Clocking in

[Mimi2RN, ASN, RN]

We have two ways to clock in, timeclocks near the hospital entrance and in various other locations, or on the computer. If we clock in 6 minutes before the hour, that counts as on time, no OT is paid, and clocking out, it's the same way, 6 minutes early is OK.

Now the problem (or one of them). Management is upset with people clocking in 15 or more minutes early, because OT has to be paid. That makes sense to me, but because of this, some units are cracking down on clocking in even one minute early. You are supposed to be up on your unit ready to work, and now the nurses are huddled around the computer on the hour, waiting for the magic moment! If they clock in at any other time, they are written up! This is entirely ridiculous to me. Why bother having time clocks if we can't use them when we walk in the door? Staff are not happy about this situation, but feel that nothing can be done. If anyone makes a fuss about anything, they will get poor evals, and no raises. Morale on the unit is very low, and nurses are quitting.

How do other places clock in and out? The last place I worked, we had a time card and wrote in our hours, never had any problems.

[LilRedRN1973]

We also use the system where if you are scheduled to be clocked in at 1845 and you clock in at 1838, it's considered on time. But if you clock in at 1837, they have to pay 15 minutes of OT. I see so many RN's shrug their shoulders and say, "oh, well...they can write me up for clocking in 1 minute early". I understand it's a mountain of paperwork for our manager to adjust all those "early clock in" people. I also see those same people who are clocking in a 1837 standing around the timeclock in the morning, waiting for the clock to hit the magic number so they are not "cheated" out of 15 minutes of time.

It's a ridiculous system and I do wish they would figure out another way to do it. After being written up for clocking in late (at 1846 instead of 1845) when I was really here at 1830 but wasn't able to clock in then and forgot to go back outside our unit and swipe in at the appropriate time, I learned to either stand by the clock and wait for it to hit the 1838 OR make sure I write out a time adjustment sheet saying I forgot to clock in.

Melanie = )

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

You should not be free to clock in early in my opinion because that's stealing time you are not scheduled.

Also people are probably clocking when they walk in the door, going to the cafeteria, going to the coffee machine, etc. and not really reporting for report until it's really time to. I see this where I work. Yeah, I know there are conscientious nurses who report early and start their day because it helps them to be organized, but that's a decision they choose to take upon themselves. They aren't scheduled at that time.

However, it is wrong, very wrong, to write someone up for clocking in 1 minute late. That is poor management and just silly.

[LPN1974, LPN]

We can clock in 10 minutes before the hour, but we're not supposed to start work until the hour.

We can clock out on the hour and up to ten minutes after the hour, but we can't clock in one minute after the hour or we're late, and we can't clock out one minute before the hour or we have to use time in 15 minute increments.

We could clock in, at say, (my shift) 1:45, and get 15 minutes of overtime, but I can't clock in at 1:46 up to 1:49. There's a window there that we cannot clock in at all.

Some might clock in at 1:47 and that's wrong, according to the superintendant who set this all up.

We can clock out between the hour and ten minutes after, but not 11 minutes after. They won't pay overtime for the 10 minutes.....only if you work over 15 minutes do you get overtime.

It is so confusing. Some nurses are always clocking in wrong and getting chewed out for it.

[Nurse Hatchett]

Where I work, you can clock in 5 min before shift, and you have the 5 min after your sched shift to clock out. If you clock out before or after that five min, then it is a clocking violation. i.e. for 7-3 you can clock in at 6:55-6:59, 7 us considered late, clock out at 3:01-3:05.

[Medic/Nurse, BSN, RN]

I've been involved in almost every variation of "time clocking" from the:

* 0.25 hour increments. Those systems are on 7 minute & 8 minute "rounding" systems. Clocking in at:

0630 (0623,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37)

0645 (0638,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52)

0700 (0653,54,55,56,57,58,59,0700,01,02,03,04,05,06,07)

0715 (0708,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22)

So I guess the devil is in the details. In this "system" clock in at 0705, is paid as 0700 - even though you are LATE. Many managers do "write up" the late clockers. This system can be easily abused by "clock watchers"

Another system is on the 6 minute interval or 0.10 hours. Clocking in 6 minutes before rounds up (arrivals-clock in) or 6 minutes after rounds back (departure-clock out). This system seems to benefit the hospital with unpaid labor. I clock in at 0655 and out at 1905. I worked 12 hours and 10 minutes - which in a true/fair system would be paid as 12.1, but due to rounding it is 12 hours.

