Descrimination: A full hot meal or soup and a sandwich

[Truth66]

Just when I thought our management couldn't get any more pathetic. Well, they have pushed the envelope even further.

At the begining of December the dietary manager decided (without notice) that the meal times during the day were going to change. Staff were not going to be served a full hot meal until after 12:30 pm, after the residents have all eaten their lunch. However, there are two categories of workers that usually have their lunch earlier which is 10:45 am and 11:15 am. They are the Practical Nurses and the Care Aides. For these workers they will only be entitled to have hot soup and a sandwich.

Well this didn't sit too well with these workers. So they decided on their own to change their lunch times in order for them to have the same full hot meal options that the rest of the workers were having in the building. Well the Director of Nursing got wind of this and she was not impressed. She ordered the Practical Nurses and the Care Aides to go back to their previous meal times and any change in staff meal times must go through proper channels and put to a vote with the union.

I have since filed a descrimination grievance and nothing will be looked into until after the first week of January. However, with this particular union's lousy track record of not wanting to hold the employer accountable on anything, I'm not holding my breath. So for over a month the Practical Nurses and the Care Aides will be served the equivalant of a soup kitchen at lunch time, even though their shift starts the same time as other departments (including the R.N.'s) in the building and will be treated as second class health care workers. This has created enourmous amounts of unnecesary tenstion through out the building.

[achot chavi]

In an economy where many nurses are struggling to find jobs, I wouldn't dare complain about your employer "only" providing soup & a sandwich. I work in a LTC/Short term rehab facility & employee's aren't provided meals at all. Occasionally, the dietary aides will offer food to staff if there is leftover after the residents & short term patients are served, but it is by no means expected. Consider yourself lucky for what you have.

If you take that attitude, expect salary cuts and more!!!!

They are not doing us a favor by giving us a job- its a 2 way street!!!

What is expected and the norm is different in each facility.

This is not about food- it is about lowering of benefits. The hot meal was a benefit that was taken away from the practical nurses and aides. This is unfair. Period.

[nursemike, ASN, RN]

In an economy where many nurses are struggling to find jobs, I wouldn't dare complain about your employer "only" providing soup & a sandwich. I work in a LTC/Short term rehab facility & employee's aren't provided meals at all. Occasionally, the dietary aides will offer food to staff if there is leftover after the residents & short term patients are served, but it is by no means expected. Consider yourself lucky for what you have.

In addition to the other correct replies, I would just like to observe that, recession or no recession, a nurse or aide without a hospital can be a home care worker, restaurant server, used car salesperson, grocery store bagger, rocket scientist (well, maybe not...) or any number of things, while a hospital or LTC facility without a nurse or aide is, well, closed.

I have never been the sort of employee who was out to "stick it to the man." If my employer doesn't do well, I'll soon be out of a job, and beyond that, it's a point of personal pride to try hard to contribute to my facility's success. But even (or especially) in difficult economic times, it's important not to forget that our employers need us at least as much as we need them. If a facility can arbitrarily decide not to honor one of its commitments, it can do the same with others, and if their attitude is "take it or leave it," it might just be time to leave it.

[Fiona59]

Can I just point out that the CANADIAN economy is not is as bad shape as the US. The OP is CANADIAN.

Our labour standards are different here and CANADIAN nurses are highly unionized animals who will go to the wall for their contracts.

I feel so sorry for those posters who have this "be grateful" attitude and are so anti-union.

When people start this tirade, my reply is: do you have paid vacations, paid statutory holidays, health benefits, sick leave, educational leave? If yes, do you realize that unions enabled all workers to have these basic rights? If you are so opposed to unions, may I come and watch you tell your employer that you no longer want these conditions of employment?

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

Good Grief, this thread is actually getting a little heated Maybe it should go to the Canadian nurses section.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

If you take that attitude, expect salary cuts and more!!!!

They are not doing us a favor by giving us a job- its a 2 way street!!!

What is expected and the norm is different in each facility.

This is not about food- it is about lowering of benefits. The hot meal was a benefit that was taken away from the practical nurses and aides. This is unfair. Period.

I dunno....In my area...we are struggling to find nurses and CNAs. Seems to me that if you keep taking away things or making things unfair ..why should I want to stick around?

