Is your facility warning staff for overtime, for missing lunch breaks or other?

Nurses General Nursing

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  1. Is your facility warning staff for overtime, for missing lunch breaks or other reason

    • 749
      Yes
    • 226
      No

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I've been hearing of nurses getting counseled or warnings about overtime, for missing lunch breaks, late admissions, and misc other reasons... and/or hospitals requiring you to clock out on time, then you have to submit your overtime separately with documentation why you had to have overtime.

Is your facility warning staff for overtime, for missing lunch breaks or other reasons?

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I realize it's a double post, but this is getting so frustrating. Between reading the posts on this thread and others...and then thinking of the complaints about abuses from administration, I'm beginning to wonder if we don't deserve it. At some point, you stop being a victim and become a volunteer.

Specializes in NICU.
I realize it's a double post, but this is getting so frustrating. Between reading the posts on this thread and others...and then thinking of the complaints about abuses from administration, I'm beginning to wonder if we don't deserve it. At some point, you stop being a victim and become a volunteer.

Yeah I was gonna say ...... why should management/administration put a stop to this if people allow it to go on? Of course, they're going to get away with as much as they can!

My facility is doing this exact thing. What is worse is that they seem to be targeting nurses who have been in the facility for a long time. They appear to be looking for ways to lower their salary needs. Many nurses don't get their pay for these occurances for 1 or 2 pay periods. Our pay is now done out of state and they are completely clueless about what is going on here. Many, many mistakes are being made in pay. Staff are being over paid one pay period and underpaid another then they take a lum sum out of your accounts when it is not even pay time. So many of our nurses have sought help from the labor board yet there seem to be no reprisals. Some nurses did not recieve pay for 3 weeks when they swithed the system. Just Friday a LPN was paid an RN salary and she knows it will takes weeks to get it fixed! We are stressing in this facility.

Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.

I just can't believe how different things are where i work. If they even tried that sort of thing on us management would have a riot on their hands i'm not joking.

Not many of us really want to work the overtime anyway. I personally will not work overtime unless the person in charge actually takes the time to ASK me not just let me go on waiting to be relieved etc. I have never known anyone to claim for overtime and get warned or told off.....

I agree that you all need to stick up for yourselves, let the union or someone know what's going on here.

Specializes in Neuroscience ICU.

Yeah, this has made it to our hospital this past year. Just clock in and out on time. Even if we've had a crazy day, I get everything done that I can, then come back to the unit after to finish documentation that I couldn't quite get to.(we are not supposed to do this)..believe me, I am a very organized person, however there are days when hell breaks loose..you know what I mean. This is not an everyday occurence. As for breaks, usually I just grab something for my patient not related to hospital cusine. For both patients if they are actually conscious and can eat. Breakfast from the Cuban restaurant on hospital grounds is usually a big hit, along with the cafe con leche. I generally drink a large, black cuban coffee (colada) with the sugar whipped into a froth on top. I enjoy hanging out with the families and take every oppurtunity to work with them and listen to their concerns..this to me is a break. As for lunch..I like to sit on the floor in the locker room, take my shoes off and read what ever book I've started. Again with the black, sugar frothy cuban coffee. I generally return to the unit early. Got twelve hours and I make the most of them.

Generally our Adminisrators are reasonable. The bottom line does not come from any one source..Yeah, some things suck, but I understand why these changes are made.

Take care, all of you out there. I've been through a half dozen administrative changes and have survived and out lasted all of them and am still happy and optamistic.

