New job, "mandatory class / training" but no pay

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I'm an older nurse fairly new to "shift work" at facilities. I've spent the past 20+ years is Home Health, wound consulting, case management, group homes. Too much uncompensated homework and driving. I thought I'd spend my last year's leading up to retirement at a facility, work my hours and be done. Hasn't gone too well.

I recently got hired at a sub acute SNF.

They are well-staffed with RT's who handle the vents, trach changes, etc. The RT's are very helpful in so far as caring for the vent patients' respiratory needs and orientating the rest of us. I do still remember how to change a trach.

After being hired I was told that I must take the facility's mandatory ventilator orientation, training, class. It's an 8 hour class that they hold twice per month. It's about a 100 mile round trip for me at their sister facility. No pay. They've even made their RT's go and RT's are already trained.

So I need to fill up my gas tank, put a bunch of mileage on my car in horrible traffic to and from, spend the day sitting in on a class I don't want.. for free.

Their comeback is that they give CEU's for a class we'd have to pay for elsewhere. ?

I feel like like they should have put in their ad under requirements that "applicant needs to have taken a vent training class." Oh and by the way, we have training at this location and time.

Its a mandatory class in order to work at their facility. It's orientation and training from their facility for a job at their facility that we have been hired for. We should be paid. Not only that, we're entitled to mileage reimbursement from the facility to their class and back but I won't push that.

Am I being unreasonable?

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

No.

A sub acute SNF is about the last place I'd want to spend my

final years as a nurse. My hats off to you for doing it. I want

my last nursing years to be easy-peasy and to me any work

in a SNF is far from that.

Then again, you've been a home health nurse for 20 years so

to you, working in a SNF may be much easier. I've done home

health. I got to the point that I no longer could mentally

handle it.

Anyway, back to your original question... no you aren't

being unreasonable. You should be paid for that

training. Not necessarily for the mileage unfortunately,

but if the training is mandatory than you should

absolutely be paid!

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

Do you and HappyCNA work at the same place?? Copy&pasted from my response on her thread --

Unless they feel like getting into it with the DOL, they will pay every staff member for that class.

From the friendly neighborhood DOL...oh wait, it's federal.

Fact Sheet - Wage and Hour Division (WHD) - U.S. Department of Labor

Nonexempt employees must be paid for all hours worked in a workweek. In general, hours worked” includes all time an employee must be on duty, on the employer premises, or at any other prescribed place of work. Also included is any additional time the employee is suffered or permitted” to work. The FLSA requires employers to pay for hours actually worked, but there is no requirement for payment of holidays, vacation, sick or personal time.

The failure to properly count and pay for all hours that an employee works may result in a minimum wage violation if the employee's hourly rate falls below the required federal minimum wage when his or her total compensation is divided by all hours worked.

Paying for mandatory classes is NOT optional.

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I would contact your state department of labor. They would be able to tell you if this is legal in your state. I want to say no and I have never been employed anywhere that they have not paid for mandatory training. However, I am not a lawyer and I don't know if this varies between states.

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That's what I thought. If it's mandatory, so is the pay.

They simply won't. End of story.

I do not feel like taking up an entire day to drive many miles for "mandatory" training for a place that won't pay me a dime for the honor of working for them. It's a financial burden and it's just plain wrong. Nobody else speaks up.

I think ill I'll be using the day to apply elsewhere.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

As I said in the above mentioned thread, I would run, not walk, away from this job. It is illegal for them not to pay for mandatory training. And think about this: if they'll pull this trick, what else might they do to screw employees out of a honest day's pay?

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

As I said in the other thread: "it's a dump, move on"

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Ok so here's a follow up to original post.

I work for about 12 to 20 hours per week as an RN at a non profit I love. The pay is pretty low, but I love the job so I won't be giving it up in favor of other full time work. I need to supplant with a couple of days of regular work.

I did my 2 day, 8 hour orientation on the floor at the SNF sub-acute last week. I'm assuming these will be paid for since I filled out a time card.

The job was "weekends only" but they told me I need to come two weekdays and then would start weekends either 03/31 or 04/01 (Friday or Saturday or Saturday and Sunday) and they would email schedule. I did their two weekday orientation days putting my other job aside. The other "'mandatory orientation" out many miles away for 8 hours UNPAID at their other facility was just yesterday. I notified them that I would not be able to attend due to work at my other job and needing to get paid.

I've emailed asking for my schedule with no response.. or the runaround "will tell you tomorrow" which hasn't happened.

Either they are retaliating over my inability to go to work for them for free, or they don't have shifts available this weekend. Either way they've wasted my time and cost me other jobs I declined so I could work for them weekends.

If no hours schefuled, what now? I'd like to pick up my 16 hours of pay owed to me and be done.

Its so darn frustrating dealing with cheating employers!

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Specializes in NICU, ER, OR.

First... this late in your career you want to work in the zoo, aka LTC?? I salute you.

about the training... I'm not sure if it's a state by ste thing, but if my ( or any job in my state) requires training MANDATORY for employment, they must pay you.... and 100 miles ?? Crazy talk.... you sure you want to work there?

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