Holiday Season Means Extra Overtime
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the winter holidays are nearly upon us. You know what that means right? Overtime!
While most people see the holidays as a time to relax and take time off to spend with family, many contract attorneys, such as myself see it as the bonus months. There will always be plenty of time to take a vacation and unwind – after the project is over. When the project is still ongoing, my commitment is to taking advantage of overtime opportunities and maxing out my available hours.
Extra Overtime For Holiday Work
Most legal staffing agencies and law firms have a policy of providing contract attorneys paid holidays. What this means is that if you come in to work on an official paid holiday such as Fourth of July or Christmas for example, you are automatically paid at the overtime rate for all hours worked that day, and all hours logged will also be applied towards the usual 40 hours for the week. Once you hit 40 hours, the usual overtime rules kick in again and you get overtime thereafter. In essence your hours worked during paid holidays are performing double duty.
I know, it sounds like I’m all about the money and like I place less importance on family time during the holidays, but you should know, there is no obligation to stay the entire day. Most agencies and firms are more lenient during those paid holidays. You can usually come in and stay for as long as you want up to the maximum allotted time to earn your automatic overtime and leave earlier than usual to be with your family. Work schedules during paid holidays are generally more flexible, and even the supervising associates are usually eager to get home soon so they frequently don’t stay the entire time.
Remember, the double bonus hours you get during paid holidays don’t come along that often. Most of them occur during the winter season so do try to take advantage. It’ll help pay for all the Nintendo Wii’s and stocking stuffers you’ll be buying when December rolls around.
November 9th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Temp Partner,
I am between projects. You think I could borrow a few dollars? You know I’m good for it.
November 9th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
I’ll do even better…I’ll refer you to someone with deep pockets who will give you $359 a week pre-tax to sit on your butt. Hehe
How’s your new fame working out so far?
November 12th, 2007 at 10:30 am
I am so excited about working during the holidays this year. I hate sitting around with my family.
November 12th, 2007 at 11:23 am
rills, are you for real? You’re joking, right? How could you hate sitting around with your family??
I’ve never worked during a holiday, and therefore never paid automatic OT. I think most agencies and firms try to have us take the day off so that they don’t have to pay us OT. Another thing I’ve noticed is that for many agencies, you have to work a gazillion hours in order to be eligible for automatic paid holidays. What is up with that?!
November 15th, 2007 at 8:21 am
The more I read about the more I think that this blog is a temp agencies’ shill. And now I’ve notices the links to the temp agencies on the right side of the screen, with such notable sewers as De Novo Legal and Update. Where is EP Dine? I can’t believe it that you guys have missed it.