Unpaid Mandatory Meetings?

[BiohazardBetty]

The organization I work for has started making our morning "huddles" mandatory for each unit. In case you aren't familiar, it's where the charge nurse tells us a little about what to expect that day like pts with anticipated discharges or if a patient has blood or chemo ordered... They can be really beneficial or a complete waste of time, depending.

Most units have their huddles after they get report so the nurse knows more about the patient and can add to the info the charge shares. My unit, however, has them at 6:40, which is 5 minutes before you are required to clock in, & consequently, you are not paid for this 'mandatory' meeting.

Yes, it's only 5 minutes, but here's the thing- now our annual raises are based on several different factors, having 95% attendance at huddles is one of them. EVERYONE has to be there for the unit to meet the goal. One person missed today so, the whole unit's score for today is only around 80%. Yesterday 3 people missed so our unit's score was even lower. BUT, none of those people were late clocking in.

Can we really make anything mandatory before the time you are required to clock in? Wouldn't we be required to pay people to be in a mandatory meeting at any time? I want to be upset with the people who've missed, but I can't really justify being mad when they came to work on time & just didn't show up to a 5 minute meeting for free.

What are your thoughts??

[ProgressiveActivist, BSN, RN]

It is an extra 1.5 hrs per paycheck or 39 hrs for the year.

That's more than a weeks pay.

$50/hr base pay X 39 hrs = $1,950 per year.

I do think shift huddles are important. I would support the idea by being present, however, I would clock in at 0630 and charge for my time.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

It is possible that an "at will" state won't be obligated to pay. And,nursing falls under a different category in some states that allows employers to require attendance at meetings without pay. That may fall under a employment law that allows certain categories of employees such as nurses to not be paid over time until they are past 40hr/week, i.e....if the employee is considered full time at 36 hrs/week but works 37-40in a week they would be paid standard hourly, not overtime.

At will doesn't mean exempt from federal labor laws.

And they might not qualify for true overtime as in time and a half until they hit 40 hrs in a week, but they still have to be paid their hourly wage for all meetings attended.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

"Employee time from 1 to 7 minutes may be rounded down, and thus not counted as hours worked" Fact Sheet - Wage and Hour Division (WHD) - U.S. Department of Labor

True, but they should still be on the clock. Plus, if they clock in 5 min early for the meeting and then clock out 3 minutes late, they would get paid for the 0.25 hour, rounded up, right?

I don't work off the clock on principle. If it ends up being

[ProgressiveActivist, BSN, RN]

At my institution, if we are on the floor at 0640 we are going to be expected to work, as in taking report, critical lab values, admissions, transfers or responding to codes or other emergencies, and that's okay as long as I am on the clock.

I dont work for free.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Ask for this request to come in early to huddle in writing, along with the part that it will effect your raise.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Your management group has found an arbitrary means to ensure that you're not going to receive a raise. That's all it is. They are well aware that everyone will not attend those meetings.

Ask for the parameters in writing. If it's mandatory, then you should be paid, otherwise staff will choose not to attend the meeting.

Honestly, I shake my head. Any means to avoid compensation and the powers that be will use it.

[enuf_already]

Let me get this straight. They are threatening to withhold raises of the entire unit unless they have a 95% compliance rate to an illegal act (working off the clock and giving your time for free)? Sounds like a financial win for them all around or blackmail.

I worked on a unit where our manager starting insisting that staff come in 15 minutes before start time to get report. We were then to go down and clock in exactly at start time. This lasted 2 weeks. The labor board not only put a stop to this but we suddenly started getting paid for lunches we missed and time worked beyond our FTE.

[Libby1987]

You are wrong, it does make a difference. For Workers Comp matters you must be working at the moment of an injury for the incident to be covered. If you fall in the parking lot workers comp wouldn't give you a dime, the same goes for working off the clock; the worker comp company investigation would contest the findings and you could loose your claim, the less claims they pay the more money they make so you better watch not to help them not pay.

As for the 5 min of non patient care meeting, well what about having those as part of the initial shift routine. As soon as everybody is there, go into the huddle and then go to the floor to work. But it should be done after everyone is clocked in and on duty, no unpaid BS, unless you are salaried and thats a different story.

I could treat it like a grocery store fall then, which could be more lucrative and timely than WC.

And if the huddles turned out to be obviously beneficial I would campaign for making them a regular part of beginning a shift.

I never said I wouldn't expect to be paid but I wouldn't go about it by refusing to attend but rather by promotion of its value.

[Mia415]

Are you part of a union? Honestly I would reach out to your union rep if you have one. All mandatory meetings must be paid for. This is totally unreasonable for your employer to ask of you. Make a stink about it!! The most reasonable solution is for them to start the meeting at 0645. At a previous job I had to attend a monthly meeting that always fell on my day off. It sucked, but I got paid for the 60 minute meeting...

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

It is possible that an "at will" state won't be obligated to pay. And,nursing falls under a different category in some states that allows employers to require attendance at meetings without pay. That may fall under a employment law that allows certain categories of employees such as nurses to not be paid over time until they are past 40hr/week, i.e....if the employee is considered full time at 36 hrs/week but works 37-40in a week they would be paid standard hourly, not overtime.

Dont get calculations for overtime mixed up with being paid for mandatory meetings. There is no way in hell any labor board would allow an employer to require a meeting without pay. None.

[Libby1987]

Let me get this straight. They are threatening to withhold raises of the entire unit unless they have a 95% compliance rate to an illegal act (working off the clock and giving your time for free)? Sounds like a financial win for them all around or blackmail.

I worked on a unit where our manager starting insisting that staff come in 15 minutes before start time to get report. We were then to go down and clock in exactly at start time. This lasted 2 weeks. The labor board not only put a stop to this but we suddenly started getting paid for lunches we missed and time worked beyond our FTE.

I believe OP said 95% compliance would be a contributing factor to raises, not that they would be withheld without it.

[BiohazardBetty]

I believe OP said 95% compliance would be a contributing factor to raises, not that they would be withheld without it.

They would basically be withheld without meeting 95% on huddles, even if we met on everything else. I'm kind of starting to agree with the people saying its a sure fire way to keep us from getting raises because the chances that all 10 or 12 people are going to be on time (early, even) 95% or the time is pretty slim.