No more overtime?

[Brill]

"According to an analysis by the APhA Policy and Advocacy Group, the Proposed Rule would consider pharmacists to be 'learned professionals,' exempt from overtime pay. The rule allows an employer to classify a pharmacist as an "exempt" employee so that the pharmacist would not be entitled to overtime pay...However, if an employer chooses to pay the pharmacist-employee on an hourly basis, the pharmacist would be eligible to receive overtime pay. Therefore, the employer could either pay the pharmacist on an hourly basis and pay overtime premiums for any time worked beyond a 40 hour work week or pay the pharmacist on a salary basis, without overtime pay. "

http://www.pharmacist.com/articles/h_ts_0283.cfm

For those of you who work/have worked in pharmacies are the pharmacists usually salaried or hourly? Are they paid overtime?

I know that at my hospital all of the pharmacists are salaried. How is this new proposed rule different from the way things currently are?

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[jdpharmd?]

Originally posted by Brill
"According to an analysis by the APhA Policy and Advocacy Group, the Proposed Rule would consider pharmacists to be 'learned professionals,' exempt from overtime pay. The rule allows an employer to classify a pharmacist as an "exempt" employee so that the pharmacist would not be entitled to overtime pay

For those of you who work/have worked in pharmacies are the pharmacists usually salaried or hourly? Are they paid overtime?

I know that at my hospital all of the pharmacists are salaried. How is this new proposed rule different from the way things currently are?

I guess those places that decide to NOT pay overtime will have a pretty hard time finding help. The rule is meaningless, and there are plenty of pharmacists who don't get overtime pay anyway.

Pharmacists where I've worked were usually salaried, but with some weird hourly pay rate factored in, and with overtime, and sometimes doubletime. I think it was working out to almost $90/hour (doubletime) for most. Not bad, until the tax man comes.

 

[Triangulation]

That's f'd up!!! I wouldn't want to be salaried in retail right now. I guarantee you'd get screwed. You'd definitely land up working more than 40 without the bennie of double-time. I don't know many pharmacists at Wag's that would go for it. Most really like making $48/hr with the option of OT for double or more. That sucks. In retail there are gonna be times where you're there more than 40, w/o additional compensation is lame.

 

[Triangulation]

The APhA Policy and Advocacy Group noted that "the significant difference here is that if the pharmacist is paid on an hourly basis, he/she will only get paid for those hours he/she actually works; if he/she is paid on a salary basis, he/she must get paid whether he/she works or not?."

Whoever came up with this quote is high as a kite. I've yet to meet a pharmacist that is complaining, "OH sh#t, I'm not getting enough hours this week."

Where the he$% is the flip-side which is working you 55 hrs on salary and holidays....forget about it.

 

[hmtran]

So how what percentage of your paycheck does tax take off anyways? A third?

 

[jdpharmd?]

Originally posted by hmtran
So how what percentage of your paycheck does tax take off anyways? A third?

I think that you need to post this in the "accounting" forum. I really don't know, but it depends on several things, including... if you're married, how much money you make that year, your state of residence, etc.. I knew a 50 year-old pharmD who swore that taxes were taking something like 40% of his check. He was single, and rented an apartment. He was still rolling in it.

 

[Brill]

Here are the federal income tax rates for 2002 (before the new tax cuts I presume): http://taxes.yahoo.com/rates.html

Of course, there are all sorts of other exemptions and tax write-offs that can affect the rate you pay.

As for state income tax, just move to a state like Texas; we don't have any

 

[hmtran]

So does Cali have a state tax?

Also, if I were to get certified as Pharm Tech here in TN, can I carry it over to CA, or do I have to get re-certified?

And is the test hard?

Are there many available openings for pharm techs in Cali? (Here in Memphis, it's soooooo rare to see an opening. I'm very lucky to have found my position at Kmart).

More questions to come later!

Mai =)

 

[Brill]

Yes, CA has state income tax: 9.3% for $38,291 and over.



http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/ind_inc.html

 

[jdpharmd?]

Originally posted by hmtran
So does Cali have a state tax?

Do fish swim?

For more info, please see "Taxman" by Lennon/Mcartney

A while ago, California was trying to pass a tax of 10 cents per bullet. This is not made up!

 

[LoneCoyote]

Originally posted by hmtran
So does Cali have a state tax?

Also, if I were to get certified as Pharm Tech here in TN, can I carry it over to CA, or do I have to get re-certified?

And is the test hard?

Are there many available openings for pharm techs in Cali? (Here in Memphis, it's soooooo rare to see an opening. I'm very lucky to have found my position at Kmart).

More questions to come later!

Mai =)

California has some of the highest taxes in the nation and they are likely to get a bit higher, if they ever compromise and pass a budget to get rid of the $38 billion + hole. I would imagine they are higher than you pay right now in TN. It is also a tax system that charges the people with highest incomes a lot more than people with lower ones. So this is one of the most costly places to live in the nation if you are in the Bay Area, L.A., or San Diego. Other areas, mostly inland, are cheaper.

I cannot speak for the rest of the state but it seemed fairly hard to find a pharm tech job in the Bay Area. But if you have experience and are willing to work at an undesirable store to start, it probably would not be too hard. You can apply online with Walgreen's, since they own most of the stuff around here.... it might be a good starting place. I dunno about transferring the tech stuff here, but if you have a college degree in a science area you can get the certificate by filling out a form, doing a Live Scan fingerprinting, paying some fees, and then waiting and waiting for the certificate to come in the mail. Maybe it is easier if you have one already somewhere else.