I am a nurse in a unionized hospital within a state that has made mandatory overtime for nurses illegal.
We are considering an out-of-state move, and I only recently learned that there are many other states that require their nurses to work more than the 36/40 hours per week which they are hired to work, with your job being at risk if you refuse to do so.
I have searched the boards for additional information and I still have so many questions about this. Is it a standard practice statewide? Is it hospital specific? Is this disclosed during the interview process? Is there any way to opt out? Are "mandatory overtime" facilities generally not great places to work, meaning would this be a red flag if it came up in a job search?
We would be moving for a better quality of life for our young family, but being mandated to work extra hours will impact our quality of life in a negative way. If anything, I am hoping to work less hours when we move vs more.
Thank you in advance for any insight you can offer.
I work in an acute care hospital. They pull staff to cover my unit. Including the charge RN to take a pt assignment. We cannot be mandated to stay for OT per our union contract. The M-F charge RN is management so some days she has to take on a pt assignment. They ask if nights wants to stay another 4 hours. NOPE! Not today! I had 4 patients on my CCU on Thanksgiving night. So did the other RN. 2 RNs for 8 ICU patients! Lunch break? What’s that? I charted & ate at the same time. ER holding patients for days. Floor RNs with 10-11 pts each. Ridiculous!!
Staff RNs leaving to travel. Might as well get paid the big bucks for the same level of craziness for every shift you work, not just the OT! ??♀️
Specializes in Rehabilitation Nurse, LTC Manager, Freelancer.
In Michigan, it is hospital-specific. I work for a hospital that does not mandate but offers incentives like $40.00 an hour extra per shift when they are short-staffed. Yet a mile down the road, the local hospital mandates constantly. I worked for a hospital that mandates, and it is no fun, especially when balancing family life and work schedule. So please do your homework and find out what the hospital you are applying to does when they are short-staffed.
In Michigan, it is hospital-specific. I work for a hospital that does not mandate but offers incentives like $40.00 an hour extra per shift when they are short-staffed. Yet a mile down the road, the local hospital mandates constantly. I worked for a hospital that mandates, and it is no fun, especially when balancing family life and work schedule. So please do your homework and find out what the hospital you are applying to does when they are short-staffed.
thanks for this! glad to hear it's something that is hospital specific, and hopefully they disclose their process at the interview.
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
32 minutes ago, ChknWing said:
thanks for this! glad to hear it's something that is hospital specific, and hopefully they disclose their process at the interview.
Please don't wait for them to disclose important information voluntarily. Take your list of interview questions that you will ask them and ask the questions. They should be aware that your interview appointment is not anecessary indication that you would agree to work for them...it's a 2 way interview to discover if your needs are going to be met by their employment opportunities.
Please don't wait for them to disclose important information voluntarily. Take your list of interview questions that you will ask them and ask the questions. They should be aware that your interview appointment is not anecessary indication that you would agree to work for them...it's a 2 way interview to discover if your needs are going to be met by their employment opportunities.
oh yeah absolutely, I will be asking specific questions, I meant that hopefully they are honest in disclosing it when asked.
In Michigan, it is hospital-specific. I work for a hospital that does not mandate but offers incentives like $40.00 an hour extra per shift when they are short-staffed. Yet a mile down the road, the local hospital mandates constantly. I worked for a hospital that mandates, and it is no fun, especially when balancing family life and work schedule. So please do your homework and find out what the hospital you are applying to does when they are short-staffed.
These bonuses don't guarantee there will be no mandation. The system I worked at offered huge bonuses to pick up even before covid and obviously after, but it wasn't enough as most nurses had already quit and not everyone left wanted to pick up shifts. So mandation continues there and at it's other hospitals. Not everyone is driven solely by money. Plus you know going in it will be short staffed. I read on glassdoor sister hospitals were requiring nurses to pick up extra shifts and would still be mandated 16 hours at times.
