Odyssey Healthcare on call and triage nurses

caliotter3 · Jul 16, 2009

Just for info, two of my employers don't pay overtime. They told me this when they hired me. I took care of the problem by making sure I don't work more than 8 hours for either of them.

jeannepaul, BSN · Jul 16, 2009

you employers can tell you they don't pay overtime, but if you are non-exempt, federal law states they have to pay overtime. For anyone, make sure you know the federal and state laws. It also does not matter if you are "salaried" or "hourly". the DOL only cares if you are exempt or non-exempt. It should say this on your job description.

I found out the hard way. I was being paid salary on the weekend. I was also working during the week approx 60-70hours a week. recently, we started using a new payroll system and we enter our hours in, what do you know I am now getting overtime. when I went to HR, he didn't want me to do anything about it, but I told him it was too much money to overlook. I was then told since I was working "two different jobs" 2 pay rates, I didn't qualify. I went on the DOL website and actually read the laws and found out it doesn't matter the different pay rates, over 40 I was entitled to overtime. I consullted a lawyer who stated I do indeed have a case, but one person against a large company is usually too expensive as they can drag it out and outspend. If there were more in my same situation, it would be a different story. I have found 3 nurses that this has happened too.

I know there are two lawsuits in california already for the same thing.

I have nothing against them, and love my job, but I also not going to allow them to cheat me out of pay that I worked for. Once I brought it to their attention, and they still are not doing the honest and right thing makes it a willful violation in my eyes.

the other alternative is to file a complaint with the EEOC but once you do that, you cannot seek an attorney. they take over, investigate (for free). it can be a slow process and they can decide to settle. so I will go this route first and make the EEOC my last resort. nothing personal, just business.

BandEmom · Jul 17, 2009

I am an on-call nurse for Odyssey. Feel free to PM me if you'd like. I can tell you that under their definition of on-call you do not qualify for overtime unless you have spent more that 40 hours physically with or talking to patients. Is that the case for you? I've probably come awfully close sometimes on the most horrific nightmares of weekends, but never did go over.

I read the previous reply, and I have wondered about that too. I worry about being told that I can't work for rate 2 during the week, so I haven't made a big deal about it. I only work a few hours during the week. IDG plus some office work.

Good luck to you, hope to hear back

jeannepaul, BSN · Jul 18, 2009

BandEmom I sent you an email, thanks for replying.

texasbsn · Jul 22, 2009

Hi Iam in texas and would like some info on triage and oddessy nursing have 6 months experoence,want somthing part time to supplement othr nursing job

thanks

Azdream'nRN · May 10, 2010

Dear Texas Flower,

Hi. I would not work for this company. They hire new nurses all the time, then they fire them one by one. Their main firing issues have to do with first of all, asking their nurses to take on extra patients for the day, then when the nurses go and do all that extra work, plus their normally assigned work, then they tell you that they are not going to pay you overtime or mileage either. And then because it's the law, they get angry and fire the nurses. This is what has happened to oodles of nurses who have worked for them. So you are in a catch 22 situation with them. Because you have to take the assignment, then you get punished for it.

I worked for them in Albuquerque too and they let me go for getting SEVEN hours of overtime for the previous month. They hadn't noticed that I got the overtime in September, then in October, I got called in to the office and the head nurse plus the head director told me "Wopps! You are a liability here. You incurred 7 hours of overtime in September, we are going to have to let you go." I could not believe it. So in protest, THREE of my patients quit them and went to other Hospices. If you hire on with them and if they don't fire you, then they you will want to quit, because they also yell at their nurses and intimate them on this overtime issue. Plus, they are greedy. They quit giving patients phenergan for nausea and started giving them HALDOL because it's wayyyy cheaper. I had one family really upset about that, and Odyssey would not give them their phenergan. Lucky for this patient, he had secondary insurance which covered his phenergan! And his main issue was NAUSEA. Forget about Zofran! That is UNTHINKABLE for their approval. Over here, they have a very very bad reputation in the nursing community. There are PhD nursing students that worked with them and the same thing happened. Well, I don't know if they are going to post this or not on this website, but I have not said anything that is not true and I am just telling you how it is. If you really want to work for them, arrange to work over time anyhow but contract with them that you won't get paid for it, otherwise you will lose your job. And you can't really finish your work unless you do overtime. That has happened to a number of my friends too who worked for this company. Good luck!

