Ethical dilemma, what would you do?

[Riburn3, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP]

Thanks for all the great advice. Just an update, I got the new job and when I informed my current employer he begged me to stay on to manage his nursing/rehab facilities for him. I'm going to work the new job, but I worked out an awesome deal with him where I get a significant percentage of reimbursement based on the total number of patients I see in his nursing/rehab centers. No weekends or call.

I get to avoid toxic office politics while still working for someone I generally enjoy and respect. Even better, every single MA got together and threatened to call the EEOC about their labor practices in our last meeting (after I told them to stand up for themselves). The bosses wife tried calling their bluff, but our boss had her stand down and immediately said he will look at all time sheets in question and reimburse them all.

[MikeFNPC, MSN]

VICTORY!!!

[amoLucia]

Not quite VICTORY yet. What he SAYS and what he really DOES are two different things.

Things will be over when all the MAs have had remediation completed.

[TriciaJ, RN]

I get to avoid toxic office politics while still working for someone I generally enjoy and respect. Even better, every single MA got together and threatened to call the EEOC about their labor practices in our last meeting (after I told them to stand up for themselves). The bosses wife tried calling their bluff, but our boss had her stand down and immediately said he will look at all time sheets in question and reimburse them all. - Quote

Fantastic!

Edited Feb 21, 2016 by TriciaJ
Missed quote

[SororAKS, ADN, RN]

Yes! So glad it worked out.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

Hi everyone sorry for an incoming text wall, but I feel like I'm in a rough spot.

I've been an NP for a little over a year and working for an internal medicine practice that I have generally enjoyed. The pay is solid and my physician boss is great.

Over the last few months, the practice has had turnover issues with our MA's and it's basically because the office manager treats them terribly, is a pathological liar, and I think she's framed some of them for her own mistakes. For the most part, I generally have tried to ignore it since I don't have to deal with the office manager and my boss treats me well. However, it does bother me seeing what is essentially young women (many with kids) making just above minimum wage, being treated so poorly.

My borderline concern recently changed when the officer manager fired my MA (who was an amazing worker) for calling in when her 1 year old son was sick at the hospital (it was her first call in). Then this week I learned that the practice has been forcing all the MA's to edit their time cards to remove any overtime (which is a federal crime). An MA that has been there for a while has told me they always do this.

I'm in a situation where I love my job, but hate the way the other employees are treated, and now I know they're also denying employees on the lowest rung of society fair wages. I want to tell my owner-boss since he is likely oblivious, but his wife is the one in charge of the payroll, and he seems to implicitly also trust his Office Managers decisions. I feel like if I say something, it'll get ignored, and could possibly offend him.

To top it all off, a new opportunity has presented itself, although it would make me feel really guilty for leaving the current practice since he trained me in school and gave me my first job.

So I'm basically trying to figure out what others would do in a similar situation. Right now I'm leaning to taking the new job and offering to stay on part time rounding in some of his facilities since that's where I make a big chunk of coin for the practice anyway. It would work out since the new job would be week on week off scheduling, and I would feel less guilty about leaving if he doesn't like that (and I would also remove myself of the office politics by being strictly inpatient rounding). I would also likely tip off the EEOC anonymously.

Sorry again for the long read. Any thoughts?

The key issue is survival. I applaud you for not fighting their battle for them, as you had no obligation to do so. They were being wronged? Let them fight for themselves. Nurses or anyone expecting a savior to come rescue them is wrong. I'm glad you didn't get yourself fired, which could easily have happened if you'd gotten involved.

They stood up together and that unity matters, too.

Good luck in your new job.

[magickbubble]

Leaving my first nursing job was hard for me due to my gratitude for being hired and my loyal nature. Let me say however, the job I got right after that was better paying, better hours, new skills, and an amazing place to work. I think by forcing myself to leave my life got way better. I think my first employer knew that new nurses can be manipulated into unfair situations because we are super dedicated.