Disgruntled is putting it mildly... need input !

Chttynurs · Jul 16, 2003

Honestly? I would refuse to go.....mandatory or not. I don't even go to my mandatory staff meetings at work unless I'm already there. The reason I don't go on days off is because I think it STINKS that I'd have to travel a half hour one way for a meeting!! I can't IMAGINE a two hour drive one way!! FORGET IT!! My time is worth a LOT to me, and they had better compensate for it if they want me there!! Can't they just send the minutes of the meeting or a tape of the inservice for you to watch? That's what I do, read the minutes of the meetings and sign that I've read them. I don't know about recourse, but maybe the video idea might be worth a try. Good luck, and I'm sorry you have to be put through stuff like that!!

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · Jul 16, 2003

Videos? Well..... we each had to take home 4 hours worth of videos to watch at home BEFORE the insevice (in "preparation") !

Yes, our DON said for us to be sure to put in for our time for those, and we did. The big day was to recap and take quizzes on all those videos and play silly quiz charades and games.

We used to do monthly inservices for an hour or so (training content) but two years ago they decided rather than have us come in on our days off all the time, they'd just combine them all in one BIG day... watch all the videos, then attend the "recap" on the BIG day once a year. Mandatory. Don't mind going, always like to refresh. But don't think it's right to not be compensated for the travel time.. hey, that's four hours of MY day ! I don't expect them to give me 4 hours of THEIR day (and surely wouldn't get it!) without being paid ! Then the cutting it down to ten lousy bucks for 75 miles? WRONG.

Just wish I knew if this was "legal" or if I can persue this somehow. It's just not right.

colleen10 · Jul 16, 2003

That does stink! Wish I had better advice to give you about this but I don't.

I agree, it it's a meeting that can easily be taken care of via Conference Call, Video or minutes/notes I would tell that I'll take care of it that way, no more driving for nothing. Especially if it is a scheduled day off.

I work for a small manufacturing co. and I had to travel about 1.5 hours away from my regular office to attend a meeting about Substance Abuse. I did get paid milage but I was not happy about going as I have an older car ('92) and being late November I had to contend with sleet and freezing rain on the road.

When I got to the meeting it was such a waste. I probably new more about drug and alcohol addiction than the instructor. I could have gotten the same thing out of it if I were given a video to watch at home or given a couple written pages of material to review.

I vowed that day that I'll never attend a stupid meeting again if it puts my safety in jeopardy. It's not worth it.

PS, I did hydro plane on the road once on the way to the meeting.

I think I would first try to explain to the hire ups that many employees are feeling disgruntled, to say the least, about this and ask that some other way of handling this be looked into. If they don't comply I'd start rounding up the troops.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2003

Is it even legal to do that? It is certainly not ethical for a national company to act that way. And if they are not ethical in this matter, what else are they shortchanging?

And do you really want to work for this employer?

live4today, RN · Jul 16, 2003

Oh jnette....I feel so badly for you and the nurses who have put up with this matter so unjustly. ((((((hugs to you all)))))) :kiss

Perhaps writing letters and having all the staff sign it and sending it to the bigwheels will cause them to rethink how they do those inservices. Do what you can, and pray the rest falls into place I guess. :nurse:

BadBird, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2003

I am amazed at the gall of the company. I would simply refuse to go, not make a big deal of it, just not go. If all the staff stuck together then they would have to change the way the inservice staff. Sorry this happened but now a days nothing suprises me.

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · Jul 16, 2003

Originally posted by caroladybelle
Is it even legal to do that? It is certainly not ethical for a national company to act that way. And if they are not ethical in this matter, what else are they shortchanging?

And do you really want to work for this employer?

IS it legal? That's really what I'm hoping to find out here. Don't know where else to start asking, and you guys are all such a virtual

library of wisdom.. somebody somewhere surely has an answer to this! :)

For a National Company, they really ARE the bottomfeeders, and they feed on US. Their tactics have been questioned before.. somehow they always manage to wriggle their way out of things, but I would have to say they and their "dealings" are unethical, for sure.

I'm committed to them for another year and a half as they paid for my tuition 100% reimbursement.. although I'm still waiting for the last $500.00 (which I've been paying interest on for nearly a year now !)

HOWEVER.. I figure I could always take another job somewhere with a sign on bonus big enough to pay back thier tuition... have considered it. Just don't want to do anything rash quite yet because I TRULY love my work and my patients ... 6 years with them and they are like family to me ! :0

SirJohnny · Jul 16, 2003

All:

- Next time rent a car. Get a corporate charge account through your HR department. Everything gets charged to that account.

- I am not sure about this. But if you use your own company vehicle - doesn't the company have to reimburse at $0.325 (something like that) per mile.

- I know my last four companies (granted I am in the comp sci. field) did this with no questions asked. Hewlett-Packard paid me that rate to drive from Cheyenne, WY to Philly, PA and back several times. Was cheaper that flying at the last minute.

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- Sounds like you guys need to get together and explain a few facts of life to management. What can they do? Fire everyone?

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- Gotta run,

Johnny

PJMommy · Jul 16, 2003

One more thought... worst case, I'm pretty sure you can deduct the 32.5 cents per mile from your taxes (minus what the crummy company actually did pay you). Still...doesn't help with the time spent driving. What a bunch of bozos!

night owl · Jul 16, 2003

Originally posted by Chttynurs
Honestly? I would refuse to go.....mandatory or not. I don't even go to my mandatory staff meetings at work unless I'm already there. The reason I don't go on days off is because I think it STINKS that I'd have to travel a half hour one way for a meeting!! I can't IMAGINE a two hour drive one way!! FORGET IT!! My time is worth a LOT to me, and they had better compensate for it if they want me there!!

I'm with you Chttynurs! I wouldn't go either unless I was scheduled to work. I already drive an hour to work...two hours to an inservice??? no!

rebel_red · Jul 16, 2003

Jnette,

Perhaps you can call the labor board and check? When I worked for Home Depot, they paid for our travel time, our training time, and the 32c a mile. I just don't know if that was corporate policy at the time, or something they had to do to meet NJ labor laws....

Good Luck

Tres