Michigan Unpaid Wage Lawyer – Nurses & Health Care Aides

Nurses and health care workers work hard to take care of us, and deserve to be paid every cent they earn.

Nurses and health care aides perform an important role in society providing patients and families with comfort, treatment, and relief. Yet many aren’t adequately paid for the all of the time they put in.

“Off the Clock” Uniform Laundering

Most nurses and health care workers are required to wear uniforms in their jobs, but workplace policies regarding the procurement and upkeep of those uniforms can have an impact.

For example, hospitals, clinics, and medical offices mandate that nurses, nursing assistants, and other hourly workers:

• Clean and press uniforms “off the clock” in the absence of onsite laundry facilities
• Purchase uniforms from a single vendor, which can limit the choice of clothing and apparel that might be easier to launder

Despite not being paid for the time spent properly washing, ironing, and maintaining work-related clothing, in many cases a nurse’s failure to comply with these policies can result in being sent home without pay to change into a clean and wrinkle-free uniform, subjected to disciplinary action, or even terminated.

Telephone Advice Nurse Wages & Overtime

Many hospitals, health care providers, and health systems across the U.S. employ registered nurses to triage patients’ medical concerns and questions over the phone, but some of those employers rob call-in nurses of their hard-earned wages and overtime pay by failing to pay them for time spent:

• Logging into company computer networks and software programs applications before commencing their daily shifts
• Logging out of computer networks and software applications after ending their daily shifts
• Logging back into computer networks and software applications after meal breaks
• Performing other job-related tasks when not handling patient calls

Whether the RNs are full-time or part-time, and regardless if they work from home, brick-and-mortar call centers, or onsite at hospitals and clinics, these unpaid “off the clock” tasks can account for several minutes each week, often beyond the forty-hour workweek for which nurses may be entitled to time-and-a-half overtime pay.

The lawyers in Sommers Schwartz’s Employment Litigation Group have fought for nurses, nursing assistants, medical technicians, health care workers, and thousands of other hourly workers in wage and overtime disputes. If your employer has withheld your pay, we can fight for you, too.

Please contact us today to learn how we can help.