I think it would be ideal if you are just paid for what you work. Clock in at 0646 and out at 1912. You should be paid for 12 hours/26 minutes or 12.43 hours. Seems like a nightmare for administrative purposes, but since all systems are computer driven - would it really be that difficult?

Using those times for example:

The 0.25 system would pay me for 12.5 (0645 and 1915 rounded)

The 0.10 system would pay me for 12.3 (0648 = 0.1 and 1912 = .2)

Neither seem fair.

I know there should be a range, need to be there from 10 before to the hour, and need to punch out approx. 30 minutes after (or sooner if your relief is there & report and transfer communication is done - Because your work is done).

If you are late on the hour you are LATE.

If you are late leaving some type of documentation needs to be done.

I think a true pay=time paid system would identify the abusers fairly quickly and then it is an administrative matter. It would also I.D. staffing patterns, so if you can never get out "on time" - systems identification/improvement process can be implemented.

And you should clock IN in your department after you have taken off your coat, got your coffee or whatever you need to do to be ready for work.

And with the clock in the department, when you have finished your work you punch OUT. Then, gather your stuff and go.

It does seems like when more administrative guards get built in, the worse it gets for "somebody" - usually the employee. It does make for strange morale at times.

But as long as clock abusers do their creative punching and administration finds ways to subtly "extract" time - it will remain a difficult issue.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I've been allowed to clock in up to 15 minutes early at every single nursing job I have ever had. It allows time for a thorough report from the offgoing nurse. Management has always expected me to arrive 10 to 20 minutes prior to my scheduled shifts in order to receive report before starting work; accordingly, they permit me to clock in early.

I've also been allowed to stay after as long as needed to get the job done. This is probably due to the fact that I work unpopular shifts, such as weekends and evenings.

[DusktilDawn]

Last place I worked at where I had to clock in, it didn't matter if we clocked in early (15-20 min for example), it was not counted as OT. Unfortunately the same went if we clocked out 15 minutes (or more) late, unless we filled out an OT form that has a supervisors signature on it. Oh, and we had to have OT approved 1hour prior to the end of shift.

Where I currently work, we do not have to clock in. Unfortunately there are those that abuse this to the point where I actually wish we did have to punch in and out.

[fbmom]

Sore subject with me. We cannot clock in before 6:58! Yet we are supposed to be ready to get report by 7 and have the other shift out by 7:30 there by incurring absolutely NO OT. Very unrealistic and it does not seem to be working very well. If we need OT we are to call the nurse manager at home and get her approval. We figure a couple of more calls at 0630 on the weekend may bring a change!!

[TazziRN, RN]

we use 7 minutes. We can clock in anytime between 6:53 and 7:07 and be considered on time. Clocking out is 7:23 to 7:37. This is in our hospital policy, so the managers cannot change that. They have been lenient in that if we clock in too early, we leave that many minutes early (within reason, like 15 minutes) and it's okay as long as it's not abused. Same thing with being a little late. If Admin wanted to crack down all they could do is insist that we stick to the 7-minute rule.

[Chaya, ASN, RN]

They took away our timeclocks. Now we sign in the time in and out as well as meal time. We are discouraged from deviating from the exact scheduled hours by more than a couple of minutes. You CAN put in for extra time or missed meals but they make it hard.

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

Yes they use the same philosphy everywhere i guess. But ill tell you what. I figure if i work at a place that expects me to 1. Be ready to assist someone in the parking lot who has fallen and cant get up. 2. Do CPR and call a code on someone who collapses in the elevator. 3. Get stopped in the hallway on the way in the door because they need to "run something by me", ill sure as heck clock in when i walk in the door and at the clock as close to the door as i can possibly get. I figure they better be glad im there on time every day im scheduled and give me a little leeway on the clocking issue. It's not like i sit at home and say, hmm,, ill go in a minute early today so i can get OT for a min. PLEASE, i want to stay home as long as i can, but if im there ready to work i expect to be paid to work.

Now to me the people who actually show up a half hour or more EARLY every day. That's padding the clock.

Besides it looks about as unprofessional as heck to have a line of employees and their huddled masses hovering around the time clock counting seconds until they can clock in. Not only that but its dangerous to congest the hallways around the time clocks like that.

OK im tired, and ill go to bed now and get some sleep,, have a nice day all