Overtime pay is state mandated and dictates how much a staffing agency must pay for every hour worked over 40 in a given week. It’s important to note that overtime pay only works against your taxable base rate (not your rate + your travel stipend).
Most facilities don’t offer guaranteed hours over the holidays, so they won’t have to pay you if they ask you to not work a holiday. Here are some things to keep in mind:
1. You may end up working less than your contracted hours for the week in which a holiday falls if a facility doesn’t need you to come in.
2. If you are asked to work, you will be paid a holiday rate – typically time and a half, based on your taxable hourly rate (not your hourly rate + stipend).
3. If your contract outlines a specific number of “call-off” or cancelled shifts – holidays are usually not included. Meaning, it won’t be counted against the facility if they chose to not have you work on a holiday.
4. Most healthcare facilities recognize the following days as holidays: New Years Day, Labor Day, Independence Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day.
Your contract will state whether your contracted hours are guaranteed. Many times, a facility will be allowed to cancel a certain number of shifts per contract, without paying the nurse for hours missed. Your contract will be specific about this. For example: “Facility may cancel up to 3 shifts during the 13-week contract”. If you have this in writing and the facility cancels more than 3 shifts, you will be paid for the missed shifts. In this instance, you will be paid your standard hourly rate + your stipend for shifts you were asked to miss.
If however, you call in sick, call out, or otherwise miss a shift voluntarily, you will not be reimbursed or paid for those missed shifts.
There are few exceptions to guaranteed hours and it’s best to speak to your recruiter about them.
A facility generally does not offer guaranteed hours during:
• Orientation
• Any week that has a holiday in it