I would like to pick everyone's brain and see what answers I get. I am a registered nurse in Texas. I work at a State psychiatric facility. Where I work, the techs and the LVNs (and probably everyone else on the campus) are paid at a rate of 1 1/2 times their hourly wage for overtime (any hours worked over 40 in one week). However, the RNs are paid straight time for any overtime worked. I am told that the State of Texas identifies RNs as being in a "professional" category, thereby making us "exempt".
This must just be for State of Texas employees, because I've been a registered nurse for several years and have lived all of my life in Texas. At any other employer, I have been paid time-and-a-half for any hours worked over 40 in one week.
Does anyone know why this is so? Why would one employer pay time and a half and another say that they don't have to? I feel pretty used. We're very short-staffed on nurses here, and I'm sure that more RNs would sign up for extra shifts if they got paid the regular overtime rate for it. Help!!!
Good reason why nurses should not accept any "salaried" position I suppose. If you don't work for a flat salary then the U.S. Dept of Labor states " hospital or residential care establishments may with the AGREEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING with employees adopt a fixed work period of 14 consecutive days and pay overtime after 8 hours in a day or 80 hours in the workperiod, WHICHEVER IS GREATER."
Yeah that was one of the reasons i didn't push a state hospital job. They said rns only recieved flat rate for overtime hours but everyone else got time and a half. My understanding was only if you were in a position that was salaried was when you could be no overtime.
Im also a rn here in texas and i get time and a half but at the state hosp. i believe you don't . What about other state facilites. is the hospital in galveston a state facility as they offer state benefits
Nikki Nurse
26 Posts
Bella Carra is correct. The trick is being salaried or not! Hourly employees must get overtime even if we are considered "professionals".