Premium Pay at Rite Aid

[NorthwestRph]

I am surprised no one here has mentioned the latest pay structure at Rite Aid. Rite Aid announced it will cut starting pharmacists' salaries by 5 % , and current pharmacists no longer get OT, instead we're salaried based on 42 hr/week. If we accept extra shifts then we are paid "premium pay" which is $15 over (previous) base hourly rate.
Now they can't find anyone willing to cover extra shifts and they are always sending out lists of shifts to be covered, even from other districts, if they still can't find anyone they will call everyday asking if you can go work in the city that's 1 hr away.

I'm just announcing this so anyone applying knows what's going on.

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[Momus]

Are you with union? I know some RADs are union, some are not. Non union probably get screwed.

 

[NorthwestRph]

Are you with union? I know some RADs are union, some are not. Non union probably get screwed.

No we're not in union.

 

[Momus]

;-;

 

[farmadiazepine]

CVS does not offer OT pay. Anything above my base of 84 hours biweekly, I'm given an extra $6/hr as premium pay, and its always been like that. You should be happy your premium is $15/hr on top of your rate instead of $6/hr on top of my rate.

 

[NorthwestRph]

CVS does not offer OT pay. Anything above my base of 84 hours biweekly, I'm given an extra $6/hr as premium pay, and its always been like that. You should be happy your premium is $15/hr on top of your rate instead of $6/hr on top of my rate.

😱

 

[awval999]

I am surprised no one here has mentioned the latest pay structure at Rite Aid. Rite Aid announced it will cut starting pharmacists' salaries by 5 % , and current pharmacists no longer get OT, instead we're salaried based on 42 hr/week. If we accept extra shifts then we are paid "premium pay" which is $15 over (previous) base hourly rate.
Now they can't find anyone willing to cover extra shifts and they are always sending out lists of shifts to be covered, even from other districts, if they still can't find anyone they will call everyday asking if you can go work in the city that's 1 hr away.

I'm just announcing this so anyone applying knows what's going on.

All of your comments can be explained by supply and demand. More new grads, they will cut their starting pay. Soon they will come over after their seasoned employees, but more likely they will just never get raises. And of course they cannot find anyone to cover extra shifts, do you know why? Because they don't pay enough. Same thing happens at our hospital. A whole list of OT Clinical shifts that no one picks up because $60/hour is just not enough for the pharmacists to care. I find it quite humorous actually.

 

[BidingMyTime]

OP, do you realize that most businesses expect employees to through in overtime for free? Getting premium pay is nothing to sneeze at.

 

[Sparda29]

Isn't that illegal? I thought it was law that over-time gets paid time and a half, and at some point it goes to double time.

 

[owlegrad]

Isn't that illegal? I thought it was law that over-time gets paid time and a half, and at some point it goes to double time.

Not for exempt employees (federally speaking, states may be different).

 

[NorthwestRph]

OP, do you realize that most businesses expect employees to through in overtime for free? Getting premium pay is nothing to sneeze at.

Oh I know that , my brothers work for high-tech companies and put in easily extra 10 - 20 hours a week. But they get fat bonuses too.
I posted this thread when another pharmacist told me how indignant he was over premium pay and how other chains are still paying OT.

 

[Jackie B]

I don't see how a pharmacist can be classified as exempt. Pharmacy manager? yes. but pharmacist? no...how? the work is hourly-based...if you were expected to stay until the work is done you would just never leave...I'm confused...

 

[owlegrad]

I don't see how a pharmacist can be classified as exempt. Pharmacy manager? yes. but pharmacist? no...how? the work is hourly-based...if you were expected to stay until the work is done you would just never leave...I'm confused...

The only hourly pharmacists I know are per diem. Don't confuse "manager" for "salaried". Non-management employees can also be salaried.

 

[xiphoid2010]

Double post

 

[xiphoid2010]

I don't see how a pharmacist can be classified as exempt.

Highly compensated employee exemption from labor law

 

[awval999]

Highly-Compensated Workers
The regulations contain a special rule for “highly-compensated” workers who are paid total annual compensation of $100,000 or more. A highly compensated employee is deemed exempt under Section 13(a)(1) if:
1. The employee earns total annual compensation of $100,000 or more, which includes at least $455 per week paid on a salary basis;
2. The employee’s primary duty includes performing office or non-manual work; and
3. The employee customarily and regularly performs at least one of the exempt duties or responsibilities of an exempt executive, administrative or professional employee.

 

[Farmercyst]

Highly-Compensated Workers
The regulations contain a special rule for “highly-compensated” workers who are paid total annual compensation of $100,000 or more. A highly compensated employee is deemed exempt under Section 13(a)(1) if:
1. The employee earns total annual compensation of $100,000 or more, which includes at least $455 per week paid on a salary basis;
2. The employee’s primary duty includes performing office or non-manual work; and
3. The employee customarily and regularly performs at least one of the exempt duties or responsibilities of an exempt executive, administrative or professional employee.

I'm hourly and pharmacy manager, but my guess is that my primary responsibility would be considered manual work. I manually review prescriptions and put them in bags.

 

[Jackie B]

I'm hourly and pharmacy manager, but my guess is that my primary responsibility would be considered manual work. I manually review prescriptions and put them in bags.

Yeah I just assumed that since the job is manual and your work is quantifiable then you are considered hourly...I know not only managers can be exempt but those kinds of jobs are the type where its "you need to stay until you finish your job/project"...and likewise, go home early when you're done....that can even apply to some assistant positions. But it is different somehow because even though pharmacists may not be exempt, it's not like they stay an extra 10-20 hours a week because they have to. Right? I guess it just sucks in the sense regarding to overtime, but you do get paid for the hours you stay overtime, even if it's not 1.5x, right?

 

[awval999]

I'm hourly and pharmacy manager, but my guess is that my primary responsibility would be considered manual work. I manually review prescriptions and put them in bags.

Your work is not considered manual. I hope you are joking. Your work is verification and review of medical prescriptions. I hope you know that.

 

[awval999]

Anyway the regulation goes on to state:
Thus, for example, an employee may qualify as an exempt highly-compensated executive if the employee customarily and regularly directs the work of two or more other employees, even though the employee does not meet all of the other requirements in the standard test for exemption as an executive.