Required to stay at hospital with no pay

Editorial Team / Admin · Dec 19, 2016

You would need to look into the laws specific to your state as well as the policies specific to your facility. Were you truly required to stay in the facility or risk termination or was it a "you need to be here for your shift no matter what- we'll give you a place to sleep" kind of thing?

Guest219794 · Dec 20, 2016

Ask HR what you signed allowing this.

Jules A, MSN · Dec 20, 2016

I'm guessing you are a new nurse? I've never been forced to remain at the hospital except a few times when a state of emergency was called and no one was allowed on the highway but that was instituted by the governor not the hospital. I have been told that I was mandated to work double or an upcoming shift due to call outs in a blizzard but probably could have left if I thought it was safe and I'd be able to return. It happens, get used to it.

Extra Pickles · Dec 20, 2016

You can't be held as a prisoner against your will. That's it. If it's like Rose Queen suggested and you were told you can't call out for the next shift no matter what and they were offering you a place to stay then no, they aren't going to pay you to sleep there. It was a courtesy not a forced imprisonment. If they told you that there was a declared state of emergency and no one was allowed to drive on the roads then technically they aren't demanding that you stay there either, just that you can't drive anywhere so they are offering you a bed while you wait out the storm, beats walking to a hotel.

They can't force you to stay in the building against your will, off the clock. If there's a state of emergency and you want to walk to a hotel that's your choice, I'd take the patient room if it were me.

Brdnfrd · Dec 20, 2016

I had already worked my 12 hr shift and wasn't scheduled to work for three more days. The travel was causing others to not show up and we were told that we need to stay. I know that I could have left at anytime but I would have lost my job. I was just shocked that we were not even paid call pay.

Brdnfrd · Dec 20, 2016

They gave us a patients room but I was told that we had to stay on standby.

Extra Pickles · Dec 20, 2016

I had already worked my 12 hr shift and wasn't scheduled to work for three more days. The travel was causing others to not show up and we were told that we need to stay. I know that I could have left at anytime but I would have lost my job. I was just shocked that we were not even paid call pay.

Does your facility policy include mandated shift coverage? If you have a mandation policy that requires you to stay to cover an additional shift for someone who doesn't show then you would have to stay and work that shift. But if the shift wasn't going to happen until the next day, they can't force you to stay until you'd be needed for another shift. that just doesn't make sense. you aren't getting on-call pay because you're not being asked to be on-call, so that I understand. the part that I don't understand is where you say that you would have lost your job if you chose to go home and come back for your next scheduled shift in three days.

it happens all the time that you have to stay to cover the call outs for weather, that's something to get used to if you have mandation in place. but something doesn't sound right in what happened to you.

you won't get paid for when you're not working, that part I agree with. but if you would truly have lost your job for going home and not volunteering for a shift the next day, that sounds like something the labor board might find interesting.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2016

Medscape: Medscape Access

Very interesting read.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Dec 21, 2016

If feel like something is being left

out.

LovingLife123 · Dec 21, 2016

I was mandated this past weekend due to ice but was paid my hourly wage. I was not asked to clock out and I stayed until there was enough coverage throughout the hospital. I was off for the next 4 days as well.

I also believe something is left out here.

LovingLife123 · Dec 21, 2016

There was a severe ice storm in the Midwest this past weekend causing many to be trapped on interstates on their way to work. Many were trapped for over 12 hours. It was quite unexpected.

I think most hospitals mandated their employees for patient safety. Which occurs in this area from time to time. You do what is safe for the patients. That is not unreasonable. I have a hard time believing they made somebody clock out with no pay. There is a policy in place at most, if not all, facilities in this type of event. It's not the first, and certainly not the last, ice storm to hit the area.

I suggest the OP read their facility's policy and procedure regarding this. And if this unit is not following it, the OP needs to bring it to the unit manager's attention.