How often do you use the "cancel meal deduction" option before clocking out?
During our employee orientation, the HR rep talked to us specifically about taking advantage of this. She said: "even if someone asks you a question while you are on your break, cancel your meal deduction-because your break was interrupted."
There's probably 1/5 or 1/6 shifts that I actually have time to take a 30 minute break. The rest, like most of us, I just work straight through, thirsty and starved with a full bladder.
Are you recouping with the "cancel meal deduction"?
Does your employer even offer that as an option?
I am glad that mine does- I cancel my meal deduction at least once a week. I try to use it sparingly- if I eat an "entree" at the desk, I consider that "time for a meal" and do not cancel.
I am just wary of if/when they will try to say that I am using it too often...
Specializes in Pharmaceutical Research, Operating Room.
When I was in the OR, I had the option to edit my timesheet to reflect this cancellation. I only did so if, obviously, I didn't get a break at all to eat anything during my 12 hour shift, or if I got my "lunch" break wayyyyyyy late into my 7a-7p shift. One time they tried to give it to me at 4p. Uh, no.........
Specializes in Pharmaceutical Research, Operating Room.
Now it is up to you guys. You back off, or you don't and if you do not, admin will have to solve it. (Either by scheduled breaks, hiring extra nurse).
Or, you refuse to be treated as less than crap by poor management, and you leave the hospital to find employment elsewhere. That's what I did. Admin did nothing to help solve the problem in my facility- I was blamed for not taking my scheduled break on multiple occasions, but how could I when I was the circulating nurse in the OR and no one came to relieve me? What, so I'm just supposed to peace out during surgery, go eat and hope to God that nobody needs anything and nothing happens to my patient while I'm gone???? Admin also.....prepare to be shocked here....had no answer for that question. And they sure as hell didn't hire more staff, they in fact had several experienced nurses quit during the time that I was there and expected the rest of us to pick up the slack.
Please understand, this is not a personal attack against you, and I mean no offense by this post. However, expecting admin/management to care enough to do anything about the problem was a completely unrealistic expectation, at least in my previous facility.
We were "spoken to" if we failed to clock out for meals. You could put in for an exception but you'd better have a stellar excuse. If you were unable to take breaks on a regular basis you were admonished about your time management.
I actually worked at a hospital that denied staff the clocking out with out a meal. Guess what, the labor board came in and they got caught. I received a check for what was due to me even though I was no longer employed at that hospital . I do know that there are big signs posted at the time clocks reminding staff to clock out no lunch if applicable.
I've worked at places I had to do it every single day. Standing next to
my tele monitors for 3 minutes waiting for my patient to re-arrest while eating half a slice of cold pizza is not a meal break. At other places where staffing is better the charge nurse or swing shift nurse relieves and we get a full 30
min. Trust and believe I will only take the pay hit if I get the break.
If it's a crazy shift for everyone, and we're all running around then I cancel my meal deduction. Otherwise I try and eat while I chart if it doesn't look like I'm gonna get a full break in. But I never hesitate to go to the bathroom when I need to.
A break isn't, by definition, a meal. It is uninterrupted time off the clock, where you are performing zero job duties.
Not charting, not sitting at the desk, not answering phones, not watching the tele monitor.
If you are doing those things and claim you took a break, you are violating labor law.
You are also perpetuating a problem where administration believes everyone has enough time to get a break, because everyone is claiming it.
If it is a widespread problem, you need to talk to the nurses doing it and tell them they are setting the hospital up for a lawsuit by their dishonest practices.
I never claim a break that I don't take, unless it's my fault I missed it because I was goofing on the clock. (Night shift shenanigans... what happens on Night Shift stays on Night Shift!)
There have been many lawsuits against companies for deducting time for breaks unfairly - enough so that facilities are pretty paranoid about it.
If you let your risk management or legal department know about what's going on, you will see some changes. You will be surprised how quickly.
How often do you use the "cancel meal deduction" option before clocking out?
Every time. If I don't get a break then I document it and demand to be paid for it.
The rest, like most of us, I just work straight through, thirsty and starved with a full bladder.
Not a freaking chance. If I need to take a whiz or drop a deuce, it's happening. I don't ask for permission, I attend to my own needs. Likewise food or hydration. Regardless of whether I get a formal break or not, I will help myself to water as needed and munch on my Kind bars if I'm hungry.
We were "spoken to" if we failed to clock out for meals. You could put in for an exception but you'd better have a stellar excuse. If you were unable to take breaks on a regular basis you were admonished about your time management.
Just curious, has anyone (or known someone who has) been disciplined for this alleged lack of time management skills? Or just spoken to about it?
I generally don't take a meal break, and I freely clock out "no lunch". I don't want my cubby-buddy (the nurse directly across the hall from me) to be saddled with an additional pair of critical patients during the 30 minutes I'm taking care of business. More importantly, I wouldn't want to be saddled with two extra patients in a vice versa situation. Fortunately, we are able to take hydration and dehydration breaks as needed.
I see what you're saying, and I have skipped breaks that I could have taken if I really needed to leave on time (getying paid for it, of course.) But what if you're working with a nurse who doesn't agree? Personally, I am not guilted out of my legally entitled break and I see I'm not alone in that on this thread. I'm not going to work ravenous with sore feet just because someone else chose not to... so if I was your cubby buddy you'd still be covering my pts. Likewise, I'm more than willing to cover if at all possible because I believe my colleagues' self care is important.
^^^ and just to clarify, if my neighbor is completely overwhelmed with a pt who is circling the drain and another who still has critical care needs, absolutely I would skip my break to help him/her and the patients. (Getting paid for it, of course. )
What I am referring to is garden variety nursing busy-ness that I would expect to work around.
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imintrouble, BSN, RN
2,406 Posts
I'm pretty sure that my manager is doctoring the time clock to block the meal exception punch.
If I complain bye bye job. Or work conditions are so bad I'm glad to be gone.
There is no win in this situation.