Overtime for Nurses: Will it now start after 35 hour reduced week?

Darrell Spencer

Finally, from the Nurses Association, President Spencer says nurses need clarification on the issue of overtime under the new reduced hours for public officers. 

Darrell Spencer, President, Nurses Association of Belize

“So the Government has said they are going to do a ten percent cut. That is done. They also said that they are going to cut the work hours by five. So, the week turns to thirty-five hours. Now, let us make sense of nonsense. Your overtime began at forty hours, prior to June first. Now, your overtime in a department that is already short will start at thirty-five hours. Unless you are saying that nurses are not privy to enjoying that five hour. So, we are going to work for five hours for the government basically free. So, now for that five hour that you use to pay me ten dollars, now you are going to pay me fifteen dollars for those same five hours. How is it a discount? The math’s is all screwed up and stupid. It makes no financial sense at all.”

Paul Lopez

“And with a nurse shortage, how practical is it for nurses to work thirty-five-hour week?”

Darrell Spencer

“I will answer it this way. With the present condition, nurses are being begged to work over forty hours just to make the system have enough boots on the ground. So now, you are going to increase that begging by five hours. Because you are going to start counting thirty-six hours now is over time.”