Staff Meetings

[MayBaby]

Do you think getting paid to attend staff meetings are a right or a privilege? The hospital where I work does not pay their employees for attending staff meetings. My staff meetings are held at times I am never scheduled to work. I end up having to pay for parking which is costly depending on how long the meetings are or use public transportation which can be costly and time consuming. Management states that not attending meetings is a negative mark against my job performance and affects my yearly raise. I feel I should be paid my hourly rate while in attendance at the monthly staff meetings to compensate me for my out of pocket expenses, my time, and doing required "work related" learning.

[zambezi, BSN, RN]

I think that you should get paid...especially if you have to pay for parking and/or come in on your own time. I get paid my hourly wage where I work (but we don't have to pay for parking...) and it makes it alot easier to come in for the meeting...

[Stitchie]

Absolutely you should get paid!

The hospital may get in trouble with the Board of Labor if they do not pay you. In Illinois, if you are on work premises, for anything "mandatory" or "required" or something that affects your job performance, you must be paid for your time. This includes classes, meetings, "make up work" anything done for the benefit of your employer.

Can you call Human Resources and ask them to clarify this? Your manager may be trying to cut into the budget a little bit by asking people to not clock in.

[renerian, BSN, RN]

If it is a mandatory meeting by wage and hour law they are required to pay you. Are they mandatory?

renerian

[sharann, BSN, RN]

If you are to be disciplined if you MISS the meetings, then you must get paid to ATTEND them. If they are "optional" then I guess maybe not. Any requirement of a job must be compensated as such. Would you come in an hour early to file unpaid?

[gwk]

u should get paid even though its not mandatory if it affects your eval in my mind that makes it mandatory...HR is a good place to start

[nursemaa]

I pay my staff when they come in for meetings. I charge it to a portion of my budget called "seminar time" so that it does not affect my productivity report. Mention that to your manager, I'm sure there's a provision in her budget for educational offerings/meetings, etc.

[heart queen]

Unless you have accepted a volunteer position on your unit. Any time the manager requests your presence, constitutes "work". When at work, we are compensated with a pay check.

my theory, you no pay... me no show. You can always call your state board of labor, or check their web site.

[PedsNurse1981]

I think nurses should ALWAYS get paid to go to staff meetings. We're paid for them where I work, if we weren't it's doubtful I'd attend any of them. To me, this is my job, I come here 3 days a week, do my job and leave. I'm not into the politics so I'm generally not interested enough to come listen to the b***h sessions that the majority of our staff meetings are.

[nursemary9, BSN, RN]

HI

In Illinois, if something is mandatory, you MUST be paid. They willl get in trouble with the Labor Relations Board otherwise.

A few years back, I received a large check for all the time I was not paid for--meetings, overtime,evals. etc. Someone reported the hospital to the labor Board & they were in big trouble. Since it was there first offense, they got away with just paying each of us (hundreds of people) a settlement but received no fine; if it had not been a first offense, I am told the fine would have been hefty!!

I have been told that even if you are over because you are being reprimanded, they MUST compensate you!

[Blackcat99]

:angryfire I hate staff meetings. The only reasons I go is because they are mandatory and I am getting paid. If they are not mandatory I do not go.There's absolutely positively no way they could get me to go if they were not paying me for my time. :angryfire

[RNPATL, DNP, RN]

You should get paid. If the meeting is called monthly and your manager says that you must be there (i.e. making the meeting mandatory), then the facility must pay you to attend.