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??

[VANurse2010]

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.

Unpaid mandatory work (slavery) has been illegal since 1865. Any required attendance requires compensation for non-salaried employees.

[BiohazardBetty]

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?

We have to sign a sheet that is kept in a log book.

[kakamegamama]

Unpaid mandatory work (slavery) has been illegal since 1865. Any required attendance requires compensation for non-salaried employees.

"Employee time from 1 to 7 minutes may be rounded down, and thus not counted as hours worked" Fact Sheet - Wage and Hour Division (WHD) - U.S. Department of Labor

[VANurse2010]

"Employee time from 1 to 7 minutes may be rounded down, and thus not counted as hours worked" Fact Sheet - Wage and Hour Division (WHD) - U.S. Department of Labor

That's not the same as requiring someone to be in work at a specific time.

[kakamegamama]

That's not the same as requiring someone to be in work at a specific time.

I was responding to your comment about slavery, and the equating the OP's situation to it. So, I'm not sure I understand your point.

[ProgressiveActivist, BSN, RN]

We have to sign a sheet that is kept in a log book.

Thats ridiculous. There is no way that I would sign that book. You said three nurses missed the huddle. Its a passing fad.

Sync your watch with the unit clock.You're not late until 0646.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Haven't read a single reply yet so forgive me if this has been addressed. Working off the clock is and should be strictly prohibited. If the meeting is mandatory all staff attending should clock in prior to the meeting.

Not to mention the small fact that I am not paid enough when I am working so why on earth would I work even 5 minutes for free??Believe me, if I am expected at a meeting I am getting paid for it. Add in the inconvenience of coming to the floor for this unpaid "huddle" and then needing to go back to the time clock to punch in for work and forget it! I am very surprised that attendance is as good as you say it is.

[ProgressiveActivist, BSN, RN]

If you clock in before 0630 they will have to pay for that 15 minutes for the mandatory pre - shift meeting.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

If management did this to us, I would purposefully walk in not one second before 0645.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Imagine if EVERYONE on your unit knew their rights and refused to come in off the clock. My how things would change, and fast.

It's risky to be on any unit off the clock. HIPAA is one; potential for injury another. Yea, you could slip on a wet spot on the floor, like I did, and bash your head, like I did. Glad I was on the clock.

The hospital/organization would wash their hands of you so fast your head would spin.

If I am doing anything work-related, you bet, I am on the clock. And getting paid.

[Libby1987]

If we're talking 5 min of a non patient care meeting that would make my day and patient care go better, and lead to a raise, this is not the hill I would die on. I have hills that I would and have died on, this wouldn't be one of them.

And if I slip and fall on unsafe hospital flooring while on my unit just minutes prior to my scheduled shift, I don't think "not being on the clock" would make a difference.

[Eru Ilúvatar]

If we're talking 5 min of a non patient care meeting that would make my day and patient care go better, and lead to a raise, this is not the hill I would die on. I have hills that I would and have died on, this wouldn't be one of them.

And if I slip and fall on unsafe hospital flooring while on my unit just minutes prior to my scheduled shift, I don't think "not being on the clock" would make a difference.

You are wrong, it does make a difference. For Workers Comp matters you must be working at the moment of an injury for the incident to be covered. If you fall in the parking lot workers comp wouldn't give you a dime, the same goes for working off the clock; the worker comp company investigation would contest the findings and you could loose your claim, the less claims they pay the more money they make so you better watch not to help them not pay.

As for the 5 min of non patient care meeting, well what about having those as part of the initial shift routine. As soon as everybody is there, go into the huddle and then go to the floor to work. But it should be done after everyone is clocked in and on duty, no unpaid BS, unless you are salaried and thats a different story.