Unpaid Mandatory Meetings?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

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??

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Of course this could also be said of many places in the Midwest as well.
Differences between the upper Midwest and the lower Midwest are evident.

Parts of the upper Midwest (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, parts of Ohio) seem to have more unionized facilities. This translates into better pay and working conditions in those states, even in many of the nonunion facilities who must compete with union employers.

On the other hand, the lower Midwest (Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa) lacks widespread unionization and is filled with some of the lowest-paying facilities in the country.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
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.

There are a couple nurses that start work early, one almost an hour early everyday to read up on the patients. I don't understand why they want to work for free, this has been going on for years!

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Very slick corporate masters! Attempting to manipulate the peons into unpaid overtime. Must wonder how many meetings the big- wigs spent time as to how to screw the little guy.

If they had a heart or a brain , corporate masters would move the huddle time to 6:45.

Please tell the corporate masters.. you will not submit.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

This is in reply to the OP's post that this is not a hill to die on.

Its a slippery slope with management taking away people's rights, pay and violating boundaries all in the effect of saving money thru intimidation and wage theft. Five minutes may be small for a person, but in total it saves thems money and creates a coercive atmosphere. It is all the little things that add up to demoralize staff and make a lie of nurses being a professional. Don't dare be a minute late, no grace period, but come in early for free. Clock in and out to prove you had a lunch break whether you did or not and then have to worry about being late from lunch and that held against you! Trackers to watch your every movement! Sending people home involuntarily in the middle of the shift. Force all your staff to get the flu vaccine or be fired. Force your experienced nurses to get their BSN when they are nearing retirement and this without any compensation or tuition reimbursement while holding down your full time job! These tactics are reasons why we need a strong union like National Nurses United!

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This is in reply to the OP's post that this is not a hill to die on.

Its a slippery slope with management taking away people's rights, pay and violating boundaries all in the effect of saving money thru intimidation and wage theft. Five minutes may be small for a person, but in total it saves thems money and creates a coercive atmosphere. It is all the little things that add up to demoralize staff and make a lie of nurses being a professional. Don't dare be a minute late, no grace period, but come in early for free. Clock in and out to prove you had a lunch break whether you did or not and then have to worry about being late from lunch and that held against you! Trackers to watch your every movement! Sending people home involuntarily in the middle of the shift. Force all your staff to get the flu vaccine or be fired. Force your experienced nurses to get their BSN when they are nearing retirement and this without any compensation or tuition reimbursement while holding down your full time job! These tactics are reasons why we need a strong union like National Nurses United!

This is indeed an example of " a hill to die on".

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There are a couple nurses that start work early, one almost an hour early everyday to read up on the patients. I don't understand why they want to work for free, this has been going on for years!

If they are looking at records off the clock, that would be a HIPAA violation.

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OOH. I like that! Twist the corporate BS to the government BS.

Who has the bigger load of BS?

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Specializes in Oncology, Palliative Care.
This is in reply to the OP's post that this is not a hill to die on.

Its a slippery slope with management taking away people's rights, pay and violating boundaries all in the effect of saving money thru intimidation and wage theft. Five minutes may be small for a person, but in total it saves thems money and creates a coercive atmosphere. It is all the little things that add up to demoralize staff and make a lie of nurses being a professional. Don't dare be a minute late, no grace period, but come in early for free. Clock in and out to prove you had a lunch break whether you did or not and then have to worry about being late from lunch and that held against you! Trackers to watch your every movement! Sending people home involuntarily in the middle of the shift. Force all your staff to get the flu vaccine or be fired. Force your experienced nurses to get their BSN when they are nearing retirement and this without any compensation or tuition reimbursement while holding down your full time job! These tactics are reasons why we need a strong union like National Nurses United!

This is indeed an example of " a hill to die on".

Just to be clear, I never approached this a a hill to die on or not die on, y'all! LOL I just wanted to hear y'all's thoughts before I considered approaching the issue with the powers that be [emoji4]

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Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.

Perhaps you can complain anonymously through the labor board instead? Safer

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Perhaps you can complain anonymously through the labor board instead? Safer

No need to be sneaky. I still dont understand why in many cases nurses are afraid to stand up for their rights. Nurses are professionals, just like lawyers , accountants, etc. So we should start acting as professionals, that means in part being able to stand up for what is right for us. Get to the meeting and calmly explain why it is unprofessional to expect what management wants of the nurses of your unit.

Learn to say no, would you come in and work without clocking, just say no i am sorry i am not going to do that.

There is for some reason a perpetual fear on nurses to assert themselves, i dont get where this comes from. But until we learn our place, we wont be taken seriously.

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Specializes in Oncology, Palliative Care.
Perhaps you can complain anonymously through the labor board instead? Safer

No, if it's worth addressing then it's worth putting my name on it.

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Specializes in ED, Cardiac-step down, tele, med surg.

Sounds illegal to me. I would check the labor laws in your state. Never heard of an unpaid meeting. Morning huddles at my job take place after everyone is clocked in.

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