# Do you receive Double time or not?



## Hotshot007 (Aug 14, 2011)

Hi all, I work for a private ambulance company based out of Los Angeles, CA, and I was wondering if my situation was unusual or the norm. It seems that they do not pay double time at all, even if we work over 12 hours at a stretch, all they will pay is time and a half (normal OT) no matter what. I was talking to a few of the ppl who have been at the company for a while and I guess at one point they did pay double time, but them they abruptly stopped. This is not really such a big deal for me as I normally only work 10 hour shifts, but I know some of the other guys sometimes work 14-16 hours at a stretch and they are the ones most affected. I emailed the CA Dept. of Labor and had them send me over a copy of the rules and regulations regarding treatment and pay of ambulance drivers and attendants and on it, it does permit the payment of double time. So my question is, is this just a SoCal/ LA thing that they do not have to pay 2x OT, or is what they are doing flat out illegal? And if so, how do I go about reporting it without losing my job now?


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## JPINFV (Aug 14, 2011)

I believe there's a catch for 24 hour crews that doesn't require double time after 12 hours, but I'm not sure of the exact requirement for that.


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## DesertMedic66 (Aug 14, 2011)

My division is NON union. My shifts are 12 hours. For the first 8 hours it's normal pay. For the next 4 it is overtime. Anything over 12 hours in the same day is double time. So if I pick up a 12 hour shift after my original shift then it's all double time. 

The other divisions of my company that ARE union do not get double time at all. They get 12 hours of regular pay and anything over 12 hours in the same day is overtime.

For 24 hour shifts pay goes down so that the pay for two 12 hour shifts is equal to a 24 hour shift.


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## socalemt123 (Aug 14, 2011)

For my company here in So Cal, we get paid regular pay for the first 10 hours, then time and a half for up to 12 hours then it's double time after 12 hours UNLESS you are scheduled for a 24 hour shift. If we are scheduled for a 24 hr shift, they will only give us regular pay for 22 hours and then we don't get paid for 2 hours. I'm not sure if that is legal but I just go with it.


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## Hotshot007 (Aug 14, 2011)

I was not even going to into that can of worms that is the 24 hours shift at all, as I have heard of some pretty messed up schedules and pay rates for that. I was just meaning guys that were scheduled for 8, 10, or 12 hour shift schedules and go over 12 in the process. And my company is most decidedly NOT union.


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## Anjel (Aug 14, 2011)

We coyld work 60 hours in a row and not get double time. The only time we get double time is christmas and new years. 

Ive never heard of double time pay really. Unless you are over the 40 hrs that week and that day is a holiday. So then you get OT and holiday pay.


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## shfd739 (Aug 14, 2011)

Anjel1030 said:


> We coyld work 60 hours in a row and not get double time. The only time we get double time is christmas and new years.
> 
> Ive never heard of double time pay really. Unless you are over the 40 hrs that week and that day is a holiday. So then you get OT and holiday pay.



Same here. Work OT on a holiday and thats the closest to double time we get. 




---
- Sent from my electronic overbearing life controller


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## DesertMedic66 (Aug 14, 2011)

Anjel1030 said:


> We coyld work 60 hours in a row and not get double time. The only time we get double time is christmas and new years.
> 
> Ive never heard of double time pay really. Unless you are over the 40 hrs that week and that day is a holiday. So then you get OT and holiday pay.



ooh. hours per week or per pay period dont make a difference in pay for us. we run on hours per day.

If we work it out right we get triple time on holidays but the supervisors dont really like that too much.....


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## JPINFV (Aug 14, 2011)

firefite said:


> ooh. hours per week or per pay period dont make a difference in pay for us. we run on hours per day.
> 
> If we work it out right we get triple time on holidays but the supervisors dont really like that too much.....




Hours per week do matter since anything over 40 hours should be time and a half regardless.


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## DesertMedic66 (Aug 14, 2011)

JPINFV said:


> Hours per week do matter since anything over 40 hours should be time and a half regardless.



That is how it is with our union divisions. But not for us since we get daily overtime.


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## JPINFV (Aug 14, 2011)

firefite said:


> That is how it is with our union divisions. But not for us since we get daily overtime.




The problem is that unless you agreed to an alternative work week or the 24 hour exemption (which is also found in this document), under California law overtime is anything past 8 hours a day and anything past 40 hours a week. This, technically, has absolutely nothing to do with union vs non-union. 

http://www.dir.ca.gov/IWC/IWCArticle9.pdf

Do a quick search for "overtime" (bottom of page 3, PDF page 4).


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## DesertMedic66 (Aug 14, 2011)

JPINFV said:


> The problem is that unless you agreed to an alternative work week or the 24 hour exemption (which is also found in this document), under California law overtime is anything past 8 hours a day and anything past 40 hours a week. This, technically, has absolutely nothing to do with union vs non-union.
> 
> http://www.dir.ca.gov/IWC/IWCArticle9.pdf
> 
> Do a quick search for "overtime" (bottom of page 3, PDF page 4).



im pretty sure we had to agree to the alternative work week. We had to sign a bunch of paperwork saying that we give up our right to have time off for lunch along with many others. and to be honest i didnt read all of the paperwork we had to sign because its not a big deal for me.


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## Berger1 (Aug 14, 2011)

No overtime here until over 40 hrs a week, which is time and half.  I wish we got OT for over 12's, as alot of the people at my company work 24's, and occasionally I'll work a 36.


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## katgrl2003 (Aug 14, 2011)

No OT before 40hrs/wk, then OT is 1.5x pay. Holidays are double pay.


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## MrBrown (Aug 14, 2011)

Overtime is paid at 1.5x if you work over your finish time; holidays are 2x plus day in lieu


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## DrParasite (Aug 15, 2011)

Hotshot007 said:


> I emailed the CA Dept. of Labor and had them send me over a copy of the rules and regulations regarding treatment and pay of ambulance drivers and attendants and on it, it does permit the payment of double time.


I bet it also permits the payment of triple and quadruple pay too.  but I bet it doesn't REQUIRE double time for any conditions.  it's optional, or at the company's discretion.





Hotshot007 said:


> So my question is, is this just a SoCal/ LA thing that they do not have to pay 2x OT, or is what they are doing flat out illegal? And if so, how do I go about reporting it without losing my job now?


I'm guessing not illegal.  

all the holiday/more than 12 hours/etc that is paid at above the normal rate is done at the company's discretion.  I bet if you looked at the rules, you will find none of it is required.

the only thing that is required is to pay you 1.5x for working more than 40 hours (unless you agree to a different number in union negotiations).  

if you do want to have it investigated, you can always file an anonymous complaint with the department of labor.  no one will know you made the complaint.  but to be honest, I wouldn't hold me breath on having  resolution in your favor.


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## Tigger (Aug 15, 2011)

What's double time haha? We only get time and a half for holidays and OT comes only after 40 weekly hours....sucks to work a long shift at all straight pay.


Sent from my out of area communications device.


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## LockOut (Aug 16, 2011)

i wish, ot on a holiday is the closest i will ever see.


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