Labor law and overtime - Essay Example

Labour Law and Overtime In the United s, Federal laws define the rights of employees and protect them from exploitation by the employer. The lawstipulates that every employee, nurses included should work for 40 hours per week. Any hour worked above that is considered overtime. However, hours worked by a nurse amount to overtime if it is above the hours he has agreed to work per week. Fair labour Standard Act requires an employee to receive a pay for any hour worked above the forty hours per week.

According to United States Department of Labour, the least rate for overtime pay is 1.5 times the normal rate. There is an exemption to-overtime-pay for employees working in police department, fire fighters, and employees working in the hospitals like nurses (Solis, 2012). Exemption from overtime applies to registered nurses and those who earn $455 per week. Nurses who receive an hourly pay will qualify for overtime. Additionally, labour laws give room for an agreement between the employer and the employees.

A nurse can receive extra pay for working on weekends, on call, or working at night according to the agreement with the employer.There is a law that protects nurses from working overtime. According to New York Department of labour, restrictions on consecutive hours of work for nurses, law effected on 1 July 2009 prohibits healthcare employers from mandating overtime for nurses. This law covers registered professional nurses or licensed practical nurses that provide direct patient care through contracts with third party staffing providers.

The law applies on part time bases, full time, and to nurses working under contracts, (“New York Department of labour,” 2012). It is not allowed for a nurse to engage in voluntary work ask for pay. At the time of employment, every nurse signs a contract that stipulates the terms of employment. A contract guides and binds the nurse, the employer to the terms recorded, and nothing outside the contract is recognised.References“New York Department of Labour,” (2012). “Nurse mandatory overtime,” Retrieved from, http://www.labor.ny.

gov/workerprotection/laborstandards/workers_rights/Mandatory_OT_FAQ.shtm Solis, H. (2012). “Overtime,” US department of Labour, Retrieved from, http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/workhours/overtime.htm