WInurse

Unions are of no help. I was told to be off work by employee health while I had symptoms. I will receive an occurance and will have to use PTO. My boss checked with the union and that is also what they said. But... before we log into work we have to attest that we don’t have any symptoms nor does anyone in the household. If they do we have to go home. For 7 days or longer. Then we get an occurance and have to use PTO. I just don’t understand it. The Coronavirus act by the federal government does not help the majority of us health care workers. It helps all other people it seems. There are people making more money off unemployment than they ever did working with the now $600 extra per week. Think of the college students and waiters, bartenders, etc with PT jobs. They can qualify and then the extra $2500.00 PER MONTH is not measured and is not taxed. They just get it. WTH?

I am on day 11. I still get a fever, cough and SOB. But I could go to work with it but I have to stay home until I am 72 hours clear, in case it is really COVID. I don’t get any paid time off. I tested negative last Monday and retested yesterday. I know there are people who would use this for a vacation. This is no vacation and I am not getting paid unless I burn up my PTO. I will receive an occurrence.

I am sorry Wuzzy if I offended you. I don’t think I am spreading false information, I have looked up the information. Others have posted that they have to use PTO or sick time if out for COVID 19 reasons and we don’t think this is fair. How is that spreading false information? The new FMLA expansion excludes nurses. I even read that on another post by another member. How are we getting all this information wrong then? I am sorry you have been exposed and I hope your coworker pulls through fine. We all also understand the lack of full PPE as we are living it also.Either the PPE isn’t there or it is being “conserved” for later. Sorry if I offended you but from what I read that was my thoughts. Sorry

ML1376: I wrote a letter to my legislators, governor and president: We all need to stand up and write something. Dear Representatives: I appreciate all the efforts to help America with the COVID -19 crisis. I am a Registered Nurse in the state of Wisconsin and a Wisconsin resident. I was excited to read about the new guidelines in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) taking effect April 1, 2020. I am though disheartened to read that health care providers and first responders could be excluded in this bill. Also, most hospitals are owned by large corporations and are excluded because they have over 500 employees. While it provides assistance to just about everyone else, it misses the people working hard on the front lines. Someone employed by a company less than 500 employees can use unemployment and/or the FMLA act to have their jobs protected and income replaced to care for their children while schools are closed. Why can’t assist our health care providers if they become ill from the virus? We are expected to either take time off without pay and risk losing our jobs when we return. Or, we can use all our PTO and borrow up to 80 hours. Then, after this epidemic we have no vacation or sick time. We are at a greater risk of catching the virus, and if we become ill, we may not have coverage to retain our jobs and replace our income. We are fighting and caring for others; yet there is nothing to assist us. Some of us do not qualify for the FMLA due to not being in our current position for more than a year, or not working the required hours the previous year. Yet healthy people can get assistance because they stay home to care for their own children. Where are the priorities? I encourage you to stand up and fight for health care workers to get FMLA protection and income replacement if we become ill or have to care for a loved one with the virus. This assistance should be retroactive to the start of the epidemic as there are health care workers with the virus and little or no assistance. If we cannot do this on a federal level, let’s do this on a state level. Please fight for the health care workers and first responders just like you have for all other Americans. I, and my colleagues thank you in advance for your consideration and assistance. Sincerely

Wuzzie, are you a nurse working or a nurse working in administration/management or an employment attorney? Your posts seem to be on the side of the administration and corporation and not in the plight of the nurses actually doing the job and the ones who are scared and just want proper equal treatment. We cannot work from home and get paid like administration can. Or even fudge that we are working...

From what I understand it covers nurses in that we cannot be disclipined if we use FMLA, IF we even Qualify under the regular FMLA. Some of us don’t qualify. Plus we should not have to use our earned vacation time while we wait for COVID results or are out sick. If you know something that I am missing, can you please show me the writing on it?

Do what you need to do to keep yourself safe. You are NOT a coward, but are showing COURAGE to see what the implications are for your health and to make a change. Trust your instinct.

