Taking Lunches, Not Clocking Out

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Jan 16, 2008

Make it a policy to automatically deduct lunches unless the individual notes that they had no lunch. But they leave the facility they have to officially clock out, as well. That's what my hospital does.

Longhorn Mama · Jan 18, 2008

we automatically deduct 30 minutes for a meal as well. if for some reason they don't get a chance to eat, they can turn in an edit slip and get paid. if they leave the building, they must clock out.

we have scheduled in kronos (our timekeeping system) the shift times - 0645-1915 and 1845 - 0715. that way they get the whole 12 hours for the shift even with the 30 minute deduction.

llg, PhD, RN · Jan 18, 2008

To make professionals clock in and out like that for lunch is insulting. Change your system. If you treat your nursing staff that way, it's no wonder they are not anxious to jump through those hoops.

At least take the above suggestions and just build the automatic lunch break into the system -- requiring paperwork only if some exception needs to be made.

RN1989 · Jan 24, 2008

To make professionals clock in and out like that for lunch is insulting. Change your system. If you treat your nursing staff that way, it's no wonder they are not anxious to jump through those hoops.

I completely disagree. Whether or not you or anyone likes the system, that is the system this facility uses. All staff are informed of the rules when they take a job. It is their professional responsibility to conform to the rules of the job unless the rules violate safety standards or applicable laws. This policy does neither. If staff are taking longer breaks than the 30 minutes allowed, they obviously are not professional enough to do what is ethically correct on their own. It does not matter how you are treated by an employer, you should always do your best and follow the rules unless there are extreme circumstances. To not do so is unprofessional.

Uptoherern, RN · Feb 27, 2008

[ It does not matter how you are treated by an employer, you should always do your best and follow the rules unless there are extreme circumstances. To not do so is unprofessional.

you have got to be kidding me.

eccentricRN · Feb 27, 2008

At my facility a 30min lunch is automatically deducted from our pay unless we punch out without a lunch. But that doesn't keep people from taking a longer lunch. Our days with no lunches is also monitored & if someone is continually taking no lunch then disciplinary action is started. Use your system to your advantage, issue a warning & go from there. Once you make it clear it is not acceptable then hopefully things will change.

SarahK73 · Feb 27, 2008

I have worked in one facility that used the automatic deductions but the problem then became that there were several people who were abusing the "No Lunch" button when they clocked out. I have to watch for trends during payroll, as well as those who like to clock in 1 min early to get a extra 15 mins of pay.

The other facility I worked at had a very strict policy that if you did not clock in and out correctly you were given a warning and written disciplines for every 3 time clock adjustments. I only had to give a few warnings and 1 or 2 disciplines and they figured out very quickly how to do it correctly.

Sarah

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2008

[ It does not matter how you are treated by an employer, you should always do your best and follow the rules unless there are extreme circumstances. To not do so is unprofessional.

you have got to be kidding me.

I agree

Not to mention, but when these micromanaged professionals clock out, are they actually replaced by another professional that takes report, gives meds and fully "covers" the lunch so that the clocked out employee can actually enjoy a completely undisturbed, relaxing lunch?

Somehow, I doubt it.

If they are truly "off the clock" then no one can get them to do "just one thing" or ask "just one question" or take any calls. I have a feeling management would not be happy about that.

allnurses Guide · Feb 27, 2008

We have paper time cards and use a pen.

Also, for our 12 hour shift of say . . 3-3 we are there at 0245 for report and leave at 1515 after report. An extra half hour is built into the system. You write down when you take your lunch on your time card.

steph

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2008

I completely disagree. Whether or not you or anyone likes the system, that is the system this facility uses. All staff are informed of the rules when they take a job. It is their professional responsibility to conform to the rules of the job unless the rules violate safety standards or applicable laws. This policy does neither. If staff are taking longer breaks than the 30 minutes allowed, they obviously are not professional enough to do what is ethically correct on their own. It does not matter how you are treated by an employer, you should always do your best and follow the rules unless there are extreme circumstances. To not do so is unprofessional.

I would like to see these professionals observe the complete and total letter of "the rule".

That means that they have a full, undisturbed lunch break that the clock out for. That means that no matter what is going on, they will leave at a proscribed time....no exceptions. That means their manager arranges for a licensed nurse to take report, give meds and do all treatments and assume all responsibility for the "clocked out" staffer. That clocked out staffer should not have to answer any patient care questions, take any pt related phone calls, do any tasks that will take "just a minute". If a patient codes, that nurse is off the clock and not their "responsibility". S/he will also get a full report on return from lunch.

In addition, these professionals will leave on time and do no work "off the clock". When patients ask Mary or John if they can just do one more thing, John or Mary will patiently explain (with a smile on their faces) that due to the professional regulations established by the facility, they are required to leave on time....and that is set by the management of the facility. Otherwise, they will be violating the rules set by their employer. Also, staffers should be sure to adhere very carefully to "the rules" when a relative of the CEO/CFO is a patient.....after all they especially need to see how well that "the rules" work.

After a few weeks of "following the rules", I have a feeling that "the rules" would change.......

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95% of the nurses I have met in my life - they don't get their breaks. If they do, they get interrupted every 5 minutes. No one covers them. They work off the clock and do not go through the trial of getting an exception sheet done. They get those lovely notices about how they cannot clock in early and get penalized if their work runs over 6 minutes beyond the hour. They get tagged with the "You need to manage your time better" on their evals when they stay after to take that shift change admission, or while staffing pulls and reassigns staff, after shift change, when someone does not show up, or emergencies occur during report...............

And someone is annoyed with adjusting time sheets.....................

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And they wonder why there is a shortfall of people staying in this profession.

Chantel Rushing · Mar 25, 2009

I have been asked by my employer to clock out for a meal break but I am the only licensed personnel on the clock from 10pm until 6am. I don't think this is legal. Does anyone know how I could find out.