Bubbles · Jun 10, 2010

Worked as on call RN for Odyssey. Had problems with pay checks being short all the time. Would have to go to office manager on regular basis. Had two different pay rates - one for on call hours and a better rates for doing adsissions, attending classes, etc. Told I was the only nurse having shorted pay checks. Not true. Many others had same problem. Eventually would get correct amount, but big hassle. Weird HR policies.

DelanaRN, MSN, APRN, NP · Sep 2, 2011

I work for Odyssey and have for a year. I get paid my overtime without a problem. I also have no issue getting my patients Phenergan or Zofran if it is needed. I do usually try Haldol first, then Phenergan, then Zofran. Sometimes I have patients on all of that AND transdermal gel for Nausea and I have had patients go to the hospital GIP a few days for pain, N/V, etc and come home on IV Zofran or IV Dilaudid or PCA pump Morphine for symptoms we were unable to control in the home. I think the Hospice I work for is ethical and fair for the most part, especially when it comes to our patients.

AtlantaRN, RN · Sep 2, 2011

Odyssey and VistaCare have been bought out by Gentiva (I work for healthfield, one of their companies), I can say that under the Gentiva company, i'm an on call nurse, and have never been shorted. I work on call and if i go close to 40hours, I call my backup nurse to do visits.....

I'm hoping with Gentiva buyout that odyssey and vistacare will have a better rep

Azdream'nRN · Sep 2, 2011

Vista Care bought out Odyssey here in Albuquerque. Prior to that, they fired oodles of GOOD NURSES, the director and the nurse manager, after they fired me. It was a place of very low morale anyhow and a greed pit. They didn't do justice to the patients and I saw that first hand. Patients who didn't have secondary insurance could not get their phenergan or zofran. It was AWFUL.

I don't know about any other Odyssey companies elsewhere, but the one we had here in Albuquerque was by far the worst. They have finally shut their doors. The best ones are Hospice of the Sandias and Presybterian. I had my mom at Presbyterian and my friend had his dad at Hospice of the Sandias and they seemed very good. Heads and tails above Odyssey. Well, it's a mute point now, thankfully for our community, they are GONE. :yeah:

heron, ASN, RN · Sep 2, 2011

Vista Care bought out Odyssey here in Albuquerque. Prior to that, they fired oodles of GOOD NURSES, the director and the nurse manager, after they fired me. It was a place of very low morale anyhow and a greed pit. They didn't do justice to the patients and I saw that first hand. Patients who didn't have secondary insurance could not get their phenergan or zofran. It was AWFUL.
I don't know about any other Odyssey companies elsewhere, but the one we had here in Albuquerque was by far the worst. They have finally shut their doors. The best ones are Hospice of the Sandias and Presybterian. I had my mom at Presbyterian and my friend had his dad at Hospice of the Sandias and they seemed very good. Heads and tails above Odyssey. Well, it's a mute point now, thankfully for our community, they are GONE.

Actually, it was the other way around: Odyssey bought VistaCare, then Gentiva bought Odyssey in 2010 ... after which the VistaCare and Odyssey operations were merged. I agree with the criticisms of the ABQ site, though ... my IPU went thru 3 owners, 7 unit managers and 6 executive directors in 5 years. Yet, somehow, the problems on the site and the chaotic management were all the fault of the bedside caregivers. I never once heard a suit accept any responsibility for creating the mess. A truly toxic workplace.