I had to get tested yesterday as I developed symptoms on Sat. So I am waiting and even if the test comes back negative I have to stay out 7 days. Burning up my earned PTO feeling like crap. Yes, it is wrong. I will submit in another post what I wrote to my state representatives, senator, governor and the president of US. I just tweaked it. Feel free to write and tweak it some more. We should not have to use our earned assets to stay home fighting this illness in ourselves or while waiting for testing results to protect the public and our patients. It is wrong. Dear Representatives: I appreciate all the efforts to help America with the COVID -19 crisis. I am a Registered Nurse in the state of Wisconsin and a Wisconsin resident. I was excited to read about the new guidelines in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) taking effect April 1, 2020. I am though disheartened to read that health care providers and first responders could be excluded in this bill. Also, most hospitals are owned by large corporations and are excluded because they have over 500 employees. While it provides assistance to just about everyone else, it misses the people working hard on the front lines. Someone employed by a company less than 500 employees can use unemployment and/or the FMLA act to have their jobs protected and income replaced to care for their children while schools are closed. Why can’t assist our health care providers if they become ill from the virus? We are expected to either take time off without pay and risk losing our jobs when we return. Or, we can use all our PTO and borrow up to 80 hours. Then, after this epidemic we have no vacation or sick time. We are at a greater risk of catching the virus, and if we become ill, we may not have coverage to retain our jobs and replace our income. We are fighting and caring for others; yet there is nothing to assist us. Some of us do not qualify for the FMLA due to not being in our current position for more than a year, or not working the required hours the previous year. Yet healthy people can get assistance because they stay home to care for their own children. Where are the priorities? I encourage you to stand up and fight for health care workers to get FMLA protection and income replacement if we become ill or have to care for a loved one with the virus. This assistance should be retroactive to the start of the epidemic as there are health care workers with the virus and little or no assistance. If we cannot do this on a federal level, let’s do this on a state level. Please fight for the health care workers and first responders just like you have for all other Americans. I, and my colleagues thank you in advance for your consideration and assistance. Sincerely,

So it covers nurses? I am sooooo confused over all of this! And I called employee health this am. I have symptoms and will get tested today. But they said even if my test is negative I cannot work for 7 days. That doesn’t seem logical.

This recovery act excludes health care workers. No help there.

It was updated to cover more people, for example you only have to work at a place for 30 days, not one year. If you are still eligiable for the old FMLA then you are fine. I just wish this bill didn’t exclude health care for the expanded benefits.

If people staying home to take care of their kids because school is closed get paid from the government, then health care workers with health issues should be able to get unemployment or paid sick leave. The new FMLA does not cover health care workers. We all need to write a letter to our representatives letting them know health care workers need to be taken care of! We should not lose our incomes because our health is compromised if we get COVID.

I didn’t work the required hours in a year to be eligiable

I had a TBI that took me out for 3 months the beginning of the year. Then my schedule changed upon my return so I went to part time to maintain the days off I had planned way in advance. Thus I ended up not working the required hours. I’m healed though and want full time again.

I am a nurse without FMLA coverage under the old FMLA law. I was reading about the New Families First Coronavirus Response Act Employee Paid leave Rights. I am immunocompromised with Lyme and ANA levels. I have been in my position at the same place for 9 years and I am afraid if I get sick I will lose my job and I won’t have pay. I am scared. It states that special rules apply for Health Care Providers and First Responders. In another spot I read that we were excluded in this latest draft for this by the Secretary of Labor. Yet... if you have to stay home to take care of your kid(s) because you don’t have anyone to care for your kids you are eligible for FMLA protection and pay and also the 2 weeks of emergency sick pay. And if you have to stay home due to quarenteen for 14 days you get paid. So someone who doesn’t have daycare can get paid by the government and they job is also protected, they can get unemployment benefits also. BUT... If us as healthcare workers get sick or have to attend to a family member who is sick we have no pay and no protection under this new expansion of this law? How does that make sense and help us? Please help me to understand this. I am really anxious over all this. The virus has not hit our area hard yet, but expecting the surge in 2-3 weeks. Thank you