Clock out by 8am or get reprimanded!!!

Nurses Activism

Published

To all,

does anyone else get this at their job? I mean, for the most part depending on how your night/day went you would clock out right about on time or a little/waaay past it if you had a grueling shift. BUT!! what if now you receive a memo about all nurses, not just you must clock ou tor are ENCOURAGED to clock out at eight am/pm because accruable OT is too expensive and being busy that shift is not an excuse. TOP that with being told that having not complied with this matter you will get reprimanded. Hell, some nurses I have wokred with started clocking out at 8AM and going back to finish off charting and even report at times just so they wont get written up. Mind you we do have small forms that we can present to state why we are late clocking out etc which in turn has to be approved by the manager and supervisor, but with the staffing issues at our hospital of 3:1 AVERAGE IN ICU and even worse on the floors (we're not union) that has been recently brought forth our clock out times on average has been 30 minutes -1 hour from the set standard. Anyways, just wanted to pose that in the event the hospital fires or forces nurses to clock out on time secondary to an ultimatum is that illegal? this is for the state of NJ.

thanks all:bluecry1:

Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.
Exactly, but we are ALL nurses and if our duties for patient care put our charting on the back burner and we need to stay late to chart, we should not feel guilty...and we should get paid. It's part of patient care, after all.

Absolutely!

If you had sufficient staff and efficient systems you could finish on time.

0 Votes
Specializes in Psych , Peds ,Nicu.

If you are staying to chart and a manager gives you grief about it , simply stop what you are doing and smile nicely , then ask do you wish me to complete the charting or go home , there was no opportunity to do this during the procedure .

0 Votes
Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

I've worked at the same hospital for almost ten years. Just now started the clocking in and out for lunch. We are expected to be off the clock an hour every shift. It doesn't matter what the work load is. How many cnas are on the floor. Who died, who left, who was transferred. I was clocking out, then working an hour over every AM. Seemed kinda stupid to me, so I stopped clocking out. To add insult to injury, the nurse manager wanted names of anyone who worked off the clock since it IS ILLEGAL. I would like to know what precipitated this clocking in and out thing. This is the first time since I've been a nurse I've been expected to clock out for lunch and breaks.

0 Votes
Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

The hospital needs to provide a competent nurse to take responsibility for your assignment so you can have your break.

0 Votes
Specializes in Psych , Peds ,Nicu.
I've worked at the same hospital for almost ten years. Just now started the clocking in and out for lunch. We are expected to be off the clock an hour every shift. It doesn't matter what the work load is. How many cnas are on the floor. Who died, who left, who was transferred. I was clocking out, then working an hour over every AM. Seemed kinda stupid to me, so I stopped clocking out. To add insult to injury, the nurse manager wanted names of anyone who worked off the clock since it IS ILLEGAL. I would like to know what precipitated this clocking in and out thing. This is the first time since I've been a nurse I've been expected to clock out for lunch and breaks.

Your employer wants a paper trail ( provided by you clocking in & out ) showing that you are having your breaks . Hence the sudden interest in those who work off the clock ,which now you are informed is illegal . You are now in a no win siuation , if you work off the clock you are acting illegally , not covered by the hospital or workmans comp . If you don't take your off the clock breaks you are a bad time manager and because they will have to pay you x2 time you will be an expense they will try to get rid of .

0 Votes
Specializes in ortho/neuro/ob/nicu.

If you clocked out and stayed over to chart on a patient, would that not be a HIPPA violation, since legally you are not a paid employee with a right to access a medical document at that time?

0 Votes
not a chance...it's in the regs in every state (was an occupational health nurse in a previous life!!!):banghead:

actually, in ct you would most likely be compensated for injuries sustained "on the job" even if you were clocked out. as long as your injury arises out of and occurs during the course of your employment(or "performing work for the benefit of the employer"). i had a judge who was a former wc commissioner teach my wc class in law school. he found damn near everything compensible, and he was pretty much the norm.

not sure about other jurisdictions though.

0 Votes

Seriously! I have to agree, I am SICK of employees who milk the clock to get more hours! When your work is done, you leave--PERIOD!! We also have a certain amount of people who regularly come in 1-2 hrs earlier than the shift starts- yes they clock in & sit in the break room talking & eating, etc. Management seems oblivious to this though, they just think the way to save money is to cut raises, etc. It's frustrating to watch but what else can ya do? We've often wished management would ask (anonymously) for cost-cutting suggestions, but they seem to think not replacing broken equipment, etc. is a better option!! :twocents:

Where do you draw the line. What about those individuals that "milk the clock" so they can pick up OT. How do you determine if a person has been working that last 15 mins or talking socially to a oncoming co-worker ? Our facility has documentation sheets to write down why OT and then has to be signed by Shift cordinator before it will be paid. If not signed it is deducted from the time. What is a fair and honest way to get OT paid for ?? A short tidbit: just recently 2 RN's were in the employee break room at 655 pm (their shift ends at 730 p) eating with their feet up. The SC comes in to put her food away (she starts at 7 p) and leaves. At 805 p these two RN's were calling the SC for OT. Should they be paid ? They stated they had missed their evening 15 min break. They always miss their scheduled breaks. What is fair ?
0 Votes

I do remember one nurse who drove me crazy at a LTC facility. She was the evening charge nurse. I would get to work for night shift anxious to get started so I could hopefully get my work done and leave on time. She made me furious.:mad: Instead of her going home and getting out of my way so I could get my work done she would "stay over" and get paid overtime for bugging me. She would try to socialize with me, asking me personal questions etc.:mad: What is wrong with people!!!!!! I don't have time to socialize. Go home and get out of my way!!!!

0 Votes

I agree, it is VERY annoying to be trying to get your work done & the "social" nurse is there talking & yakking & gossiping- I try to totally ignore these types & not engage w/them- it only encourages them to continue!! If someone is working for the "social aspect" they need to get a life!! I am there to earn a living, I enjoy my career, but it is BY NO MEANS my social life thankyouverymuch!!!!!!!

I do remember one nurse who drove me crazy at a LTC facility. She was the evening charge nurse. I would get to work for night shift anxious to get started so I could hopefully get my work done and leave on time. She made me furious.:mad: Instead of her going home and getting out of my way so I could get my work done she would "stay over" and get paid overtime for bugging me. She would try to socialize with me, asking me personal questions etc.:mad: What is wrong with people!!!!!! I don't have time to socialize. Go home and get out of my way!!!!
0 Votes

where I work management is oblivious to 'clock bleeding' & is even paying RN's to come in & do menial tasks such as filing & putting data into the computer- if they're dumb enough to be THAT oblivious to cost effectiveness, I'm happy to oblige!! (& sucking up doesn't hurt either- anything to get more in my paycheck!!)

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment