Benefits Of Overtime

Benefits of Overtime

Nurses play an essential role in the health care industry and most of them work overtime due to shortage of staff. Overtime simply refers to the time one works beyond the stipulated working period as stated in the contract. One main benefit that workers receive for working more than the stipulated period is of course better renumenaration. In other words, overtime surplus an employee’s earnings.

1. Extra cash
This is the main incentive for nurses working extra hours. Nurses usually prefer to work more hours than their regular shifts to earn extra cash in order to get enough money to meet their daily needs. For instance, they may not have cash at hand in case of an emergency, notwithstanding the fact that they have worked full time. By working more hours every week, nurses usually make twice the wages they make in a workweek.

2. Compensation
Under the federal law, workers who work extra hours are supposed to be compensated provided they have worked more than 40 hours. In California for example, nurses are compensated for working extra hours. The law states that those who work 12 hours and more in one day should be compensated double their usual hourly rate.

3. Documentation task
Overtime gives nurses ample time to finish essential documentation tasks. On the other hand, there are instanced were professional ethics prevent them from leaving. For example, it would be unethical to leave the hospital when you are needed to help emergency casualties.

4. Lack of resources
Most public hospitals lack the resources to hire full-time workers, so nurses are required to work overtime to fill the gaps. Also, unbearable weather conditions may force nurses to work extra hours.
Working overtime is physically draining and often leaves nurses exhausted, not to mention that it may pose health risks.

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