By for now;

End Game RN

Sorry Newbie but this is a very dangerous practice. Please don't work off the clock. If anything happened to a patient during that time you would be considered not authorized to care for patients at that time and could be sued by the owners, hospital, family and/or patient for any incurred legal costs and medical costs. The hospital and owner could also turn around and sue you for their legal costs and incurred medical expenses. We all have big hearts and want the very best for our patients. What you are doing is saying to the hospital "no matter what load you give me I will complete it at my own expense." This is a form of abuse in the work place. Employers put stress on staff to not work over time and not to give up breaks thus forcing you to try to complete a task that can't be done in the time alloted. This makes them look good on paper and you look bad on paper because you didn't get your breaks and you had to work overtime because you were short 1 or even 2 nurses and the techs and equipment you needed to complete the job. It is a frequent pattern to use this paperwork to terminate employees who have many years of experience and a higher pay level. Never work off the clock. Overtime demonstrates to the governing authorities how well the hospital is functioning. The more overtime the more difficulties a facility is having. The more contract workers and agency staff hired the more difficulty a facility is having getting the job done. This is a marker that tells the truth about the facility. No matter what paperwork they have used against you. Any governing agency can quickly look at the books and tell how well a facility is functioning or not functioning. Protect yourself. Do all the work you can safely do for the patient. Never risk your license to protect the facility. The facility owes you its respect because you are the reason for the money coming in. You are the backbone and with you they have nothing but an empty building and a pile of law suites.

You can have a "talking-to" if you have overtime but you can also be put down for not staying over. Which way is the wind blowing today?

Specializes in Corrections, Cardiac, Hospice.

The head cook in our new facility tried this with the kitchen staff. I was at the nurses station one day and heard the time clock punch, so I turned around to say good bye to the lady that was leaving. She said, "oh, I am not done yet, but we are not allowed to have overtime." My butt was on the phone with the director in 2 seconds flat. I informed him of what was going on and told him a copy of the Department of Labor's laws regarding overtime and working off the clock would be in his mailbox in the AM. I also informed him he was setting us up for a lawsuit if she fell while mopping the kitchen floors while off the clock. I then told him I would PERSONALLY call and report the incident if the policy and practices were not changed. After much sputtering, he told me he wasn't aware this was happening (yeah, right) and that he would make sure she gets paid what is owed. However, I have never heard anyone punch out and go back to work after. Nor has comment been made about MY overtime. Amazing what can happen when you have FEDERAL LAW to back you.

Well said, Zadee. Not only are you risking professional liability by working off the clock, if you are injured you will NOT be covered. For those who argue they are "only" doing paperwork and charting off the clock... we had a nurse who clocked out and returned to the computer to finish her charting. When she sat down, the chair was broken and she fell to the floor, injuring her back bad enough that she needed to be treated and out of work for a time. The hospital's workers' comp carrier refused to cover her, as she was 'not at work'.

Think, people!

Well said, Zadee. Not only are you risking professional liability by working off the clock, if you are injured you will NOT be covered. For those who argue they are "only" doing paperwork and charting off the clock... we had a nurse who clocked out and returned to the computer to finish her charting. When she sat down, the chair was broken and she fell to the floor, injuring her back bad enough that she needed to be treated and out of work for a time. The hospital's workers' comp carrier refused to cover her, as she was 'not at work'.

Think, people!

she should have been able to win that one, you are "at work" while on their property...for this purose....not the prof liab issue

she should have been able to win that one, you are "at work" while on their property...for this purose....not the prof liab issue
Off the clock = not working = not covered by WC. She lost the appeal.

Here is my situation r/t this topic. I work in a LTC. I work 3p-11p on the skilled in unit and am the only nurse on that hall. I almost never have time to take any type of break, because I have to take care of any and everything that comes up. If the complete shift goes off without a hitch, I get out at 1-1:30 am. If any incident occurs or something else comes up, I am there for usually another hour.

If I take my 30 minute break, it only prolongs my shift by thirty extra minutes. So I skip it. The nurses are supposed to fill out a "time adjustment" sheet to explain why break wasn't taken if they want paid that thirty minutes.

The problem is that if you write 3 or more of the time adjustment sheets in a three-month period, you receive a write-up. Three write-ups and you are out the door. (The last DON/DNS claimed each of the time adjustment sheets costs 35$ to process).

So the nurse just don't fill out the time adjustment sheets. Effectively saving all kinds of $$ for the company Of course, we never hear about not filling out the time adjustment sheets. And as long as OT is somewhat under contril, the administration remains quiet.

The whole situation sounds illegal.

It fries my egg to think of all the money they save off of the nurses with their devilish ways! :angryfire

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