We nurses were interviewed by a labor department official in the NH I work at. The nursing home does not pay its nurses overtime even if they are required to stayover after their shift (sometimes waiting for the another nurse to come, or finishing up the work, counting the narcotics, giving the report) but they deduct the money from salary if a nurse is a minute late. Many times, another nurse is cought in traffic and comes half an hour late you are waiting for her, you are not paid for staying overtime, the nurse is not paid because she is late......... the facility saves some money by not paying anybody for that period.
The officer had all records with him, he asked me- you punched in 6:56 and you punched out 3:37 but why is it only 8 hours? We don't fool around and puch out late..we are always trying to finish up...and sometimes wait for someone to come....even if we finish the work early. There is hardly an occasion that I left floor early.
He asked if we take the designated brakes and do we ever leave the floor for brake. I don't recall a single day in my 10 months of employment with this NH that I left the floor for brake. I hardly have 10 minutes to go to the dinning room(designated only for patients, nurses don't have any brake room so far) and put someting in mouth. Even there I am interrupted 5 times.
I heard that the Labor department had not entered the building ever since the NH was established......It doesn't seem like a regular visit...what does that mean? Did anybody hear of Labor department visit in their facility? Is the facility in trouble? I hope not. I will find a job anywhere else but it is a matter of 280 people to whom it is a home.
