanding exempt positions more palatable if they choose to do so. Another example would be giving compensatory time for excess hours worked.

In my opinion it's not whether the job is exempt or non-exempt or salaried or hourly, per se that's important. What's important is that you work for an employer who is not trying to take advantage of you, one which realizes that family time is important, that you will eventually burn out when working too many hours etc. that is the important factor.

lifeistweet · Feb 3, 2010

No way would i work salary! I've worked many hospitals in my career and ALL of them had nurses work alot of overtime!

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Feb 3, 2010

I've done both, and as far as I'm concerned, hourly is the only way to go. Every place I've ever been on salary, I worked 50+ hours a week, took work home with me, and/or was on-call 24/7. No thank you.........at least, under the hourly wage system I get paid for every minute I'm on the clock, and I'm not on-call so my personal time is really my own.

Otessa, BSN, RN · Feb 3, 2010

I've done both, and as far as I'm concerned, hourly is the only way to go. Every place I've ever been on salary, I worked 50+ hours a week, took work home with me, and/or was on-call 24/7. No thank you.........at least, under the hourly wage system I get paid for every minute I'm on the clock, and I'm not on-call so my personal time is really my own.

This is why I purposely did NOT have my laptop at work (could take home if needed)set up for connection to my work site intranet from home-said "no thank you!"-they don't require it anyway. My motto is to not take anything home-I have co-workers who do-they choose to do so. My time is my time.....

otessa