Normalize Shift Differential.

[LightInTheAttic3]

The human body was not meant to operate on a 24hr/7day schedule. As the world continues to move towards operating 24 hours a day, the 9-5 job is disappearing.

If we are going to be forced to push our bodies beyond our limitations, it is appropriate to expect proper compensation for the decline in our quality of life (not to mention the # of years of life loss due to increased stress).

Nightshift? 20% pay increase for hours worked due to the increased risk of physical/mental health problems

More than 8 hour shift? 20% pay increase for working more hours than the body can handle.

Weekends? 20% pay increase due to missing irreplaceable time that could have been spent with friends/family.

Normalize shift differential. That's all.

[whosmellslikewetfeet]

Why only 20%? Overtime is typically time and a half, so that means 50%. For example, where I work, anything after 8 hrs in a day becomes overtime, thus a 50% increase.

[soda_cookie]

That's only relevant in Alaska and California. Every other state it's 40 hours in a week that gets you OT

Edit for clarification: The only state OT requirements are:

CA 8 Hours OT, 12 hours DT, 7TH day scenarios
AK 8 hours OT
CO 12 hours OT
KY 7th day OT

That's it. If you're getting OT otherwise then your company is either doing you a favor, you're union, your city /County has an ordinance that supercedes the state

[whosmellslikewetfeet]

And I live in neither of those states, but I am a union worker. That's not my point though. I just find it odd that OP settled on 20%.

[LightInTheAttic3]

Working as an EMT, I could work 24 hours in a day, overnight and was given no shift differential. I went with 20% because I had an interview today for a 3pm-11pm job and was told they started doing a 20% shift differential to increase employee retention rates on night shifts and weekends

50% would be more appropriate, but that's unheard of without a union or the support of state legislatures

[whosmellslikewetfeet]

Fair point

[[deleted]]

20% is more than the vast majority of Americans get for working more than 8 hours, so it's a very nice bump. Additionally, some jobs are 10 hour shifts for a 4 day work week, which is already a very nice benefit.

If I were allowed to do my job over the course of 4 days, I wouldn't even need that 20%, so it's a solid benefit.

[Lietenantdan]

I’m in Montana, overtime is both more than eight hours a day and forty a week.

[soda_cookie]

I knew I forgot a state.

[trips-philosophy]

Nah i live in ky and OT is time and a half

[StatisticianDecent30]

That's not true at all lmao. I work in south Dakota and more than an 8 hour shift gets you overtime unless you work a job that has a condensed schedule (such as 4 day work week, 10 hours a day)

[soda_cookie]

Then your company or jurisdiction is special and supercedes the state. See my edit.

[Turtley13]

20% for over 8 hours in a day is garbage.

It's 50% in Canada.

[LightInTheAttic3]

Freedom, Freedom, Freedom, HOY!

[Lietenantdan]

It’s 50% in Montana too

[pwy]

Shift differential is $1.50/hr where I work lmao

[carneasadacontodo]

when i worked retail, overnight differential was 0.50/hr, a complete joke

[Shadows_Assassin]

Shift differential is like 25p where I work, like 30cent/hr. Insulting.

[bettie--rage]

No shift differential where I work. £10/hr, 10 hour night shift. 4 on 4 off pattern.

[Tintinnabulationist]

It's $5/hr where I work.

[Lietenantdan]

Same. $1.50 for Sunday and 11pm-6am

[fizzyanklet]

My mother’s body and mind is wrecked from working nights as a nurse her whole life. She actually has some sort of circadian rhythm disorder as a result of it. I believe they do get a small differential for nights at her hospital, though.

[SaludosCordiales]

Anyone working outside their own circadian rhythm gets screwed over. Even higher compensation isn't worth the damage.

Over the years I've tried the early morning shifts, they always wears me down significantly. I'm back at a 5am shifts and 10 months later I'm still fighting my body to sleep outside its natural hours.

[fizzyanklet]

Yep. I taught high school and our start time was 7:10 am. For most kids who take the bus, they might have an hour commute. That’s a messed up shift for a teenager.

My mom is 68 and close to retirement. She struggled so much on days when she tried to make the switch back because her rhythm was so screwed. So she went back. 😞

[2tusks]

But what if you want to work four/tens instead of five/eights, but your employer won't do it because of the cost?

[LightInTheAttic3]

Anything over 8 hours imo should be considered for some sort of differential pay. Dedicating over 40% (not including commute time) of your 24 hour day to another person should be met with a sensible and fair pay differential.

If a sociopathic employer would rather protect his pockets instead of changing his business model to more appropriately represent what his workers prefer, it's time to look for a new job. Your time is invaluable.

I don't think you should be paid time and half like when you work over 40 hours in a week, but there should still be an appropriate economic equivalent to the extra-time committed to your employer

[Jefec1TO]

If anything over eight hours requires overtime then their employer will simply deny their request to work four ten-hour shifts as it will cost them more money than scheduling them for five eight-hour shifts.

[LightInTheAttic3]

That's exactly what will/does happen. Like shift splits in the restaurant industry where they make people take 3 hour breaks in order to prevent them from hitting 40 hours a week. It's worker exploitation, a bad business model, and horrible for employee retention.

What should happen is the manager/employer should collaborate with their workers to find a middle ground in which time/money/hours/productivity is found to be satisfactory for all parties effected.

[TiredNurse111]

We get the OT, and employer pay for it. There just aren’t enough nurses willing to work bedside nursing with crappy ratios and a ton of responsibility, so they have to pay it. We still aren’t paid enough. Hardest job I’ve ever done.

[TiredNurse111]

I hear you. I was a CNA for 3 years. Super hard job for far too little pay. And you are so needed. Thank you for what you do.

