I need advice. I work PRN for a Home Health Company who has not been able to make payroll on time twice now. What should I do?

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Any advice welcome and appreciated. I have had a difficult time finding a nursing job I enjoyed. I recently found my nursing happy spot in home health. I enjoy the independence, the flexibility and the one on one with the patients. I finally feel like I am really helping people. Now for the zinger! My company has been late with paychecks twice in a row. What should I do? Can I just quit? Should I quit? My patients depend on me; but, I can not afford to see them for free. Some of my patients are as far as 65 miles from my house. That is a lot of gas and mileage. Last pay period our checks were 4 days late with no prior notice. I didn't know I didn't get paid until my car payment declined. This week I have not gotten paid yet. Do I give 2 weeks notice and continue to drive around at my own expense? Do I tell my employer I can't afford to see patients until I am paid? What happens if no one sees my patients? How should I handle this?

Hi everyone, Thanks for your responses. I left hospital nursing and won't look back. I will be looking for a new home health job. I enjoy the work, unfortunately my employer was going through financial difficulties that I have no control over so I will be resigning.

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Specializes in Surgical Specialty Clinic - Ambulatory Care.

Quit. They are having financial problems if this is happening. Gets real messy when a company is about to go under. Just put in your notice and move on.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

To OP - I'm NO lawyer and my legal knowledge fits in a thimble. But if that agency is going bankrupt, make sure you've filed some kind of claim for your lost wages. I don't know with whom or where.

I believe you MIGHT be eligible for compensation in a line of other claimants. Like as they pay off other debts first if there's anything left over, you'll get something owed.

Now it may cost you to consult a lawyer, but if the amount owed you is small, you may choose to avoid the cost and effort.

But check it out. You were being taken advantage of. And you deserve better.

Consult a lawyer to get your just dues.

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On 2/6/2020 at 11:12 AM, amoLucia said:

To OP - I'm NO lawyer and my legal knowledge fits in a thimble. But if that agency is going bankrupt, make sure you've filed some kind of claim for your lost wages. I don't know with whom or where.

I believe you MIGHT be eligible for compensation in a line of other claimants. Like as they pay off other debts first if there's anything left over, you'll get something owed.

Now it may cost you to consult a lawyer, but if the amount owed you is small, you may choose to avoid the cost and effort.

But check it out. You were being taken advantage of. And you deserve better.

Consult a lawyer to get your just dues.

Claims for owed wages are filed with the local Labor Board, usually able to do this online. In my state one has only three years to do this.

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Specializes in LTC Management, Community Nursing, HHC.
On 1/31/2020 at 11:15 PM, caliotter3 said:

Get a new job. A hh agency to this day owes me close to a thousand dollars. I only followed up once and allowed them to get away with it. Another agency reported income to who know who that they never paid me. Who do you think suffered from all of this? You need to take care of you. You can’t do your job and also manage payroll. Find the new job and then give notice.

Why don't you take the agency to small claims court?

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