Punching out within 6 minutes of shift end, anyone??

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Jul 7, 2012

Realistic? Not in the least. I have counseled (and been counseled) for having stayed (or having a nurse stay) more than an hour after shift end because of charting. The thinking was "ok, you didn't have enough time to chart, but an hour is more than fair". And I agreed. I had a problem with nurses staying two or more hours charting because their time management sucked.

That said....SIX MINUTES?!?

There were shifts that this actually was possible. And shifts where it was anything but. And on average, half an hour was the norm. Sometimes an hour or more. Sometimes ready to punch at six minutes after.

But to make it policy is absurd. If paying you that extra fifteen minutes is gonna break them, I'd have to wonder about what else is being pinched.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jul 7, 2012

They do it because of how their time clock system works...it sounds like they're using Kronos at your job. If you punch in earlier than 6 minutes before or leave later than 6 minutes after, you're technically working an extra 1/10 hour that they have to pay you for.

Common? Very. My last two facilities did the same thing, except they worked in quarter-hour increments. Other places do it in smaller increments.

Realistic? Depends on that particular day at work. I've had plenty of days in acute care where I've logged out on time, and plenty when I could not.

martymoose, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2012

Lol- Kronos- BINGO!

Yes there are days that I think it's do-able. But there are more days that it just-is-not. :-( No matter how hard I try. Sometimes the pt's are so complex and complicated that it takes longer than 30 mins to just give an accurate report. I just recently had a guy a PMH of over 40 co- morbidities/dx's. Im sorry- that report is going to take a while.Sometimes we are giving report to 4 different nurses.I think giving an accurate report is very important. And with the new EMR and the fact that orders are hidden sometimes under"to be released" ,its so important to not miss anything.And co- incidentally , it seems that at 2300 all the pts have to go to the bathroom and of course are all 2 assists. how can i give report when helping them?

This little announcement, along with the " if you dont like your job, as evidenced by all your low pt satisfaction scores,you might want to consider looking for a more suitable job". (It wasn't directed to one person ; it was to us as a whole.) All this makes me think we should be very scared for our jobs now :-(.

But I was curious if others had this time constraint. Nothing like more stress in this day and age :-(

Altra, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2012

Clocking out within a certain time frame that does not incur unplanned, incremental OT has been an expectation everywhere that I have worked ... although I have to say that I have never seen someone chastised for occasional unplanned OT when it's been a hellish day.

Good Morning, Gil · Jul 7, 2012

Within 6 minutes. Why not within 5 minutes? Odd timing they chose lol, but anyway, no incidental overtime as others have mentioned. Just do your best. Most of the time you'll be able to do it, but the times you won't, it's in the patient's best interest that you have to stay late anyway. It's not like any of us enjoy staying 30 mins to an hour or more after our shift is over lol, but sometimes, on crazy nights, staying late is what leads to better patient outcomes.

witchy92 · Jul 7, 2012

At my facility it is the clocking in early that will get you into trouble, because employees have more control over their clock in time. As long as you are working and not standing at the time clock chatting when it's time to clock out (this happens often) you are fine.

ORoxyO · Jul 7, 2012

Within 6 minutes. Why not within 5 minutes? Odd timing they chose lol, but anyway, no incidental overtime as others have mentioned. Just do your best. Most of the time you'll be able to do it, but the times you won't, it's in the patient's best interest that you have to stay late anyway. It's not like any of us enjoy staying 30 mins to an hour or more after our shift is over lol, but sometimes, on crazy nights, staying late is what leads to better patient outcomes.

Ours is 6 minutes as well because our pay is rounded to the nearest 0.10 hours. That is 6 minutes.

xoemmylouox, ASN, RN · Jul 7, 2012

Unless someone is short there isn't any reason to punch in more than 6 min early. I know plenty of people who punch in early to just sit around and chit chat. Punching out is something else. We are told NO OT what-so-ever. Well they say without prior approval, and there is no such thing anymore.

caliotter3 · Jul 7, 2012

We were required to do this at two facilities where I worked. They didn't care what the circumstances, if you were in the middle of report, you went to the timeclock, did your thing, then finished the job. People just did what they were told when it came to the timeclock. There were other things to be jumped on for.

tokmom, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2012

Yes, we are under the 7 minute rule. It's not for OT. If you have it, then they want to know why, but it's not denied.

The rule is for those that would clock in early only to be hanging in the breakroom and not officially at work.

On my last day of work for the week, I like to chit chat with the evening HUC that takes her break about the time I leave. I make sure I clock out on time and don't get involved in my conversation to accrue accidental OT.

jeckrn, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2012

Can understand punching out within 6 minutes if you are not working any OT for charting etc. I believe the reason for this is if the facility was reviewed years down the road how would anyone know if you worked over or just took too long to punch out. The facility then could be subject to paying everyone who punched out late back pay even if they were drinking a cup of coffee plus some fines. I have worked at several facilities which had this rule just for those reasons. The rules dont always make our lives easy but they are there for a reason. One is to prevent employeers making you work over without paying you for your time.