refusing mandatory O.T.

[MQ Edna]

Sick and tired of being forced to work 16 hours and always short of staff, I have started

JUST SAYING NO. Last night my Supe anounced to me that I HAD to stay. Told her no. An hour later a DON called me and I said "Do you want me to quit RIGHT NOW or do you want a two week notice? End of conversation. Finally, at 10 after 11 with no relief another DON called me and started again :" You haven't done any mandation in two weeks and we are all trying to do our part" and blah blah blah. Meanwhile the supes DO NOT work OT. I then went berserk and demanded relief which I got. Whew. The staffing in this hell-hole is horrible, they will not close any beds. Their latest solution to the staffing crisis is since they can't bring any nurses in due to the lousy working conditions is they've hired nurses as supervisors at 6 bucks an hour more to come in and do exactly the same job that we staff nurses do. Thank our union, the Pennsylvania Nurses Assoc. for this and other "Management Rights" clauses in our latest contract. Have a couple interviews lined up for next week at two No Mandation facilities. Would like to hear from those of you who refuse or have refused OT.

[kjmta57]

Being I also am a peace officer right now by law I cannot refuse mandatory overtime.I would be insubordinate and can be terminated and if the state wanted to push it could also be fined.but since we have SB1027 going through the senate in California I am addressing this through our union and nursing board.and am being told if the bill passes there is a good chance it will apply to us and we could file a law suit with the state if they try to deny us.but of course its a battle.I am being told by our union lobbiest that most states will probley have their bill passed individualy before the congress gets it passed that their taking their sweet time with it and there is strong lobbing against it in washington.so I would wright or fax is even better your us senators (not your local ones unless your lobbing for your state bill) and tell them to get off their butts and get it through.In california it is Diane Feinstein who will have a say so.I have written and faxed her twice with no response as of yet.

[nrsjo]

I used to do mandatory overtime, only because the facility I work for told us that we could lose our license due to "patient abandonment", and that the facility covers any liability if something happens because you were tired, etc. Then I called the licensing board. I found that as long as I didn't accept the assignment, it wasn't abandonment. If something happens to a patient because you were tired, you are liable. Since being fired isn't the worse thing in the world, I started refusing to be mandated. I feel bad for the people who stay, but I can't risk an accident at work or on the way home because I'm tired. And frankly, the job is not worth risking my own well being for.