If it was in the contract, then it needs to be followed. Period. OR...advanced notification should be given so that both parties can come to a different agreement.

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

I think it's horrible to single out certain groups to favor. If it's good for one group, then it should be fine for all the goups. Either soup and sandwich for the entire facility or full meals for all I say!!! Once a facility starts seperating the troops, trouble is bound to start between the masses.

I'm sorry so many figure you should be grateful for what your getting, when I think you were really trying to say how unfair it is. It is unfair! I bet the head of dietary takes her lunch when it full meal time as well as every person in management. I'd brown bag it from now on!

[nursemike, ASN, RN]

Good Grief, this thread is actually getting a little heated Maybe it should go to the Canadian nurses section.

One of my co-workers is from Canada (Canadian-American???) and I just have to say, I find it rather brazen the way she perpetuates the popular stereotype, what with her soft speech and polite manners. I don't think I've ever even heard her swear. It's appalling, is what it is.

I guess that may have been a little off-topic.

[Fiona59]

Good Grief, this thread is actually getting a little heated Maybe it should go to the Canadian nurses section.

Have I just blown every stereotype that the rest of the world has of Canadians? Yup, we're all super polite, deferential, keep our views to ourselves, say "eh" all the time, and keep a team of sled dogs by the igloo???:typing

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

I didn't realize that employers were required to provide meals for it's employees.

Nice.

I had never heard of this either. I always bring my own lunch. So I decide if it will be hot or cold, etc.

otessa

[achot chavi]

I dunno....In my area...we are struggling to find nurses and CNAs. Seems to me that if you keep taking away things or making things unfair ..why should I want to stick around?

If it was in the contract, then it needs to be followed. Period. OR...advanced notification should be given so that both parties can come to a different agreement.

CORRECT!!!!!

Even if it isn't in a written contract- if it was done on a consistent basis it becomes part of the benefits. THis benefit continues for all the other staff but not for PN's and CNA's. Even if advance notification is given- it is unfair!!!

As the poster wrote- the pn's and cna's changed their breaks to enable a hot meal and were told they have to lunch at 10:30!!!

I would consider leaving!!

[Magsulfate, BSN, RN]

CORRECT!!!!!

Even if it isn't in a written contract- if it was done on a consistent basis it becomes part of the benefits. THis benefit continues for all the other staff but not for PN's and CNA's. Even if advance notification is given- it is unfair!!!

As the poster wrote- the pn's and cna's changed their breaks to enable a hot meal and were told they have to lunch at 10:30!!!

I would consider leaving!!

I wouldn't leave just for this. I think there'd have to be something else driving me to leave besides soup. Maybe it is just because (like other posters said) I am not even getting soup for lunch. Maybe I'll get a graham cracker while I"m running down the hall to see what else I need to be doing.

I have left a hospital for reasons of ill treatment, but not because they FORCED me to eat a soup and sandwich.

To the OP, because it is a question of discrimination, just do a grievance, and let the system do it's job. They will come to an agreement. And, don't quit just because of this. Wait until something worth quitting for comes along.

[achot chavi]

I wouldn't leave just for this. I think there'd have to be something else driving me to leave besides soup. Maybe it is just because (like other posters said) I am not even getting soup for lunch. Maybe I'll get a graham cracker while I"m running down the hall to see what else I need to be doing.

I have left a hospital for reasons of ill treatment, but not because they FORCED me to eat a soup and sandwich.

To the OP, because it is a question of discrimination, just do a grievance, and let the system do it's job. They will come to an agreement. And, don't quit just because of this. Wait until something worth quitting for comes along.

I don't think you get it- they took away this benefit only to the practical nurses and the aides not the SW, not the RN, not the bookkeeper, not the secretary, and not the doctor.

The PN's and the CNA's obviously want this perk and tried to adjust their schedule to enable the hot lunch. They work the hardest (physically ) and probably make the lowest salaries and deserve the hot lunch as much (or maybe more) than the others.

The message is clear-- we will try to get away with what we can- you won't complain and if you do- until the grievance gets worked out you will accept this.

I'm sorry - if it happened in my facility I would be ashamed and I would complain even though my benefits weren't touched.

Don't go treating my PN's and CNA's like second class citizens.