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I work for a hospital in NJ that's recently updated their inclement weather policy. It prohibits workers from calling out on days with hazardous weather conditions (i.e. blizzards). In order to make employees arrive on time they are essentially requiring us to come to the hospital the day before a predicted weather emergency and stay overnight until our shift. There is no compensation for this. My question is whether this is legal or not. I've been looking through NJ Labor Rules and haven't really found anything pertaining to this specific practice and was hoping that someone shed some light on the subject.
Personally, I would have no problem coming in the day before if some form of monetary compensation were offered.
I worked in a hospital where, though I'm not sure it was policy, encouraged you to pack a bag if bad weather was headed our way. If you were at work when the storm hit and couldn't make it home, they would find a place for you to sleep (not paid, not their fault you couldn't get home) and then you would either work the next day or possibly help cover shifts for people who couldn't make it in (2nd/3rd or next day 1st). You WERE paid if you were working. I was generally okay with this policy because it's common sense. If you can't leave and others can't get in, they were willing to pay the overtime while still adhering to the laws (getting 8 hrs between shifts, ect) so the work could get done.
No offense, but the weathermen are almost never right. I'd be pissed if I had to, say, come in and sleep at the hospital on Monday because a storm was predicted for Tuesday. What happens if the storm is late and is coming on Wednesday? I'm not staying another night there! I very highly doubt they can force you to stay at the hospital. I also don't think they can expect you to risk your lives to get INTO work during a storm. If it's reasonable to do so and you just need to leave earlier, then yes, get your butt to work. But if roads are closed and your house is under 15 ft of snow? Really? You can't call in? There's no way that's legal.
I would have thought you would have union representation. That's where I would start.
Are you unionized? I not, I am surprised.
Unions are more common in public hospitals. NJ's has all private hospitals (thank god)... with the exception of hospitals associated with public med schools.
I worked in a hospital where, though I'm not sure it was policy, encouraged you to pack a bag if bad weather was headed our way. If you were at work when the storm hit and couldn't make it home, they would find a place for you to sleep (not paid, not their fault you couldn't get home) and then you would either work the next day or possibly help cover shifts for people who couldn't make it in (2nd/3rd or next day 1st). You WERE paid if you were working. I was generally okay with this policy because it's common sense. If you can't leave and others can't get in, they were willing to pay the overtime while still adhering to the laws (getting 8 hrs between shifts, ect) so the work could get done.
No offense, but the weathermen are almost never right. I'd be pissed if I had to, say, come in and sleep at the hospital on Monday because a storm was predicted for Tuesday. What happens if the storm is late and is coming on Wednesday? I'm not staying another night there! I very highly doubt they can force you to stay at the hospital. I also don't think they can expect you to risk your lives to get INTO work during a storm. If it's reasonable to do so and you just need to leave earlier, then yes, get your butt to work. But if roads are closed and your house is under 15 ft of snow? Really? You can't call in? There's no way that's legal.
That was our prior policy actually. I thought it was fair too. Apparently now they're trying to be proactive instead of reactive and I have the same exact qualms with that.
I'm a pharmacist and we don't have a union. I'm not sure about nurses or miscellaneous other hospital workers. I'd have to assume they're not unionized either or they would be up in arms about this.
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