Shift Differential Pay: How It Impacts Your Pay Stub & Taxes

Shift differential pay is bonus compensation employers give to those who work during odd or undesirable hours. Its purpose is to attract talent for roles that require non-traditional hours and reward workers for performing during times when others would relax or do something else.

Irregular workdays and hours are common in industries such as healthcare, customer support, hospitality, manufacturing, and others. In this article, we’ll explore employee shift incentives and bonus pay, the way in which they affect your pay stub, and the resulting tax implications.

Key Takeaways

• Shift differential pay is a bonus given to employees who work outside traditional hours.
• This additional compensation isn’t mandated by law but allows employers to attract workers for more demanding roles and boost their morale.
• If employers add shift differential pay to an employee’s contract, they must adhere to it and tfor working non-traditional shifts (e.g., third shifts, weekends, holidays, etc.)ake it into consideration when calculating overtime.
• Shift differential pay shold be added to a pay stub as a standalone item to distinguish it from other earnings.

What Is Shift Differential Pay, and How Does It Work?

Shift differential pay is additional money that employers give to employees for working non-traditional shifts (e.g., third shifts, weekends, holidays, etc.). At its core, this is an incentive for professionals who work during times when many others wouldn’t.

For example, employers can give shift differential pay for work that disrupts someone’s regular sleep schedule, takes away from their family time or holiday break, or simply feels more challenging than a regular shift.

Extra pay for night work, difficult shifts, and non-traditional hours isn’t mandated by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This means employers aren’t legally required to increase their employees’ base salary for working during these periods. Instead, they use shift differential pay to make challenging roles in their companies more desirable and attract talent for them.

Shift differential pay is typically added on top of an employee’s regular pay. The exact amount depends on the employer and the shift pay rates they decide to go with. Some employers go with the percentage of a regular salary, while others add a fixed amount; the specifics should be outlined in an employee’s contract or the company’s policies.

Shift Differential vs. Overtime Pay

Many people confuse shift differential with overtime pay because they share some similarities, but these are two different concepts.

Shift differential pay is tied to the timing of your work. It’s not about how much you work, but whether you work during inconvenient hours (e.g., the ‘graveyard shift’) or with an uncommon schedule.

On the other hand, overtime pay activates when you’ve worked more than the standard number of hours. In most cases, if you’re a non-exempt employee and you’ve worked more than 40 hours in a single work week, you’ll be compensated with overtime pay.

Unlike shift differential pay, overtime pay is mandated by law under the FLSA. At a minimum, employers are required to pay their employees at least 1.5 times the regular rate for every hour of overtime work.

How Employers Calculate Shift Differential Pay

Employers can calculate shift differential pay as a percentage or a flat rate.

Salaried employees typically receive a percentage of their base pay as their shift differential. For instance, an employer can offer a 20% shift differential to an employee working the third shift. Here’s an example of such a shift differential calculation:

• Standard rate: $22 per hour
• Shift differential rate: 20%
• Pay increase: $22 * 0.2 = $4.4
• Shift differential pay: $22 + $4.4 = $26.4

When using a flat rate to calculate shift differential pay, employers can add a fixed amount per work hour or shift. Here’s an example:

• Standard rate: $160 per shift
• Shift differential rate: $25
• Shift differential pay: $185 per shift

Types of Shift Differential Pay

There are different types of shift differential pay based on the non-traditional shift in which an employee works. Here are some of the most common types:

#1. Night Shift

Night shift (also called graveyard shift or third shift) is typically the one you’ll hear the most about when it comes to differential pay. It usually lasts between 10 pm and 6 am, though it can also be an extended night shift, between 11 pm and 7 am, or an early morning shift, between 12 am and 8 am.

It provides night shift pay since these are the hours that most other people rest, and this routine disrupts the circadian rhythm and social life.

#2. Weekend Shift

Many businesses operate seven days a week and offer weekend shift pay to attract employees. Some of the most common industries that require weekend shifts include healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, and retail.

Since most people use weekends for rest or personal affairs, shift differential pay offers a strong incentive for them to work instead.

#3. Holiday Shift

Holiday shift refers to the work performed during public holidays, like Christmas or New Year’s Day. Regularly scheduled employees are entitled to either a premium pay that is often referred to as “double time” or a paid day off.

However, employees who aren’t regularly scheduled aren’t entitled to these benefits. In these cases, employers can offer shift differential pay to compensate them for missing out on holidays. The rates will typically be higher than those for night or weekend shifts.

#4. On-Call Shift

On-call shifts often come with differential pay, as they require employees to be available even when outside regular hours. The FLSA mandates that non-exempt employees must be paid at least the minimum wage for their on-call time, regardless of whether they work or not.

However, employers can offer shift differential pay to exempt employees as well, incentivizing and rewarding them for their diligence. The rates can be increased further for night hours, weekend shifts, and holidays.

Top 3 Benefits of Shift Differential Pay

Shift differential pay offers multiple benefits to both employers and employees. Here are the three main ones:

#1. Attracting Employees to Non-Traditional Shifts

The main reason employers offer shift differential pay is to attract and hire employees to work during non-traditional hours. Shifts during nights, weekends, holidays, and other inconvenient times are more challenging to fill than regular hours. On the other hand, many businesses can’t stop their operations or need to provide services 24/7.

