Someone told me something that upset me today.

[oramar]

A person very close to me(but I won't say who) told me in off hand way that their manager swipes them in and out sometimes, not just the person telling me the story but everyone on the unit has been swiped in by the manager. There are a variety of reasons they say this happens and even though this person would not allow anyone else to swipe them in at the time clock they do allow their boss to do. I told them what everyone knows that doing that is cause for instance dismissal in most facility and it says as much in most handbooks. This person blew me off and said that the boss is in very good with higher levels of management and that would never happen. I told this person they are making a big mistake and next time they should tell the boss they would prefer they not do that. They said it would sound as if they were critizing their manager and they would not feel comfortable telling their manager to stop. Am I wrong maybe, is it OK if the manager swipes you in if they need you to go and do something else at the moment which means you have to leave the clockside?

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Health care in the US is very penny ante. I clock in and I don't work the floor.

A lot of it has to do with regulations that protect the worker and facility as regards accidents - Workmen's Compensation - and a lot of it is just treating us like children. Health care is worse than any other industry I've worked for this.

[talaxandra]

Does that mean you're not entitled to compensation if you're injured on the grounds but before you clock on?

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Does that mean you're not entitled to compensation if you're injured on the grounds but before you clock on?

Yup.

..

[LovebugLPN]

My company did away with this problem by installing a fingerprint thing (sorry, don't know what it is called). In order to clock in or out you have to swipe your badge while holding your finger over the pad. It reads your print and the problem is fixed.

[Mr Ian]

respecting-you-as-professionals (is there a word for that?)

Yes, there is.

Clocking in is like every process - swings and roundabouts - pros and cons.

Without clocking in - you might get to start/leave a little later/earlier with no comeback - but it's hard to evidence all the extra 5-10 minutes or half hours you stayed on to justify that time back.

We still use the 2-week roster - faxed to payroll and it's all worked from that.

Do you automatically get overtime if you clock off late - If you do - I'd forget to clock off... ooopsy.....

- or does it have to be verified?

[Mr Ian]

My company did away with this problem by installing a fingerprint thing (sorry, don't know what it is called).

That's exactly what it's called.

A fingerprint thing ....for places that aren't respecting-you-as-professionals

[talaxandra]

Wow. I can't imagine Australia allowing legislation allowing employers to fingerprint employees in hospitals, let alone incorporating into the daily routine. It's the things you don't expect to be different that are the most interesting.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Do you automatically get overtime if you clock off late - If you do - I'd forget to clock off... ooopsy.....

- or does it have to be verified?

Depends on the amount. Our system automatically logs you out at midnight and that would be noticed by your supervisor when time sheets came around for auditing on Monday.

Even our directors clock in, though. The CEO does. They don't clock out, though. Just a swipe in the morning. And we're bar codes, so it isn't a mechanical puch machine.

The fingerprint thing is simply called a fingerprint scanner. And you are now using two factor authentication. (I'm the informatics specialist - geek nurse.)

[talaxandra]

Yes, there is.

Clocking in is like every process - swings and roundabouts - pros and cons.

Without clocking in - you might get to start/leave a little later/earlier with no comeback - but it's hard to evidence all the extra 5-10 minutes or half hours you stayed on to justify that time back.

We use time sheets, which are filled in by the employee and authorised by the nurse in charge, theoretically each shift but often forgotten about until the end of the pay period. Nobody gets too bent out of shape is people are five minutes late, provided it isn't habitual, and nobody minds staying five minutes late, particularly as (provided the ward's quiet) the morning staff usually leave half an hour early on weekends.

Although other wards are more draconian, provided you stayed back to do work, overtime's granted without a drama, usually in the form of banked hours - you can then leave early on another day or (if you let the hours build up) take an extra day off with pay.

There's almost no abuse of the system, at least on my ward .

[kcochrane]

To the op: I don't being in with the higher ups is going to save your friend/coworker if the stuff hits the fan. I saw a whole division at Kodak fired including managers when they found out they were punching each other in. Yes, the managers were in on it too.

[JBudd, MSN]

Our contract says you can't be gone after for being late unless you clock in 6 or minutes late, unless it is really habitual; the occasional few minutes don't count.

Also, it was our union that got the time clocks instead of written sheets, so people would get paid for those 5 and 15 minute overages; for a while (long time ago), even 5 minutes over had to be approved by the supervisor. It went both ways, I'd see aides standing by the book refusing to sign out until it was "overtime", coats on and ready to leave, but wanting that 5 minutes! (which is why the supervisor okay became necessary). The clocks actually solved a lot of problems, we badge (swipe) in and out so noone else can mess with your time sheet.

[Mr Ian]

Although other wards are more draconian, provided you stayed back to do work, overtime's granted without a drama, usually in the form of banked hours

Yeah - that's how I've always know it - Oz and UK - "she'll be right" attitude :wink2:

I don't think staff or management have abused this. "Good will" has been a cultural essence of health care and it helps to keep from thinking that the job is purely 'business' - it's a vocation.

But I get the sense it's very different stateside - with all the "write-ups" and BON reporting I read... very bureaucratic.

Makes me wonder what's been going on behind closed doors to get like that