Lunch????

[*ac*]

Before I went to nursing school I heard nurses talking about not getting lunch, or not even getting a drink of water for the better part of their shift. I thought they were just being martyrs and that this was a choice they made for themselves.

Well, it seems that the culture in my new job is pretty much, grab a bite when you can, but there is NO going off the floor for lunch. If you are eating, and something happens with one of your patients, you are expected to stop and respond.

Sometimes there is no opportunity for eating until after 3pm!

Is this common? Is it like this everywhere?

BTW, we get "charged" thirty minutes for lunch even though we do not clock out.

[*ac*]

OK, I checked my state's law and found there is NO legal requirement that employers provide breaks unless the employee is under age 18.

However, "If employees are told their pay will be reduced each day by one-half hour for lunch, and they are not free to take this lunch period without an expectation or reasonable understanding that they must work or be on hand to work, they must be paid for the time."

Whoever wrote that part of the law must have had hospital floor nurses in mind.

Maybe after I've been there awhile...

[suzanne4, RN]

Law usually dictates a 15 minute break every four hours, anything other than that, and it is dependent on your state.

If you do not take a lunch break, then you should not have the money taken from your check. You need to check with your state's labor laws.

I am now in Ca, but even working in other states, if you did not get to take the break, then you actually got paid overtime for working thru your lunch period.

You should not be docked from your check. The issue is how can they not pay you when you are working during that 30 minutes that is supposed to be yours in the first place? I would definitely check with the Labor Board for your state.

[MaryAnn_RN]

Where I used to work it was not unusual to do 7 am to 19.30 without a break. Used to snatch a glass of water on the run, live on chocolate, crisps, any quick thing that was at hand. Am now working in ICU and the staff are very good about ensuring that we get breaks. Might not be a full hour a day but we get breakfast and lunch most of the time. Today we were exceptionally busy but we still managed to get lunch.

Trouble is, have started to put weight on.

[LydiaNN]

I looked up Sutter and see that their suit is based on California labor law.

I'm not in California. I wouldn't be surprised if it's illegal in my state, but it's not really that the hospital forces us exactly - I think it's just the nursing culture.

California law is also based on federal law, though. There isn't a state in the country in which it is legal to dock a worker's pay for time that was spent working. Here's the rub, though: it is up to workers to take a stand on this issue and in some states, it is easier to do that than in others.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

it still is a choice.

sure, we're all busy.

but federal law dictates that we are entitled to a 30 min break after 4 hrs.

and if they're charging you, whether you take it or not, that's just plain nuts not to take it.

some day, nurses will realize that we're all expendable, and our brow-sweating labor is only serving tptb.

it's high time to take what is owed to us.

those who won't leave the floor, it's still a choice you make.

if mgmt gives you a hard time, contact your labor board.

don't let 'them' have/take the power.

leslie

:yeahthat:

steph

[Apollorn]

It's a sad reality that nurses are overworked, underappreciated, and used.

But it shows our character when we perservere and still are there for our patients. Kudos to us!

PS. At the hospital I work at, nurses scold other nurses for not taking breaks. I like that :)

[SDS_RN, RN]

PS. At the hospital I work at, nurses scold other nurses for not taking breaks. I like that :)

Same here. We always try ensure that everyone gets something to eat. It may not be for the full 1/2 hr but long enough to get something on board to make it through the rest of the shift. If we are absolutley unable to take our lunch then we have a code to punch in on our time clock.

[angel337, MSN, RN]

the saddest thing about this lunch issue is that management could care less if you "choose" not to take a break. when i was new grad i worked without eating or using the restroom during entire 12 hour shifts. that became old very quick. i refuse to work like that any longer. i now take my lunch plus a 15 minute break.

[RN4NICU, LPN, LVN]

OK, I checked my state's law and found there is NO legal requirement that employers provide breaks unless the employee is under age 18.

However, "If employees are told their pay will be reduced each day by one-half hour for lunch, and they are not free to take this lunch period without an expectation or reasonable understanding that they must work or be on hand to work, they must be paid for the time."

Whoever wrote that part of the law must have had hospital floor nurses in mind.

Maybe after I've been there awhile...

After you've been there a while...then what? Do you think something will spontaneously change?

I can pretty well guarantee you that your workplace will not change their ways unless they get in trouble for it. All it takes is a report to your state Labor Board - this can usually be done anonymously. Do not allow your employer to steal from you any longer.

[CHATSDALE]

what are your hours

if the luch break is included in 8 hours then you are being paid for lunch

a different situation from being required to clock out and keep working

if you clock out leave the floor - if they object note that you are off the clock and do they want to pay you overtime

[MaryAnn_RN]

Not using the restroom at all is really bad, have done that myself too many times. It comes to something when the pts have passed more urine than the staff.

[MoonRN]

It sounds good in theory to say it's a choice, make sure you take your breaks, ect., but when you are so busy that you can't see the forest through the trees, and you are already going to be there until 8:30 pm regardless to chart, and you are so far behind you are in panic mode, it just doesn't happen. At least not where I work, not most days. It is just so constantly, unrelentingly busy. I have become so disillusioned over my 3.5 years nursing- I am a different person.