Dear Editor,
The casual observation by name not mentioned on the allowance paid to doctors, instead of overtime should be taken seriously, not only by the Government but all employers who pay in excess of the minimum wages, with the rationale that overtime is inclusive, especially in circumstances where the hours of work by day or week are regulated by statute.
If the contract of doctors have a fixed hours of work by week or month, then an allowance in lieu of overtime is totally unacceptable, since allowances are paid under certain circumstances that have no relationship to overtime.
Where the law is concerned, in an employment contract statutory rights are implied so payment of overtime is compulsory.
For an employer to escape any liability who pays in excess of the minimum wage, they have to differentiate between what is basic and what is overtime which should be clearly reflected in their wages register or accounting procedures, minus any other deductions.
So, any contract between the employer and employee that provides conditions contrary to any statutory requirement would be invalid.
Regards,
D.Sookdeo
