Noone to relieve me, but I'm forced to clock out for lunch?!

[weazzie55]

This last week, my administrator placed a note above the time clock saying that all nurses MUST clock out for a 1 hour lunch break. I'm saying to myself "great!". The only thing; I work a 2-10/10-6 (16 hr shift overnight) and I am the only LVN in the building at the LTC. How can I punch out and take a 1 hr uninterrupted lunch break when I have noone in the building of my certification or higher to cover for me? Is this legal?

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

Why would you agree to this? It violates labor laws and is completely moronic to boot. If you're working, you deserve to be paid. Don't devalue yourself

Where I used to work it was mandatory that we clocked out and go back to the floor and work...while on your break!!

[missprnqday]

There are two things that I DO NOT do: one, I don't work for pennies and two, I do not work for free! The protection of your license as a nurse takes precedence over taking a mandated clock out for a lunch when there's no other nurse to cover for you, just for the employer to be compliant with labor laws. For me, I value my time and I have worked way too hard to get to where I am, only for someone to not compensate me for my services rendered. We all got important things to do with our money and I refuse for my employer to pocket 30 mins or a hour of my pay for a break I did not have the opportunity to take.