It may not be that they expect you to work extra shifts but rather that it’s built into your standard schedule. You mentioned at your facility nurses don’t work more than 36-40 hours/week. However at many facilities nurses may work 3shifts one week (12hrs each) which would be 36hrs, then work 4shifts the next week, which would be 48hrs. Typically these schedules will be a rotating 3/2, 5/2, or 7/7. I did it for 10years and yes it was very exhausting! Especially if you actually work extra shifts on top of that! I’d advise you to ask very specific questions during the interview process about scheduling. Unfortunately in areas that do this most full time hospital jobs will be like this. You could potentially work PRN if you don’t need benefits, or part time if the facility has that option (many don’t anymore). Or alternately look at out of hospital opportunities. Unfortunately in areas where this is commonplace there is a high turnover and many nurses leave the hospital for home health, clinic, etc. I wish management would recognize this and offer an option with one less shift per pay period. I think they’d have much less burnout and turnover. Good luck on your job search!
It may not be that they expect you to work extra shifts but rather that it’s built into your standard schedule. You mentioned at your facility nurses don’t work more than 36-40 hours/week. However at many facilities nurses may work 3shifts one week (12hrs each) which would be 36hrs, then work 4shifts the next week, which would be 48hrs. Typically these schedules will be a rotating 3/2, 5/2, or 7/7. I did it for 10years and yes it was very exhausting! Especially if you actually work extra shifts on top of that! I’d advise you to ask very specific questions during the interview process about scheduling. Unfortunately in areas that do this most full time hospital jobs will be like this. You could potentially work PRN if you don’t need benefits, or part time if the facility has that option (many don’t anymore). Or alternately look at out of hospital opportunities. Unfortunately in areas where this is commonplace there is a high turnover and many nurses leave the hospital for home health, clinic, etc. I wish management would recognize this and offer an option with one less shift per pay period. I think they’d have much less burnout and turnover. Good luck on your job search!
which state are you in?
18 hours ago, brandy1017 said:
These bonuses don't guarantee there will be no mandation. The system I worked at offered huge bonuses to pick up even before covid and obviously after, but it wasn't enough as most nurses had already quit and not everyone left wanted to pick up shifts. So mandation continues there and at it's other hospitals. Not everyone is driven solely by money. Plus you know going in it will be short staffed. I read on glassdoor sister hospitals were requiring nurses to pick up extra shifts and would still be mandated 16 hours at times.
I've always discussed mandatory OT in the interview process. I'm not willing to do it, unless there's a disaster so bad that management is in in the hospital staying too. If it was asked of me, I'd refuse, and remind them I was clear about what I could do when I was hired.
Frankly, if I was ASKED to help I'd likely stay a couple hours, but mandating is a deal breaker. Especially after twelve hard hours. Ridiculous.
I've always discussed mandatory OT in the interview process. I'm not willing to do it, unless there's a disaster so bad that management is in in the hospital staying too. If it was asked of me, I'd refuse, and remind them I was clear about what I could do when I was hired.
Frankly, if I was ASKED to help I'd likely stay a couple hours, but mandating is a deal breaker. Especially after twelve hard hours. Ridiculous.
have you found that employers are agreeable to it? like if you make it clear in the interview, it has not kept you from getting job offers? your comment gives me hope. I have a similar attitude toward it
I've always discussed mandatory OT in the interview process. I'm not willing to do it, unless there's a disaster so bad that management is in in the hospital staying too. If it was asked of me, I'd refuse, and remind them I was clear about what I could do when I was hired.
Frankly, if I was ASKED to help I'd likely stay a couple hours, but mandating is a deal breaker. Especially after twelve hard hours. Ridiculous.
Yes! I remember one time at a residential school before a major snowstorm. Senior management made sure to tell everyone who had to stay on campus (it ended up being a few days) right before they all packed up and weathered the storm from their houses. I lost ALL respect for those overpaid paper pushers then and there.
Plus, "especially after twelve hard hours"- we all know that a twelve hour shift is rarely 12 hours...
2BS Nurse, BSN
703 Posts
"I'm neither and I've got no problem working full time. My issue would be working extra hours on top of that."
Exactly my point! I don't know anyone right now who is full time and NOT being mandated to OT, even in the clinics!