Below is a list of items you should check when you receive your pay stub. If you think your pay or deductions are incorrect, discuss it with your manager. If it isn’t fixed and you still believe it is incorrect, contact a Steward or our Union Representative.
You were not relieved for a meal period. You claimed the missed meal penalty and the penalty is on your check. However, the half hour of overtime you are also due since you actually worked 12.5 hours is not on your check.
You claimed the missed meal period for a shift but it’s not on your check. Your boss says, “I saw you eating that day,” as the reason for not paying the missed meal period. Unless you are relieved for a full 30-minute meal period, you are due the penalty.
You floated to another unit outside of your cluster but the float pay isn’t on your check. Your manager says you aren’t entitled to it because you cared for patients you would normally care for on your home unit. Our contract clearly states, “Clusters define physical units not a patient population.” For example if an ICU / CCU nurse floats to the ER to care for an ICU patient, or if med / surg or tele staff float to the ER, even if caring for med / surg or tele holds, they are due float pay.
You worked overtime and it’s not on your check. Your manager says you didn’t get it pre-approved. They still must pay you for the hours. They can counsel you regarding the overtime procedure but cannot refuse to pay you for all hours worked. In all fairness, you should notify your supervisor as soon as you know you won’t get out on time. At that point, if the work must be completed they can either approve the overtime or find someone to help you complete the work. Of course, no one else can do your charting.
You turned in a certificate showing completion of a course and 12 hours of CET were obtained. You still have 12 hours of unused CET for this year in your bank, but you only see four hours on your next check and your manager says they can only pay it in four-hour increments. This is incorrect. CET hours are not counted as overtime so you should get all of the hours paid in a single check.
You came in on an SSP shift and were floated outside your cluster or were the Charge Nurse. You received the SSP pay but not the float or Charge differential. You should receive all differentials for which you are eligible. The contract clearly states: “Pyramiding does not refer to differential pay such as SBS / ESB (bonus), float pay, certification pay, shift differentials, weekend differentials, charge differentials or any other differential.”
If you regularly work a 10- or 12-hour shift and you are flexed, you may be due premium pay. The law requires the employer to pay you time and one half for all hours worked beyond eight but less than your full shift if you are regularly scheduled to work a 10- or 12-hour shift. For example, if you are scheduled for a 12-hour shift that is not an overtime shift, and you are sent home after 10 hours, you should be paid 8 hours of straight time and 2 hours at time and a half for that shift.
Wage Order 5: “If an employer, whose employees have adopted an alternative workweek agreement permitted by this order requires an employee to work fewer hours than those that are regularly scheduled by the agreement, the employer shall pay the employee overtime compensation at a rate of one and one-half times the employee’s regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of eight (8) hours, and double the employee’s regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 12 hours for the day the employee is required to work the reduced hours.”
NEVER EVER EVER work off the clock. You should be paid for all hours worked every day you work. This could come back to bite you down the road. Don’t do it. Call and give notice to the appropriate supervisor if you will be working over. (See No. 4 above.)
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