Getting paid less in shifts?

[heavenjoans7]

So I live in los angeles, I am going to go to school to become an emt and look for a job here. I want to get three 12 hour shifts, however, I have heard that some employees who work 12 hour shifts don't get paid for 12 hours since they discount the lunch break. Is it like this everywhere and is it common and what is your experience? I know also like in 24 hr shifts that some companies only pay 21 hrs, so that's why I am asking as well.

 

[GirevikMedic]

I'm elsewhere in CA and from all I've ever heard SoCal is a "special" area to work.

12's... if they dock pay for breaks I'd hope those breaks are guaranteed. Guaranteed breaks (paid or not) has always seemed something of "Great White Buffalo", however, so I'd say pack a lunch and eat, drink, sleep and/or use the restroom if/when you have the chance. 24's... this is where some places may differ quite a bit more from one to the next. Anywhere I've done 24's has always paid the full 24 no questions asked. However, by law (someone correct me if I'm off base) you're only guaranteed to be paid for 16. The remaining 8 is considered unpaid down time but you do get paid for time worked for calls ran during that 8-hour window.

Short answer... every place is going to be a little different. Do your homework and ask whatever questions you have to the companies specifically.

 

[Aprz]

My current company, previous company, and another division of my previous company had the exact same language for meal breaks in their collective bargaining agreement, but they all handle it different.

The collective bargaining agreement says we get a thirty minutes paid meal break for the initial eight hours of our shift. For every three hours after that initial eight hours, we get an additional thirty minutes paid meal break. That means a twelve hours shift will get a total of two thirty minutes paid meal breaks. We are not required to respond to a low priority calls or do post move ups during a thirty minutes paid meal break. Our thirty minutes meal break can be interrupted for high priority calls or disasters. If our thirty minutes paid meal break is interrupted, we will be paid an additional one hour straight pay with no overtime or double time premium.

My previous company usually only gave us one thirty minutes paid meal break. I don't know of anybody that documented the lack of their second thirty minutes paid meal break to get paid that additional one hour straight pay with no overtime or double time premium. Their meal breaks were frequently interrupted for low priority calls, but the employees usually did report this and got paid the one hour straight pay with no overtime or double time premium.

Another division of my previous company put a lot of effort into getting two thirty minutes paid meal breaks.

At my current company, we don't even have a status for meal breaks I believe. The only time we mention it is if we are dispatched to a different post then we might tell the dispatcher we will be delayed in the area due to our meal break. We will never refuse responding to call just because of a meal break. I don't know of anyone that has put any effort into getting paid an hour or two of stray pay with no overtime or double for a lack or interruption of our thirty minutes paid meal breaks. We just don't care.

I think the United States is pretty pro-employer. Companies can get away with doing things like this. I just ask myself if it's worth it. If I am not getting paid for my meal break, am I still making more than the guys who do get paid for their meal breaks? What kind of things can the company do to work around this eg create shorter shifts so we don't require a meal break or decrease our hourly pay rate so we are paid the same or less even though we are getting paid meal breaks.

 

[Rescue One Ambulance]

c'mon you guys...go with companies who pay you the right way...

 

[SandpitMedic]

c'mon you guys...go with companies who pay you the right way...

...Anything more to contribute?

 

[SandpitMedic]

So I live in los angeles, I am going to go to school to become an emt and look for a job here. I want to get three 12 hour shifts, however, I have heard that some employees who work 12 hour shifts don't get paid for 12 hours since they discount the lunch break. Is it like this everywhere and is it common and what is your experience? I know also like in 24 hr shifts that some companies only pay 21 hrs, so that's why I am asking as well.

It all depends on what company you work for - they all may have different ways of working their individual payroll departments. Don't expect to be rolling in the dough, no matter where you work in SoCal as an EMS provider. Some companies do slightly more right to their employees than others. You just have to search, and if you get an offer that you just can't accept, then don't accept and keep applying elsewhere. Just take note that you're looking at more or less $9-$10 per hour starting out. You could also probably get on food stamps to help you eat... ...Catch my drift?

 

[Rescue One Ambulance]

...Anything more to contribute?

Yeah. Just look for a company that pays daily OT. so if you work a 12 hour shift mean you get 8 hours regular time and 4 hours time and a half, and anything over 12 would be double time....the 6th day if you decide to work it would be all time and a half.... any company who is deducting lunch time is straight up asking for a lawsuit... that's how we do it..

 

[TransportJockey]

I've never heard of crap like this outside of california ems. Makes me happy to have never worked in that particular state

 

[SandpitMedic]

I've never heard of crap like this outside of california ems. Makes me happy to have never worked in that particular state

Oh that's just scratching the surface... LOL. Thank the lord you didn't have to work in CA in your time.

 

[FrogMan04]

So I live in los angeles, I am going to go to school to become an emt and look for a job here. I want to get three 12 hour shifts, however, I have heard that some employees who work 12 hour shifts don't get paid for 12 hours since they discount the lunch break. Is it like this everywhere and is it common and what is your experience? I know also like in 24 hr shifts that some companies only pay 21 hrs, so that's why I am asking as well.

Greetings, I can tell you from personal experience that while the $ might not be the TOP DOLLAR around, the pay is true and fair, you work 12 hours youget base pay..plus 4 hours of time and a half after 12 hours you do get your honest double time. Managers are GREAT! They are all there for you and will ALWAYS answer your call for help if needed. They work with you too.. I have a primary job as a RN in LA City..and its never a problem for them to work with my schedule.. the owner is a bit..."motivated and excited" but he is always there for his people..wich is alot more than MOST can say!! Drop an app!!

 

[TKx]

In California, if an employee is not relieved of all duty, employers are required to pay for the 30 minute meal breaks. That means if you are required to stay near the ambulance or on-call, you should be paid since it is an "on-duty" meal period. The first meal break is required if you work more than 5 hours. One relatively common (and legal) practice is to waive the second meal break if you work less than 12 hours, but if you go over 12, you must receive that second 30 minute meal or get paid 1 regular hour of pay.

Regarding getting paid less than 24 hours on a 24 hour shift, if the employee agrees, the employer is able to exclude up to 3 hour-long meal breaks and up to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep given there are adequate sleeping and kitchen facilities. However, for a busy private ambulance company, this is a pretty terrible agreement to make.

(I was going to post links to relevant CA labor law pages, but I don't have 5 posts yet.)