Unpaid Mandatory Meetings?

[BiohazardBetty]

The organization I work for has started making our morning "huddles" mandatory for each unit. In case you aren't familiar, it's where the charge nurse tells us a little about what to expect that day like pts with anticipated discharges or if a patient has blood or chemo ordered... They can be really beneficial or a complete waste of time, depending.

Most units have their huddles after they get report so the nurse knows more about the patient and can add to the info the charge shares. My unit, however, has them at 6:40, which is 5 minutes before you are required to clock in, & consequently, you are not paid for this 'mandatory' meeting.

Yes, it's only 5 minutes, but here's the thing- now our annual raises are based on several different factors, having 95% attendance at huddles is one of them. EVERYONE has to be there for the unit to meet the goal. One person missed today so, the whole unit's score for today is only around 80%. Yesterday 3 people missed so our unit's score was even lower. BUT, none of those people were late clocking in.

Can we really make anything mandatory before the time you are required to clock in? Wouldn't we be required to pay people to be in a mandatory meeting at any time? I want to be upset with the people who've missed, but I can't really justify being mad when they came to work on time & just didn't show up to a 5 minute meeting for free.

What are your thoughts??

[Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN]

I'm not sure I'd consider them unpaid if you are required to clock in by 6:45 at the latest. If you're not allowed to clock in earlier, and in time for the meeting, that would be an issue for me.

[BiohazardBetty]

You are required to clock in between 631 & 645, but you are not actually paid until 645, which is when the shift is considered to begin. If we were to clock in before 631, the organization would be required to pay us for that 15 minutes from 630-645.

[kidsmom002]

If management wants to make huddle mandatory then they need to wait to begin huddle until clock-in time. When my unit began morning huddle they tried starting before clock-in time but after a while caught on that people would not show up early just for that. They now wait until 0645 to begin. Sometimes you just have to wait it out until they figure it out on their own. If clock-in is 0645, then I feel no obligation to be there before then :)

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

IMO, any mandatory meeting involving employees who are paid by the hour should be paid.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Is this some magnetizing journey?

If all are required to clock in by 6:45, and the shift doesn't end until 7:00, that's 15 minutes of huddle time.

If it is any more than that, and they need to figure out how to do that accordingly.

And you are supposed to be paid from the time you clock in. If you are not being paid from the time you clock in, there's something wrong with that picture.

And don't ever get into a huddle and NOT be clocked in. It is a HIPAA thing.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

IMO, any mandatory meeting involving employees who are paid by the hour should be paid.

and i do believe that the labor board would agree with you.

[kakamegamama]

It is possible that an "at will" state won't be obligated to pay. And,nursing falls under a different category in some states that allows employers to require attendance at meetings without pay. That may fall under a employment law that allows certain categories of employees such as nurses to not be paid over time until they are past 40hr/week, i.e....if the employee is considered full time at 36 hrs/week but works 37-40in a week they would be paid standard hourly, not overtime.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

It is possible that an "at will" state won't be obligated to pay. And,nursing falls under a different category in some states that allows employers to require attendance at meetings without pay. That may fall under a employment law that allows certain categories of employees such as nurses to not be paid over time until they are past 40hr/week, i.e....if the employee is considered full time at 36 hrs/week but works 37-40in a week they would be paid standard hourly, not overtime.

i am thinking hourly is hourly

[ProgressiveActivist, BSN, RN]

This would not fly in a unionized hospital.

Put mandatory meeting at 0640 on your timesheet and charge for the overtime.

Personally I would skip it completely as it's illegal to work off the clock.

[BiohazardBetty]

This would nor fly in a unionized hospital.

Put mandatory meeting at 0640 on your timesheet and charge for the overtime.

Personally I would skip it completely.

If you skip it then you are affecting everyone's end of the year bonus/raise ! Unless the unit has 95% or greater attendance, the whole unit misses out on that point for a raise.

[ProgressiveActivist, BSN, RN]

I still wouldn't be coerced to working off the clock.

I would be part of the 5%.

How can this be tracked as long as you're on duty at 0645?