What is shift allowance?

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Hi everyone,

Iv just applied for a job a few days ago and the recruitment company has just rung me up and had a phone interview with me which I passed , but now up to the company if I'm suitable.
Then he told me there was a shift allowance, iv never had a job with this included. What exactly is it?
I know this my sound strange but I would just like to have peace of mind.

Thanks

zagfles

It's extra payment for working unsocial hours, eg it might be an extra 50% after 8pm weekdays and Saturdays and 100% Sundays, or just a flat amount regardless of how many hours are unsocial.

agrinnall

Or it could simply be an additional payment made to compensate for working shifts whatever time of day they occur, so even if one of the shifts is (say) 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. you'd still get the payment. Or it could be a combination of this and the scenario zagfles has suggested. The only way to know for sure is to ask the employer.

ohreally

More money.

Gingernutty

It might be an allowance per shift or it could be a flat rate percentage based on your salary.

For example - I've worked in a laboratory run by a research organisation but on a hospital site.

I received 12.5% of my basic salary as a shift allowance (on top of my basic pay) as we had to cover early days (starting at 07:00) and late days (finishing at 20:00, sometimes later). It was pro rata'd so that I received 1/12th of the 12.5% each month.

I currently work nights in the NHS. Weekdays and Saturday nights are rated at time plus 37% and Sundays and Bank Holidays are rated at time plus 74%.

So yeah, more money. :beer: