Mandatory Overtime

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Specializes in med-surg; hospice/palliative.

Hello! This is my first time using a website such as this so bear with me! I am currently working full time in a hospice/palliative facility but mainly my experience is in med-surg. I am working on my masters in administration/management but have a strong desire to also teach. I am hoping to be able to do both at some time soon. Currently I am looking for another job that would utilize my education and experience.

I wonder if you have reflections on mandatory overtime? Is this policy in place where you work? It is where I am employed and is on my mind this morning because it is the Super Bowl and I have a feeling today may be the day! I really hope not. Mandatory overtime is an issue that affects everyone, families and staff. Any thoughts?

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

hello, cmjdlj and welcome to allnurses.com

i moved your post to its own thread in the general nursing forum for a better response.

glad to have you with us and hope you enjoy the site.

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I may be wrong but I thought the federal gov. banned mandatory overtime for nurses. I know that it is not a practice in my hospital or any other hospital in my area. Of course when the hospital calls and ask me to pull an extra shift I usually do because I know first hand how difficult it is on my fellow workers and the paitents when we have to work short. Plus time and 1/2 looks good on the pay check.

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There is no law banning mandatory overtime for nurses, but in my state there is a dept of health "rule" against it. It still doesn't stop hospitals around here from implementing it.

One area hopsital has mandatory call anytime in a 24-hour period, and it can be (and is) broken up so that you work 4 hours say, 3-7 and then have to be called back in at 11pm to work another 8. I was told by a nurse manager friend there that they know it is not legal, but nobody has complained so far.

Some units at my hospital also have mandatory overtime but only in 12-hour increments. They haven't been turned in yet, so they keep making it mandatory.

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Currently I am working 12 hour shifts in a government hospital so they don't have manditory OT. At a previous government hospital, we rotated manditory OT, we could only be pulled to the next shift 8-4 to 4-12. If you some reason someone couldn't work their OT, someone always stepped up to help out. SOmetimes we would work over 4 and someone from the next shift would come in 4 hours early, so it wasn't too bad.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, ER.

Mandantory overtime is not a practice used in the hospital where I work, thank goodness!

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Specializes in ER/ ICU.

We are a union hospital and do have mandatory overtime as part of our contract. You can usually find someone to take your shift who wants the OT if you do not. It's really never been an issue.

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It's against company policy where I work. I would not work for a company that has mandatory OT even if it meant I had to change careers...again.

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It's against company policy where I work. I would not work for a company that has mandatory OT even if it meant I had to change careers...again.

I agree - I would not work for a company/hospital that had mandatory overtime.

No one can take advantage of me unless I let them - and I'm too old to let them. :D

steph

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If nobody tolerates it, it will go away...

shame on the company AND the employee for allowing it...

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It's against the law here unless it is a true emergency, not just due to poor staffing. But it happens here too. All nurses need to know what their state board says in regards to overtime. Do not accept what the supervisor says as gospel.

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Specializes in Critical Care,Recovery, ED.

Some states have laws against MOT and others significantly curtail the ability of the employer from utilizing it. Particularly when it is used as a routine means of staffing. I agree with the above posters about not working for an employer who uses it routinely. True emergencies excepted.

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