Sutter Hospitals Paying Penalties for Missed Breaks

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.calnurse.org/media-center/press-releases/2007/october/page.jsp?itemID=32309086

For Immediate Release
October 11, 2007

Sutter Hospitals Paying Penalties for Missed Breaks - Nurses Say It’s Often Unsafe to Take Needed Breaks

Registered Nurses at Sutter Health hospitals, who are on strike to demand the hospital address their concerns for improving patient care, are noting that at least two Sutter hospitals have paid out nearly $2 million in penalties for nurses who were unable to take breaks due to inadequate staffing.

Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, a Sutter affiliate with facilities in Berkeley and Oakland, RN paid out $1,974,131 to nurses in state required penalty pay for missed meals and breaks in 2005 and 2006, as reported by the hospital to the nurses.

But the RNs say they would much rather Sutter adhere to the state mandated RN ratios at all times so that nurses can safely take breaks, without endangering patients.

Two areas where the staffing concerns have resulted in large penalty payments are emergency rooms, a total of $247,887 in payments, and labor and delivery, $359,182.


FULL story at link.

[sandnsea]

1. It's cheaper to pay the penalties

Looks that way to me. That's what happens when you cap this stuff and don't support high cost law suits. The bean counters come along and calculate you right out of your labor health and safety standards. The nurses are going to have to add some zeros before they get anyone to pay attention.

[trashcanistanista]

2. Actually, they have figured a way around it =

now all of the time clocks are programmed to not accept your punch if you clock out for a break and are called back to work. You can't clock back in until 30 minutes have elapsed. If you are busy and can't return to the time clock to punch in despite the fact that you missed your break, you are docked for the pay. They are now making money on missed breaks.