Required to do free visit??

[Stef_nurse]

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? 

[TheMoonisMyLantern, LPN, RN]

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.

[Stef_nurse, LPN]

I did end up getting paid for the meet and greet. At first HR told me the visit isn't covered by the client's insurance. I told her that I was not informed prior to the visit that it was unpaid and they required me to do the meeting.

[amoLucia]

Good for you!

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

23 hours ago, Stef_nurse said:

I did end up getting paid for the meet and greet. At first HR told me the visit isn't covered by the client's insurance. I told her that I was not informed prior to the visit that it was unpaid and they required me to do the meeting.

Glad to hear!!

[SilverBells, BSN]

Curious if you accepted this assignment? 

[Stef_nurse, LPN]

On 1/26/2021 at 11:30 AM, caliotter3 said:

Most of my agencies have refused, and do refuse, to pay for meet and greets.  I have just accepted the practice as part and parcel for working for them.  However, this policy is just the tip of the iceberg for those agencies that don't display a lot of respect for their field nurses.  If you don't accept doing meet and greets for free, you may find yourself without work.  That is the tradeoff these nasty employers like to use to their advantage when someone speaks up for themselves.  Another practice they love to use:  you travel to the address to perform your job, expecting to work for a full eight hour shift, only to find that no one comes to the door, nor do they answer a phone call.  After communicating with the agency, eventually you give up and go home.  The agency thinks they can get away without paying you "reporting pay", otherwise known as "show up pay".  When you call them on it, they get wide-eyed and claim ignorance.  That is why it sometimes pays to become familiar with the labor laws that pertain to you as an employee.  Although I personally have not checked with the Labor Board regarding refusing to pay for meet and greets, I suspect the Labor Board would take the stance that one must be paid for them.  I highly suspect that is the case.

Thankfully I’m not a visiting nurse. I spend 8-12 hours with the same client. I couldn’t imagine showing up for a visit and someone not answering the door! According to labor laws, an employer cannot require someone to show up to the prescribed place of work in benefit of the company and not pay the employee. 

[Stef_nurse, LPN]

On 1/31/2021 at 9:13 PM, SilverBells said:

Curious if you accepted this assignment? 

I did. Another nurse almost was almost fired because she did not give 4 weeks to get off the case because she wasn’t going to accept being verbally or emotionally abused. It’s bad enough that the client’s case manager tried to get me to switch my schedule and not do three days in a row because it’s too much on the employee and client. I’m trying to make it work for now because that’s where all my hours are. 

[Stef_nurse, LPN]

On 1/26/2021 at 3:17 PM, Mywords1 said:

How much time did you spend there?

I spent an hour and a half there. I’m also supposed to get mileage. I got an hour worth of pay after talking to HR about it. I wouldn’t have been as concerned about it if the way they did timesheets was not as fishy. A lot of my coworkers have accepted working for free if they have to stay after their shift for any reason.