Not getting paid

Dafabb, LPN · Jul 9, 2016

OH my!...I KNOW exactly what you are talking about and I am thinking your PRN status was part of that. You also should have asked what the pay was as she stated you would get paid. Did any other nurse go and did they get paid? If they did then you were bamboozled. Because some say "do we have any volunteers" does not mean it is a job without pay. How many times have you all been asked to volunteer to work an extra shift....It is not a candy stripe volunteer but a will you do it volunteer and yes I always got paid/OT because it was probably just that. I would say you got it but I would not quit because of it. Just never "volunteer" to do anything for her again...Lesson learned.....

DowntheRiver · Jul 9, 2016

My company recently asked for "volunteers" to go to MN to work in a clinic and be paid 1.5 times my normal rate.

When my flight was overbooked they asked for "volunteers" to give up their seat and I was given a $500 gift card.

While you are all correct that volunteer does mean to donate, it can also mean to offer up. They are offering something and your are offering your availability.

OP, did you clock in and out? Or have a signed time sheet? Do you have any other "volunteer" witnesses that may or may not haven gotten paid?

lifelearningrn, BSN, RN · Jul 9, 2016

I think you are all getting stuck on the word "volunteer". How often does your management ask for volunteers to work extra shifts? Does that mean you're not going to get paid? Of course it doesn't.

When the OP said they were asking for volunteers to WORK the camp, they meant people willing to WORK the camp, not give away their free time.

Greys_l · Jul 9, 2016

no clocking in and out no time sheet. It was all predetermined on the form that i was told not to fill out. Yes the other 2 nurses from my clinic that went and they both got paid however they did not fill out the form and were not paid on time nor thru the budget for the camp, the manager chose to do it from the clinic funds which to my understanding is not correct. I chose to work the camp on a week that they were short. The manager spoke to me personally 2 x and had a coworker ask me to not go. So her response to my situation was " Did you get your managers approval? Did you Ask XXXX? We could have used you that week. I thought you just did it out of the goodness of your Heart" in a very snarky tone. I said " ok that is what I wanted to know" and then she tried to back track because she realized that I was mad and wasn't about to let it go. The issue at this point is 1) I'm PRN 2) The way they paid you is Paid time off, Yes I asked about all this before I went and was told they would just pay me my PRN rate. 3) the paper work itself was not handled correctly 4) I trusted what and who told me what they told me. - and that was the wrong choice. I don't really want to file with anyone because that is the kind of crap that follows you and I plan on working as an LPN until I get my RN and I don't want to have the crap from dishonest people follow me.

lifelearningrn, BSN, RN · Jul 9, 2016

I would be looking to work for more honest, straight shooting folks. The whole thing seems to have been unprofessionally (and possibly illegally) handled.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Jul 9, 2016

no clocking in and out no time sheet. It was all predetermined on the form that i was told not to fill out. Yes the other 2 nurses from my clinic that went and they both got paid however they did not fill out the form and were not paid on time nor thru the budget for the camp, the manager chose to do it from the clinic funds which to my understanding is not correct. I chose to work the camp on a week that they were short. The manager spoke to me personally 2 x and had a coworker ask me to not go. So her response to my situation was " Did you get your managers approval? Did you Ask XXXX? We could have used you that week. I thought you just did it out of the goodness of your Heart" in a very snarky tone. I said " ok that is what I wanted to know" and then she tried to back track because she realized that I was mad and wasn't about to let it go. The issue at this point is 1) I'm PRN 2) The way they paid you is Paid time off, Yes I asked about all this before I went and was told they would just pay me my PRN rate. 3) the paper work itself was not handled correctly 4) I trusted what and who told me what they told me. - and that was the wrong choice. I don't really want to file with anyone because that is the kind of crap that follows you and I plan on working as an LPN until I get my RN and I don't want to have the crap from dishonest people follow me.

I can tell you that when I filed a DoL claim it was not held against me with that employer and I stayed there for 3 more years. The person who elected to violate labor laws & employment of minor children laws was terminated as this cost the company over $500,000 since they didn't just go after my location but every location in the state. The bookkeeper who should have caught the payroll issues when processing as they were egregious received a formal reprimand (I know the last two as I received a copy of the settlement when I received my back pay plus whistleblower stipend for filing the complaint)

Not a single subsequent employer ever found out I filed against a former employer. Ever.

If you plan on leaving this job anyway and have those papers, start with HR if no remedy then file with the state DoL The fact that the other nurses were compensated with PTO time may make the camp considered a volunteer activity with token compensation.

If you decide to seek the compensation you were initially promised write out your timeline of events as best you recall

dishes, BSN, RN · Jul 9, 2016

Suggest you send an email to HR explaining that you worked at the camp, while other staff were paid, you were not, ask for clarification on the policy. This matter is not going to follow you, HR will not want the labor board involved and the hospital marketing department will not want negative attention drawn to their camp for sick children.