Scheduling options are available for Nursing Department employees at the discretion of the Clinical Services Manager/Director for Nursing Department employees. The purpose of these schedules is to enhance the availability of nursing staff, to improve retention, and to recruit individuals who cannot or do not desire to work a conventional schedule.

The specific guidelines for scheduling options are outlined below:

1. Scheduling options are available on units at the discretion of the Clinical Services Manager/Nursing Director and may be limited in terms of shifts and numbers of personnel hired. The use of scheduling options on a unit is determined by the needs of the unit.

2. Scheduling options are tentative agreements and may not be a permanent option. The Clinical Services Manager/Nursing Director retains the right to change schedules when the need arises.

3. All Nursing staff is on a 40-hour work week and will be paid only for hours worked. Overtime rate (one & one-half times hour rate) will be paid for hours worked over 40 hours in a work week (Sunday-Saturday).

4. Official leave will be paid as regular hours worked and should be granted only for the exact number of hours in attendance. Employee benefit time or additional hours worked may be utilized to maintain scheduling pay status of the individual.

5. Full-time benefits will be granted for other than Weekend Option staff for working a Minimum of 72 hours per pay period.

6. Full-time benefits for Weekend Option staff will be granted for working a minimum of 48 hours per pay period. Shifts are 24 hours per weekend.

7. Scheduling options currently utilized and subject to the above stated guidelines are defined below:

A. MONDAY-FRIDAY: (NON-WEEKEND OPTION EMPLOYEES-RN/LPN ONLY)

Program Parameters:

1. Shift differential will be paid at a 20% rate for any shift after 1430-0700. Shift differential will be paid for hours worked if more than half of the hours occur from 1430-0700.

2.  Shift differential applies to time actually worked (i.e., if more than half of the hours worked occur after 2:30 p.m., the employee will be paid shift differential for the specific number of hours worked).

3. An additional ten percent (10%) weekend differential will be paid to non-weekend option staff for hours worked between the hours of 7 a.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Monday.

B. WEEKEND OPTION (RN/LPN ONLY):

Program Parameters:

1. A thirty percent (30%) differential is paid for all hours worked during the weekend option period.
2. A twenty percent (20%) shift differential is paid for hours worked from 1830 to 0700 for a total of fifty- percent (50%) differential. This additional shift differential does not apply for hours worked from 0630 to 1900.
3. All hours worked Monday through Friday (up to forty hours per week) are paid at straight time with the appropriate shift differential added. Overtime is paid for any hours over forty worked.
4. Only eight shifts can be used as benefit time during years 0-4. These shifts may be used as scheduled time off or unscheduled absences due to illness. 
5. After four years of successful weekend option, missing no more than the 8 allowed weekend option shifts, 9 shifts off are permitted years 5-9 and 10 shifts for 10 years and up. Greater than four call-ins on any part of the designated weekend option shift will make an employee ineligible for weekend option and line item make-up will be discontinued. The employee will be transferred to a non-weekend position.
6. Military Leave is allowed for summer camp. This does not count against benefit time. However, if military leave falls during weekend other than summer camp, and the employee chooses not to use scheduled shifts, they are not eligible for weekend option.
7. Personnel who work the designated weekend option hours are eligible for benefits offered to full-time employees at UAMS. Vacation, sick/holiday time is utilized at a 1.3 rate when taken on a weekend.
8. If the unit is overstaffed and the employee is not needed on another unit, the employee may go home without counting the shift as one of his/her scheduled shifts. Payroll manual rules must be followed.
9. A new Weekend Option Contract must be signed each year.

Other Program Parameters

Newly hired registered nurses prepared at the Accociate Degree or Diploma level will receive an increase of $0.35 per hour. BSN graduates will receive an increase of $0.50 per hour upon being hired.

1. *Employees earning a BSN will receive an increase of $.25 per hour; those earning a Master's Degree in nursing or other health related fields will receive an increase of $.55 per hour.
2. Registered nurses who complete a national certification will receive an increase of $.35 per hour.
3. Promotions. (See Addendum K.9)
4. A bonus will be paid to qualified nurses acting as preceptors.

Overtime Compensation

Shift Differential

Back to Policy Standards Table of Contents - Addenda
Home