Hi all! So I am relatively a new graduate (3 months prior experience) before landing a job at a SNF. I have only been there for a week and although I was told during the interview that I would be working nights, my manager wanted me on the 3-11 shift to learn admissions for a month. I've been working with this RN for about 2 days now and shes really nice. We talk about out personal lives and etc. (For example she had a daughter by someone who is the same ethnic background as me..etc). So I'm explain my experience from my last job at a large teaching hospital and simply mention that I am taking a pay cut but its worth it because I want the experience. She then asks "Oh what are they starting you at." I stupidly tell her my wage (37) and didn't think anything of it. I explain that I usually leave the part on the application where it says to put your desired wage blank but this time around I put a high wage (I was getting paid 5 dollars more at my last job than this one.) She then says oh wow your very lucky and that they didnt start her at that wage and she put 38 on her application but management told her that they couldn't afford to pay her that. Anyways she says I'm lucky and we leave it at that.
My next day, I notice that she is acting a bit different but didn't think anything of it...it is a stressful job however. I do notice however that we dont seem to see eachother at all and that she didn't teach the the computer system (the most important part) but is teaching the other new hire the computer system. When I sit down to observe so I can learn the phone rings. She quickly looks at me and says "Can you answer the phone in a dismissive tone." Again, didn't think anything of it.
When night shift comes on, one of the night nurses says its her last day. No body knows why it seems very VERY abrupt because nobody talked about it before. I see her and this other nurse(my preceptor I suppose) kind of talking privately. This nurse that resigned was a nice girl and I ask "Oh where are you going?" All she says is "Somewhere." which again I thought was a bit odd.
The next day my manager comes up to me and asks me to meet him in his office. By his tone I can tell something was wrong but have no idea. He asks me if I told anyone my wage and I said yes to my preceptor. He then informs me that 1 nurse (the night nurse) quit because of it and that 2 more are considering quitting. I explain that it was naive and I didn't know i confided in her. He tells me she is not your friend, she went and told everyone and that she is already treating you differently. He then says next shift you will be on nights, I need to get you away from them. EVERYTHING now makes sense to me.
Sorry for the long post but what should I do or is there anything that I can do to rectify this situation. Should I confront/talk to this nurse who went and talked about me to everyone? I do not know how much the other nurses are making and had NO IDEA I was even making more than them. IDK if its because I have my BSN or bc they knew I wouldn't have accepted a job or a wage any lower when I was making $5 more at my last job. I feel HORRIBLY about this especially because our SNF is already so short-staffed.
mustanglover, the exact thing i was wishing i did right after i spilled the beans. unfortunately i cant say that i lied or anything about my wage after the fact.
I'm going thru this same thing right now. I have found out that numerous other nurses are making more than me, even though I have YEARS more experience. We currently have a wage freeze, so I cannot ask for a raise. We aren't union. I took a pay cut when I accepted this job, 7 years ago. It is forbidden to disclose your salary here, too. If they paid nurses according to a scale commensurate with their experience, there wouldn't be a problem. All the secrecy does is make nurses feel hurt and jealous, and wonder if they are being discriminated against.
Stop saying "it's forbidden to discuss salaries". An employer cannot stop you from talking about this subject with others. Of course they don't want you to, but they can't dictate that you don't.
I'm going thru this same thing right now. I have found out that numerous other nurses are making more than me, even though I have YEARS more experience. We currently have a wage freeze, so I cannot ask for a raise. We aren't union. I took a pay cut when I accepted this job, 7 years ago. It is forbidden to disclose your salary here, too. If they paid nurses according to a scale commensurate with their experience, there wouldn't be a problem. All the secrecy does is make nurses feel hurt and jealous, and wonder if they are being discriminated against.
Stop saying "it's forbidden to discuss salaries". An employer cannot stop you from talking about this subject with others. Of course they don't want you to, but they can't dictate that you don't.
Well, it is forbidden in certain places. There is policy against it.
I can forbid you to breathe more than 12 times a minute- it doesn't mean you have to listen.
Similarly, those policies are unenforceable and probably illegal.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
OP,
This is not your problem, this is a company culture problem.
There are more and more companies moving to an open salary culture which I think is fantastic. This is no different than the government sector where you can look up anyone's salary.
Secrecy allows for discrimination and other unethical behaviors.
This bears repeating! YOU DID NOTHING WRONG, legally or ethically speaking. Your manager is spinning it so that you are the one at fault for all this. If pay was fair and equitable at your facility, this would be a non-issue. Now, they're exposed and are scrambling. Again, YOU DID NOTHING WRONG.
Transparency is never a bad thing. But it should come from management/leadership!
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Pretty much nothing you can do but let this situation blow over, and be glad you aren't fired. Never tell a co-worker what you are making!!!!
I'd love to see that, and the lawsuit that would result! It's against federal law to prohibit employees from sharing their salary with others, or to retaliate if they do share.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Yeah it was. Here's the scoop, I'm half the age of all the RN's that work there and already felt awkward since my very first day when everyone assumed i was the cna. I just wanted to fit in so when someone was very friendly to me (and more of a preceptor aunt-like type of person) I ran with it, and defintely shouldn't have trusted someone I barely knew. Like I said before, people at my last job discussed salary so that was my fault.
Again, you did nothing wrong. Keep telling yourself that, and believe it!
Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.
First of all, you did nothing wrong.
Second of all, this is not your problem.
There is nothing to rectify. No one has a problem with you and this has nothing to do with you. These nurses feel that they are underpaid, and they probably are underpaid.
This is management's problem.
Socially, I recommend you act oblivious and go about your business.
I have never understood nurses' admonishments to "never talk about salaries." This culture is how employers take advantage of workers, plain and simple. Your manager was mad because he's losing staff because the company is paying them like crap. None of that is YOUR fault. Those nurses should be grateful to you for opening their eyes to their mistreatment.
There is nothing to rectify. No one has a problem with you and this has nothing to do with you. These nurses feel that they are underpaid, and they probably are underpaid.
This is management's problem.
Socially, I recommend you act oblivious and go about your business.
.thumb.jpg.e7b5bd336d518053002d5b4dbeef882b.jpg){kind=small}
newrn93
80 Posts
mustanglover, the exact thing i was wishing i did right after i spilled the beans. unfortunately i cant say that i lied or anything about my wage after the fact.