Double staffed for a shift and sent home for their mistake

[happynhealthy]

I'm a CNA for a home healthcare services company in WA. I've been with this company for about a month now and they've twice sent me out for a job and when I arrived there was another caregiver/CNA there too that was scheduled for the same time. I called work and all they said was that they were sorry and that they'll pay me for my time. Does anyone know if there are some rules / stipulations regarding this kind of scenario? Are they bound to pay me for my full shift (2 hours)? Or do I just get compensated for fuel/mileage and the few minutes I was there? This is a little frustrating and I'm told that it's not uncommon with this particular company (other CNA's have experienced this mishap). Thanks for your help!

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

Did you receive a policy and procedures book or an orientation manual when you were hired? Usually the policy for this is specified in one of those. The question that you are asking depends on your facility. This type of thing is determined by the policy at each individual work place.

In my experience, some places have a policy that the employee is paid two hours minimum for a shift. However, this applies to agency positions that staff for 8 or 12 hour shifts. If your entire shift is only two hours than I doubt the facility would pay you for the entire shift. But to be sure, you'll have to read through your policies or ask your human resources department.

[loriangel14, RN]

I worked in the community before I was a nurse and that happened to me once. I got paid for my shift anyways.You may have to check to see what your state's labor laws say.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

Check your company's policy. Places should have a policy on this. This has happened at my job a few times - one time a nurse was supposed to be on call (it was between me and 2 other nurses) but they never called us because the unit didn't get the on call list until close to 7pm. At my hospital we have the option of working 2 hours on the clock and then going home on call or to be called off. We do not have to work those 2 hours if we do not want to. PDO's will cover our time off unless we specifically request them not to take from our PDO bank.

[Merlyn]

I worked for an agency that did this on a regular bases. They would call me for a shift and when I arrived the place didn't need me. It's called Ghost scheduling. The company would call me six in the morning for 3-11 shift in hopes that the place would need someone. Therefore if a place calls them first they already can say this nurse is coming today and so they beat the other agencies out. But I never got paid. so when I move I called the agency and told them where they could go and what to do when they got there.

Bridge burned but many more places here. You sound that you found a good agency

[On_the_on, BSN]

My husband is a CNA for a home health agency. The same thing happened once to him and the paid him for 30 minutes of time.

[Leafhouse]

I'm a CNA at a hospital in California and under their policy they pay you for 4 hours but you do have to stay for those 4 hours even if that means doing nothing.