I’m using a throwaway as I don’t know which coworkers might recognize this and I don’t want to be recognized by my username. Looking for a bit of advice.
I work at a hospital in New Mexico, (US for those that don’t know.) We have monthly zoom meetings during our 30 minute lunch. We’ve been told that when we attend these meetings that we will not be paid because they are “voluntary” and we can listen to a recording later on. We recently switched time keeping systems and when hourly employees clock out for the day the system asks “Did you take your uninterrupted 30 minute lunch today? Yes or No.” Hourly staff has started saying “no” on these meeting days since we’re attending the meeting while we eat in our office instead of outside, cafeteria, etc. We’re now being told that unless a meeting is mandatory or you are unable to eat during the meeting, you will not be paid for the meeting. The problem is, if we don’t attend these meetings live, we have to watch the recording later on when we are on the clock. This makes it more challenging on us because down time is usually used to catch up on paperwork and review patient charts.
Staff are trying to organize to no longer attend these meetings, but is this wrong? I’m looking for who to contact with the department of labor, but wondering if my thinking that we should be getting paid is right. Thanks in advance for any help/advice.