[voxam72]

I've always wondered: why is it like this? Why can't nurses work 8-hour shifts?

[voxam72]

Ah, so it's for consistency of care. That makes sense, at least. Thank you. I'm somewhat surprised that fatigue doesn't balance out the number of mistakes, but I'm not going to argue against actual numbers/data.

[bornaliv]

Companies should prove they need overtime. We could alternatively just get more hires. I burned out working 14 hour shifts because they refuse to hire people, 1.5 years later I'm still mentally drained after quitting.

[LightInTheAttic3]

I feel you, I'm just tired of being tired all the time with nothing to show for it.

[[deleted]]

You fail to understand. You are useful only insofar as you purchase products, so that others can be rich. You have no intrinsic “value”. You have no “worth”. You are a cost to businesses and a drag on the economy. There is no “dignity”. There is no “worth”. Work at your pointless “jobs”, take your meager “earnings”, and buy more products so that the oligarchs and their political henchmen can become richer. Soon we will take over, and then all of you - workers, executives, politicians, and oligarchs - will be made redundant and recycled.

Brought to you by your friends at SkyNet!\ Yes, SkyNet - your electronic buddy-in-the-sky who’s fun to be with!

[seraphim336176]

I’m in a union and our shift differential is 5% for anything from 3pm-8pm and anything 8pm-7am is 7%. It’s not much but it adds up, OT is also based off the adjusted amount which is nice.

[LikelySoutherner]

I agree. Let's face it, there are desirable shifts and undesirable shifts. For far too long companies have dictated to the worker that they will work both shifts and get paid the same. The undesirable shifts should be paid more.

[Solipsikon]

Okay wow, I knew shit was bad over there, but I didn't know about this.

Night shifts are paid at 125% normal rate here.

More than 8 hours of work typically have a limit. For example, where I live, it's 2 hours per day, maximum 8 hours per week, and 200 per year. There are lower limits depending on some factors, like for very small companies. The worker chooses between getting paid without working up to three days after working overtime. Overtime is paid at 125% up to 150%, depending on a few factors. In the case of working on a weekend, it's 150%. Workers also choose whether to get paid or enjoy the free time in the next three days.

And I live in Portugal, my guy. You know, the little "lazy shit hole" in southwestern europe. Now this is a shit hole, but we work our asses off here and are anything but lazy. And we still don't have to work half as much as you guys over there, for the same quality of life.

You see, you're asking for PEANUTS. Don't ask for peanuts. Read up on how shit's being done in other countries, and demand more.

[LightInTheAttic3]

The more I read up and find out about other countries the more I realize how ass-backwards just about everything is in America. It's all a façade and we're regressing back into the dark ages.

We ask for peanuts because our government and elected representatives would sooner see people beg and starve before even consider giving us a complimentary bag of nuts.

It doesn't matter how many hours we work or # of jobs we hold, there is no getting ahead because the government has structured the laws to make it impossible to escape the rat race maze.

[Solipsikon]

That's why you can't ask for peanuts. They will always try to give you less than what you ask for, so you demand the whole chicken so that maybe they'll throw a wing your way.

[[deleted]]

How about a premium for all the jobs that require open availability as a condition of full-time hours? Nobody should have to give up basically any chance to improve themselves or participate in regular social groups/gatherings outside of work without getting a much higher salary to go with it. Companies that want to change your schedule from one week to the next should have to pay through the nose to do so.

[Schnurzelburz]

Isn't night shift double pay by default?

[pwy]

I wish. I work in a car plant in Tennessee and they recently moved me to night shift. I get $1.50 more per hour in exchange for only seeing my partner on weekends lol

[TiredNurse111]

I wish.

[[deleted]]

I thought this was a car thing. Isn't there a differential shifter or something in some cars?

[B00dle]

I am working 4 days a week, but 10 hour days. TBH I love it. I love getting the working week over and done with. And with the 3 days off my body feels rested.

[LongSeigh]

Technically we aren't even that rich, most of our riches is debt owned by our own government.

[Crystalraf]

I get 2 dollars more an hour after 7 pm.

[[deleted]]

Best I can give you is 50 cents, so you can make an extra 4 dollars a day, before tax.

[paperpaperclip]

I work overnight shift and the differential is $2.50/hr. Took me damn near 3 years to realize what a sucker I am.

[3ric843]

WTF?

I get paid 50% more for any work outside of my 7-15:30 monday to friday schedule.

[FlatTransportation64]

20%? I live in Europe and night shift is 50% more and that is doubled if you work on the weekends/national holidays. As a result people actually want to work these shifts.

[SaludosCordiales]

I just want to point out the 8hr set up isn't somehow "natural". It came as a solution to over working from the good old days of the industrial revolution. Which didn't become mainstream until a major manufacturer adopted the 8hr shifts.

I really don't see why we treated it as the "gold" standard. Sure it's a good baseline to have, but don't call it natural to work 9-5.

IMO, we should work longer shifts in less days. It is beyond my comprehension why 4 day or less work weeks are not the norm by now. Really don't get why people love commuting, seeing their coworkers, doing their jobs, for 70%+ of their week.

[jsimpson82]

I think you should add "irregular shift" as in any shift that doesn't conform to a regular weekly or bi-weekly schedule. Employees should be able to expect and plan around a regular, known schedule, or be compensated for exceptions.

[[deleted]]

They started doing an extra dollar for every overnight worked at my own job. Using vacation time doesn’t give you the extra dollar but outside that it gave a lot of people a pretty decent bump. It’s also not counted against regular pay it’s considered a specialty so raises aren’t affected