Nurses deprived of overtime claim employee rights violations

A group of nurses recently filed a class action lawsuit against Dignity Health, a health care system based in California. The nurses claim violations of their employee rights in the company’s failure to pay them the overtime they earned. According to the complaint, the number of nurses in and around Sacramento that were deprived of overtime money totals at least 1,200.

Court documents indicate that the nurses allege the software that Dignity Health used to record work hours was programmed to prevent anyone from logging work hours that exceeded 12 hours. However, they claim that prep time before and wrap-up time after each 12-hour shift required them to work 50 extra minutes on every shift. The nurses claim that these supportive services formed part of their shifts and that they are entitled to overtime compensation to cover those hours.

The plaintiffs accuse the defendants of knowingly depriving them of overtime remuneration because the pre- and post-shift work is a standard and routine requirement at Sacramento hospitals. As such, they claim the health care company must have been aware of it. Sometimes California workers in various industries are deprived of overtime for duly performed duties, but they find the prospect of standing up against their employers daunting.

This is where the skills of a California attorney who is experienced in fighting for employee rights come in. An attorney can assess the circumstances and launch a thorough investigation. The lawyer can explain the clients’ legal rights and the available options to enable them to make informed decisions about how they want to proceed. Legal counsel can then provide advocacy and the necessary support and guidance throughout ensuing proceedings.