As a result, they need appropriate staffing when the number of candidates who are willing to work these shifts is considerably lower. Most people would rather rest or spend their time on personal affairs. Offering higher rates helps some employees overcome these barriers and work efficiently.

#2. Improved Worker Satisfaction

Employees who are properly rewarded for their work and efforts are motivated to perform better and remain in the company longer.

Since shift differential pay isn’t mandated by law, employers can often find people to work irregular hours for standard rates. However, that can negatively affect worker satisfaction, resulting in subpar performance and a high churn rate, all of which will cost the business money.

Offering additional compensation won’t just financially benefit employees, but also boost their morale and positively impact the company’s finances.

#3. Cost Benefits for Employers

While shift differential pay is higher than regular payroll for shift work, it is often more cost-beneficial for the employer in the long run.

For example, paying existing employees at a premium rate can be cheaper than hiring and training new staff solely for non-traditional hours or on-demand shifts.

Extra pay for night shifts or weekends also helps employers retain employees. In return, they don’t have to spend time and resources finding new talent and preparing them for work. Costs also arise from dissatisfied employees who are habitually absent or underperforming.

Shift Differential Payroll and a Pay Stub

When showing shift differential on a pay stub, it’s important to do it transparently and accurately. This makes the document easy to read and helps ensure regulatory compliance.

Typically, earnings and deductions will be itemized on a pay stub and provide a clear insight into the rates, hours, and pay. As such, differential pay should be listed as a standalone item with its own rates and hours. This makes it easy to show total earnings made from shift differential and to add them to gross income.

If a pay stub should showcase several types of shift differential pay, with different rates and hours, they should all be listed separately. One item can be described as an “Evening Shift Premium,” the other as “Weekend Shift,” and so on.

Tax Implications

Shift differential pay is considered regular pay and is taxable income. As such, it is subject to federal and state income tax, Social Security, and Medicare taxes. It’s added to an employee’s gross salary, meaning employers will have to contribute more for their taxes.

Also, while shift differential pay isn’t the same as overtime pay, the two can combine. Overtime pay calculation comes after adding the shift differential.

Here’s an example:

• Hours worked: 48 in a week (40 regular, 8 overtime)
• Regular rate: $20 per hour
• Shift differential: $4 per hour
• Shift differential rate: $24 per hour
• Overtime rate: 1.5 * $24 per hour = $36 per hour
• Shift differential pay: $24 * 40 = $960
• Overtime pay: $36 * 8 = $288
• Gross pay: $960 + $288 = $1,248

Legal Considerations for Shift Differential Pay

Shift differential pay isn’t legally mandated, and employers aren’t required to provide it. However, once they decide to do so, they must adhere to the FLSA and relevant regulations regarding employee salaries.

If shift differential pay is established as part of a company policy and included in a contract with an employee, employers must comply with it. It should be added to the salary and outlined in a pay stub whenever employees earn it. Moreover, shift differential pay needs to be taken into consideration when calculating overtime.

Failure to adhere to these rules can result in legal and financial issues. Employers can be required to pay back missing salaries with added interest and fines.

It’s also important to be aware of local state and municipal laws, as they can be more strict than the FLSA. While it isn’t common, some jurisdictions can mandate shift differential pay, in which case employers must follow the law.

How Paystub.org Can Help Manage Shift Differential Pay

Paystub.org can help you calculate shift differential pay and include it in your pay stub with ease.

Our online pay stub generator features a user-friendly design and intuitive controls, allowing you to create accurate and professional documents in just minutes. Itemized lists come with a built-in calculator that automatically determines and displays earnings and deductions, as well as gross and net pay.

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how to use our pay stub generator:

1. Choose a pay stub generator on the main page (we also offer a Form W-2 generator, invoice generator, and Form 1099 generator).
   
   
2. Pick a template that you like.
   
   
3. Input relevant details (payment information, company and employee details, and earning statement).
   
   
4. Check out and download your pay stub.

The “Earnings Statement” section already has standard items, such as regular, overtime, holiday, vacation, bonus, and float. You can include additional earnings via the “Add Earnings” button, allowing you to name your shift differential pay and specify rate and hours as many times as you want on a single pay stub.

Final Thoughts

Shift differential pay, while not legally mandated, is a handy financial tool for employers who require around-the-clock staffing. This hourly wage difference helps attract talent, retain employees, and boost their productivity. The initial cost of a bigger salary and tax contributions is offset by benefits like long-term company loyalty and reduced churn.

Employers who reward their workers with this premium must also take it into consideration when calculating overtime. Furthermore, they should clearly present this type of pay on a pay stub to distinguish it from other types of income.

Shift Differential Pay FAQ

#1. What is a 10-percent shift differential?

A 10-percent shift differential means that you’ll earn an additional 10% on top of your regular salary. For example, if your regular rate is $20 per hour, a 10% shift differential will increase that by $2, resulting in a total of $22 per hour.

#2. What time does shift differential start?

The shift differential doesn’t have a universal start time; instead, the employer sets it. For example, it can start between 3 pm and 6 pm (for a second shift) or between 11 pm and midnight (for a third shift).

#3. Is a shift differential required by law?

A shift differential isn’t required by law. Instead, employers determine whether to include a shift differential, at what time, and at what rate. They do this to attract talent as well as reward and retain current employees who work during non-conventional hours or more challenging shifts.