I work for a company that in the employee handbook it states that if you leave from the day you put in your notice, which may be no less then 4 weeks you get minimum wage for all prior wages to be paid and for the rest of the time. Is this even legal?
Then when one of the administration persons was telling me what the company will do to me if I leave???? Like if I dont give 4 weeks they will report me to OBN for abandonment, and even if I do give notice they will only pay me minimum wage? Who in their right mind would give notice to a place that says, since you did the right thing and gave notice we are going to take away 17.00 an hour???? It felt like the person was trying to scare me, and I did not like it.
So, now I am faced with a job change and for many many reasons I really would like this job due to the shift and the way the facility is managed by the DON and the assistant DON. I interviewed with them months ago, and I got called back for the second interview out of the blue.
What do I do about this place and the minimum wage? I would never leave a place without giving notice but I am not working for minimum wage because I found a better oppurtunity. The benefits are horrible at this place, its just horrible all around.
My orientation was awful. No one set it up to cordinate with anyone, they just stick me with anyone. I have oriented with floats to area covering the regular nurses shifts, and I am orienting them to the floor and I do all the patient care stuff. Its totally awful, and I dont think I should be the one on top of my training.
I cant get people to teach me things to save my life, things like how to admit a patient, how to discharge, how to unplanned discharge, anything like that. U bet I know how to suction, trach care, all of the wounds, all of tube feeds, and head to toe assessments.
What is a respectable amount of time to give notice?
I would see if you have a local legal aid society in your town I would see if they would take a look at the employee book and let you know what they think! It just sounds so unreal I would see if I could get their opinion and then they could guide you, but I wouldn't let those threats deter you from taking another job. On the contrary those threats and policy would make me all the more determined to cut ties with the company and go somewhere more reputable. I really find it hard to believe they could legally cut your pay for the hours you work and then retroactively. I would even check with ACLU or state agency for employment discrimination as I have never heard of such a thing in all the many years and places I've worked before! Two weeks is standard notice, but even that is a professional courtesy and considering how many places feel free to fire people and then escort them out the building with security on a moment's notice, I don't see why workers should have to give them a two week notice. Talk about a double standard, how come they can fire someone on a moment's notice, but then when the worker wants to leave on their own, they have to stay for two weeks? Crazy if you ask me!
Still not wanting to burn bridges it's best to extend the courtesy of a two week notice, but I think a four week notice is ridiculous and totally unheard of and of course with intimidation and threats of demotion in pay. Although, I have seen such language put into our stupid clinical ladder, where you get a onetime raise, that they retain the right to take away in the future if they feel you aren't measuring up ie not jumping thru all the latest hoops they come up with to keep that measly raise! I'm shocked that is even legal, but worse we have a union and they accepted that clause! Unbelievable! You really know they are only in it for the money, our union dues that is! Going along with a clause like that makes it painfully obvious that they are not concerned for their own workers. How I wish we had a good, strong union like CA's union. Those guys are so lucky!
I would have that clarified and if they are going to pay you minimum wage i would leave with 0 notice. (not abandonment) however , im guessing they are are saying that they would only do the min. wage if you don't give notice. I had to give 4 weeks notice.....i wouldn't not have been eligible for rehire without that length of notice.
They can do anything that you agree to in a contract. What they can't do, however, is force you to accept a job there if you don't agree with their policy.
Quitting a job, by the way, is no cause for reporting you for abandonment. She's talking out her pants leg on that one.
You could get your start date for the new job, work up util that time, and just go. HOWEVER it is never a good policy to burn bridges. Jobs are hard to come by. You have to make the decision. It might have far reaching consequences. Good luck.
This is one bridge that I wouldn't worry about burning. I'd probably not only set fire to that bridge but shoot off some fireworks as well.
I am in the same boat. I was given an option of fired or resign in my 6th week of orientation. The reason changed several times in the conversation. I will get a negative reference, if I do not give a 30 day notice. I was told that I had to leave immediately. If i pick fired, then they will make sure that I never work in an acute hospital again, threaten my license, and make it hard for me to get unemployment. I took the job out of desperation for experience. The hospital has a huge turnover rate, and I knew immediately the reasons. It was a horrible place to gain experience. My patient had an allergic reaction, and it was not my fault. But, they said that they will make my life a nightmare. My first job and I am horrified. Any suggestions. I picked fired, because I need the money and they were threatening me. So, I felt that I had nothing to loose.
Sorry this happened to you. Since you already are terminated from the job, and this situation is over, you need to focus on the future.
Are you in a large, urban area with other facilities where you can apply? Apply to a hospital that is not affiliated with your recent employer (some organizations have several hospitals, nursing homes, etc. under their umbrella. If you work for one, your social security number would pop up when they enter it and they'd see your history with the other hospital. But, this can only happen if the hospitals are jointly owned). Don't include this month-long employment on your resume or application--it would look worse to have a job of only a month than no experience at all (a prospective employer would assume you got fired. Even if you quit, they would see you as undependable). 'Fired' or 'quit' after a month or two on the job are both negative. 'No experience' is better than a bad experience; you are far better off not to mention this when you apply for a new job.
If your recent job was in an ICU, I'd think carefully before going into critical care, again. The best experience for a new grad is a med surg floor. You will have more patients, but they aren't as sick or complicated as those in ICUs. Talk to other nurses you know from school and see who is happy and who isn't. Ask questions about their employers and if the places with better reputations are hiring.
Thank you responding. The job was on a med/sug floor. I was expected to handle 8 to 10 patients with no help. I was assigned all total care patients. I worked my butt off. I still love nursing. If I file for unemployment will employers find out about my employment history? Or what about the state board of nursing? I have never been fired from a job.
brandy1017, ASN, RN
2,910 Posts
I would see if you have a local legal aid society in your town I would see if they would take a look at the employee book and let you know what they think! It just sounds so unreal I would see if I could get their opinion and then they could guide you, but I wouldn't let those threats deter you from taking another job. On the contrary those threats and policy would make me all the more determined to cut ties with the company and go somewhere more reputable. I really find it hard to believe they could legally cut your pay for the hours you work and then retroactively. I would even check with ACLU or state agency for employment discrimination as I have never heard of such a thing in all the many years and places I've worked before! Two weeks is standard notice, but even that is a professional courtesy and considering how many places feel free to fire people and then escort them out the building with security on a moment's notice, I don't see why workers should have to give them a two week notice. Talk about a double standard, how come they can fire someone on a moment's notice, but then when the worker wants to leave on their own, they have to stay for two weeks? Crazy if you ask me!
Still not wanting to burn bridges it's best to extend the courtesy of a two week notice, but I think a four week notice is ridiculous and totally unheard of and of course with intimidation and threats of demotion in pay. Although, I have seen such language put into our stupid clinical ladder, where you get a onetime raise, that they retain the right to take away in the future if they feel you aren't measuring up ie not jumping thru all the latest hoops they come up with to keep that measly raise! I'm shocked that is even legal, but worse we have a union and they accepted that clause! Unbelievable! You really know they are only in it for the money, our union dues that is! Going along with a clause like that makes it painfully obvious that they are not concerned for their own workers. How I wish we had a good, strong union like CA's union. Those guys are so lucky!