Overtime Rules

  1. Vacancies are always offered to the primary workgroup first.
  2. If no one takes the overtime from a primary group, it is offered to the work area as secondary overtime.
    ◦ 08Feb2024 Clarification: Those who work in the same building or share work are eligible for secondary overtime in a Work Group that they are Proficient in (Work Areas can be changed or re-organized yearly in the Realignment Memo)
  3. Work groups and work areas are defined by the company and can be contractually changed in a realignment memo
  4. All hours than an employee is offered and eligible for are added into the total overtime hours, whether accepted or refused or primary or secondary
     ◦ 24Apr2024 Clarification: “Offered” means that the need for overtime was posted and the employee had an opportunity to see it
  5. Trades do not affect the hours you are charged. Charges are based on your home schedule.
     ◦ 24Apr2024 Clarification: This applies for offered overtime, you are charged based on your home shift regarding opportunity to see the overtime, i.e. if a change was made to the overtime needs and you would have had opportunity to sign up based on your home schedule you are charged for it
  6. An empty space on the sign-up sheet is considered a “no”.
  7. Cancellation of overtime is contractual per Appendix D:
     ◦ Employees will not be counted absent if they call 24 hours or more prior to the start of scheduled overtime.
  8. For cancellation of voluntary overtime, the hours charged are doubled and tripled if someone is forced out of seniority.
     ◦ 94C Membership passed the following on 07 April 2022: “Anyone who cancels voluntary overtime after it’s awarded, double the hours charged or triple charge for hours if someone is forced out of seniority.”
    ◦ For clarity, there are no exceptions for the reason behind the cancellation in the rule passed by membership. Cancellation charges for voluntary overtime that is cancelled apply even in cases of bereavement, illness, etc.
  9. The full amount of needed overtime is offered first. If no one takes the full amount and the company agrees to partial coverage, it follows the same progression. It is offered to the primary workgroup and then if no one takes it, it is offered to the work area as secondary coverage. In other words, primary work groups get first offering of split shifts.
  10. Awarding of the overtime should be done as close as possible on the same day or days each week.
  11. Four hour stay overs or come in earlies are offered to the adjacent shift first.
  12. Overtime awards do not domino after they are posted.
     ◦ 08Feb2024 Clarification: The domino rule also applies to swapping of awarded overtime, once awarded shifts cannot be swapped between those awarded.
  13. In the event a force is necessary, the employee forced is the least senior available in the work group the vacancy occurred. An employee cannot be forced from a secondary list. After two forces in a week the next least senior is forced.
  14. You can’t volunteer to relieve a force after the overtime awards are posted.
  15. If the company relieves your force before you enter the gate, it does not count as one of your forces for the week.
  16. When polling for last minute coverage, the calls that should be made from a Merck phone. If there’s no answer, leave a message, wait 5 minutes and then proceed.
     ◦ 24Apr2024 clarification: Last minute coverage is polled for by lowest hours of those eligible, regardless of those that have signed a “Yes” for that shift. For clarity, those with a “Yes” are not called first.
  17. Any overtime needs that are not true vacancies (someone isn’t off work) are offered as secondary OT to the work area and are called general postings.
  18. For the Holiday List to come into play, everyone in a work group has to observe the holiday (be told they are not working). If for some reason a reduced number are allowed to work, the Holiday list memo would provide direction as to who would get to work.
  19. If a vacancy falls on a Holiday, and the work group is working, it is filled within the work group by overtime guidelines. If no one volunteers, it goes to the work area as secondary OT.
  20. A “general” vacancy even on a holiday is awarded by low hours to the work area.
  21. A person cannot be forced to work after their last scheduled shift prior to a week’s vacation, but that individual can volunteer for OT and be charged accordingly.
  22. For overtime taken on a call-in over the 75 hour or 6-day cap in a week that person goes one hour higher than the highest on the overtime sheet.
     ◦ 94C Membership passed the following on 01Dec2023: “If someone takes a call-in and they’re over 75 hours or 6 days worked in a week, they will go one (1) hour higher than the highest on the overtime sheet.”
  23. For someone accepting a vacancy already refused when the overtime was initially awarded, coverage is allowed with the additional charge of the full shift offered.
     ◦ 94C Membership passed the following on 01 August 2024: “Change the rule passed on by a previous membership vote to change un-awarded overtime to allow it to be covered with the additional charge of the full shift offered.”
    ◦ This is offered on a first come first served basis. This applies to vacancies that went uncovered that no one was forced for and everyone eligible would have already been charged a refusal already