Company not paying for mandatory inservices

Peds_Nurse · Apr 23, 2010

my company does the same thing, but they call it "non-mandatory" in-service, but still expect us to know the material. So, in effect, it's mandatory without pay. I'm not sure if it's legal or not, but I would think if you're on the clock, it should be paid.

erinp88 · Apr 23, 2010

my company does the same thing, but they call it "non-mandatory" in-service, but still expect us to know the material. So, in effect, it's mandatory without pay. I'm not sure if it's legal or not, but I would think if you're on the clock, it should be paid.

Thanks! I actually just looked it up on the U.S. Department of Labor's website and it is in fact a frequent violation for nursing home centers - not paying employees for mandatory inservices. They'll pay us for it if we find time during our shifts to do it, but NONE of the staff nurses have time during our scheduled shifts. The inservices are definitely mandatory and required by the state. We have deadlines to complete them by. I'm going to let it go for a while. If they make accommodations for me, great. If not, then I will inform them of the labor laws. I'm sure they're quite aware of what they're doing. I called my boss out on it during a meeting and her face turned red!

Medsport, LPN · Apr 23, 2010

My PRN job started doing the same thing last year when they switched to online inservices. The used to be live on site and they would pay us, but I was kind of relived when they switched to online as its about a 25 mile trip for me and 1 hour barely pays the gas. But now its getting old doing these every month as there are usually about 3 of them and they are 45-60 min. each. I usually don't get them done until the last minute and they always send me "reminders" when the deadline is coming up as they want to be recognized as 100% compliance and they threaten you can't work your shift if not completed. Only good thing is they count as CEU's I believe, but I have plenty of them now and hear that the Board of Nursing does'nt even check that you have yours anymore except for random audits.

allnurses Guide · Apr 23, 2010

I worked for a company that started doing something similar to this; however they were doing this in ADDITION to still having a mandatory inservice; also, I believe they were letting people come in to work extra time on the clock, just to get these things done. But for the most part, we were expected to work on them on our own time.

Intern67 · Apr 24, 2010

(We get in trouble if we file a time exception slip.)

Every so often, I just get REALLY glad I am a union member. My union dues are more than covered by the paid breaks and training I didn't get at a previous non-union job.

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Apr 24, 2010

I think this is the trend, cutting back is hip and cool in the corporate world. We all suffer who haven't a union!

mamamerlee, LPN · Apr 24, 2010

This is demeaning and inappropriate. If they are mandatory, the facility needs to make the appropriate accomodations. Stuff and nonsense - call your local labor board for a ruling.

erinp88 · Apr 24, 2010

Thanks everyone for the input! Like I said, I'm going to ride it out and if I get time/paid to do them - great! I don't understand why more of the staff isn't questioning it. It's proposed as such a positive 'spin off' that people are being blinded by it. I added up all the modules and it's 12+ hours to complete all of them. That's $300 in pay for me!

toninurse · Apr 24, 2010

Thanks everyone for the input! Like I said, I'm going to ride it out and if I get time/paid to do them - great! I don't understand why more of the staff isn't questioning it. It's proposed as such a positive 'spin off' that people are being blinded by it. I added up all the modules and it's 12+ hours to complete all of them. That's $300 in pay for me!

Don't back down on this. Call your state labor board and get an answer as to whether "mandatory" in-services should be paid. As you said, this adds up to a lot of money loss for the employees and an unscrupulous labor practice set forth by your employer. This grows disgruntled employees. Shame on the facility for encouraging this and shame on you if you don't put a stop to it if it's illegal.

Indy, LPN, LVN · Apr 24, 2010

If they require you to do it, they are required to pay you for it. That simple. My prn job, the boss keeps trying to get me to do the online ed stuff at home. I will not do it. I do it at work when I am able, and since it's prn, I work when it's busy there. I have toddled along doing a few here and there for over a year. She knows she can not force the issue, so she hasn't.

erroridiot · Apr 24, 2010

There is a lot of this going around. I just received an email stating I must report to the office to complete "inservices and quizzes" by Tuesday. There is no mention of pay for the time and the agency just paid me one week late, I am crossing my fingers that the paycheck even clears the bank.

I attended a 4 hour inservice at a private duty agency and was told by HR that I would be paid an hourly rate for the time. Over a month later, I have received no pay.

These companies obviously have financial problems and are trying to stay in business by having you do work for free.

In most states, pay is required for orientation and inservices.