Do you get paid for your break?

[Faby]

HI everyone : I just started as a nurse supervisor at a LTC facility. I was surprised when the administrator told me that my 30 min( lunch ) was not paid. Even I can't leave the building, because there's nobody else who I could leave in charge. So, basically I have to take my break in sets of 10 minutes or all together, I need to fifure it out myself. Isn't this illegal? Anybody going through the same? thank you

[TopazLover, BSN, RN]

While there is a federal law and regulations involved many places in "right to work" states seem to be able to ignore it as they will fire anyone who makes waves.

As a shop steward I fought for our night nurse to be paid. My reasoning was that if the person could not "give up the keys", and leave the area, they were not free from responsibility and therefore had to be paid. We prevailed and the nurses in question had to be paid. Without a union I doubt we would have had the same outcome.