looking for an opinion

[TWR]

working 2.5 day a week in family medicine.  Get paid holidays and vac/PTO is accrued monthly.  This year with the last 2 major holidays falling on Monday, we were all paid for these.  On the Friday before both holidays which I would normally work 8-5, we were told the office was going to close at noon instead of 5.  Both holidays fell in the same pay period, and we got paid as holiday pay.  However, the 5 hours on both Friday afternoons when management decided to close at noon instead of 5, which I expected to work and had no plans, we were not compensated for those 10 hours.  This made my paycheck 19% less than it would have been had I worked.   Sorry for the long-winded explanation but should we have been paid since the staff was all there and ready to work and secondly should PTO time have been used without permission.  My thought is if it was a closing at the discretion of the physician, without weather, etc. being a factor, should the practice have paid the employees for those 10 hours? (both Friday afternoons)

Edited January 2, 2024 by TWR
addendum and correction

[ventana]

if you are ready willing and able to work then it should be paid, and not come out of PTO

To take it out of PTO is merely a cheap two faced move.....  sure go home early then we are going to take it out of PTO..... underhanded....

[rev ronin]

8 hours ago, TWR said:

My thought is if it was a closing at the discretion of the physician, without weather, etc. being a factor, should the practice have paid the employees for those 10 hours?

Yes.

Having said that, what was the flow like? Were they thinking by not paying staff they were going to avoid losing money by paying more in payroll than they would be getting in collections for the visits for those afternoons?

[SedRate]

I've worked at a small private surgical subspecialty practice, a large hospital system, and a teaching hospital that did this -- required the use of PTO for hours/days not worked, regardless of holidays and office closure. If you worked it, they didn't require use of PTO. None paid holiday pay.

[TWR]

15 hours ago, rev ronin said:

Yes.

Having said that, what was the flow like? Were they thinking by not paying staff they were going to avoid losing money by paying more in payroll than they would be getting in collections for the visits for those afternoons?

I don't know what they were thinking but I feel certain that we would have covered salary and then some.   this is a 15 y/o FP with 4 -5 providers.

[sas5814]

It seems if they choose to close during regular work hours they should be paid hours. Holidays may or may not be paid. That can vary place to place. But closing during regular business hours...... that is paid.