Required to do free visit??

3 minutes ago, Stef_nurse said:

I am a home health nurse. I became an LPN in 2020 to start working as a nurse while I finish my RN. My work typically does not require me to do a meet and greet with a client, but required it with a client who has fired many nurses to allow her to see if I was a good fit. They put it on my schedule and I clocked in and out as usual. I asked HR why I did not get paid for that time and they said they don't pay for a meet and greet. That seems illegal to require me to show up somewhere and not get paid. How do I rightfully get paid without making it this huge deal? 

I think I would go to my manager and respectfully ask about it one more time ...in a surprised, "this must be a misunderstanding", sort of way. If that didn't work, I would ask for something in writing and make my intention to "seek clarification for my own peace of mind" known.

That would be enough to encourage most employers to "seek clarification" of their own, and it would give them a chance to save face and make a correction if so desired.

If that didn't work, I'd have to consider how much I wanted to stay in good standing with my employer and what other options I might have. Worst case scenario, I'd take the hit and never agree to another meet and greet for as long as I worked there. 

Doesn't sound right.  Same as poster above - I would not agree to another meet and greet unless there is compensation.  

I do HH on the side.  My agency does pay for Meet/Greet - if it is truly just a Meet/Greet where nursing care is not done, parents just want to "interview" you to see if you are a good fit -  I think we get half our normal hourly rate.

10 hours ago, Sour Lemon said:

I think I would go to my manager and respectfully ask about it one more time ...in a surprised, "this must be a misunderstanding", sort of way. If that didn't work, I would ask for something in writing and make my intention to "seek clarification for my own peace of mind" known.

That would be enough to encourage most employers to "seek clarification" of their own, and it would give them a chance to save face and make a correction if so desired.

If that didn't work, I'd have to consider how much I wanted to stay in good standing with my employer and what other options I might have. Worst case scenario, I'd take the hit and never agree to another meet and greet for as long as I worked there. 

I MIGHT do another meet and greet, IF it was in writing that I'd get paid my normal hourly rate, and if it was signed in blood by my supervisor and HR.

You did not perform any nursing services. This was an interview.

If your agency respected you ,they would have informed you in advance. 

Seems like it was time well spent. You learned about the client. I would not take an assignment with anyone with a history of "firing" nurses.

I would expect to be paid for regular meet-and-greets. The only thing you have to barter with is your professional time. The meet-and-greet isn't for the purposes of seeing whether you're fit to shovel someone's sidewalk; this is a professional interaction based upon your qualification as an experienced RN. The company can choose not to charge the prospective client for that time, but unless the nurse is in on the part where we eventually decide how company profits are being split up, we need to be paid for work done on behalf of the company.

I would also approach the manager to seek clarification on these meet and greets. If you're not being paid then it's volunteer work and that's probably not a requirement of your employment. If you're paid a different rate because it's not your nursing work being done, I would think you should at least get nothing. If they have an official policy that you don't get paid, I would decline any future meet and greets they attempt to schedule. Sounds fishy to me. Good luck!

I wonder if not getting paid is more due to insurance reimbursement. If this is an interview for both you and the patient, that is not billable hours. Especially if you have not been assigned the patient.  I am guessing you are not considered a full-time employee of the nursing agency, rather a contractor providing full time work.  This is where it does get tricky because although it is a benefit to both you and the patient to have a meet and greet, there is no billable time of "nursing" care

17 minutes ago, RNNPICU said:

This is where it does get tricky because although it is a benefit to both you and the patient to have a meet and greet, there is no billable time of "nursing" care

That is true, but it is still a business endeavor of the employer. This is a marketing expense for them. Should nurses pay their phone bills, too?

I agree that if working as an IC then you either want the work or you don't. If an IC then everything is different; you market yourself accordingly to get the work you want to get. But if one is working as an employee and doing these meet-and-greets that are both free to the prospective client and unpaid for the employee of the company, that's bull. It would be just like a business whining, "Well, we don't get paid for putting up billboards, we can't charge people money for that. So if you want to work at this company you need to put up our billboards with your own money." 

And the costs of doing free marketing for them as a W2 employee are not tax-deductible for the most part.

How much time did you spend there?

53 minutes ago, Mywords1 said:

How much time did you spend there?

My thought also. Half hour max??? Regardless, the nurse must still dedicate some time & effort to dress approp, travel (car usage), best behavior, poss resched personal plans, etc.

If the employer is 'requesting' the time, they should compensate SOMETHING!

Whether it's billable or not, these agencies aren't strapped for cash by any means. They have the money to pay, they just don't want to.