Holiday Pay

[bhacken]

I work at a long term care facility for MR/DD individuals in Ohio.

Prior to this past holiday, those who worked on the holiday were paid time and a half for working on the holiday and 8 hours straight time for compensation for the holiday. Starting with this past holiday (Labor Day), those who worked the holiday got paid time and a half with no further compensation: no more time off, no more pay.

Those who were scheduled off for the holiday got the day off plus paid 8 hours for it.

As I see it, those who worked got paid 8 hours for working 8 hours and 4 hours compensation for the holiday. Those who were scheduled off got 8 hours compensation for the holiday. Is this legal?

[Beth3]

Yes. Your employer doesn't have to provide any paid holidays to begin with and if they do, they don't have to pay anyone premium pay (time and a-half) for working on the holiday.

I understand why you think their new holiday practice is unfair but it's perfectly legal.

[bhacken]

I understand that my employer is not required to provide premium pay for work on holidays, that isn't what I was getting at.

My point is that my employer chooses to give it's employees certain holidays off with pay. Since it is a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week operation someone must work those holidays. With this new policy roughly half the hourly employees are being compensated with 8 hours of pay and the other half is being compensated with 4. That is the part I'm questioning.

Sorry if I was unclear.

[grasmicc]

Yes, it is legal. It sounds like your concern is that they are arbitrarily giving some employees 8 hours of "free" pay, because they happen to not be scheduled, and giving other employees 4 hours of "free" pay, because they happen to be scheduled.

It's unequal and unfair, almost by definition, to treat likely situated individuals differented. I agree. Nonetheless, not illegal.

[bhacken]

My question has been answered.

Thanks to all who replied,
bhacken