Hospital employee unpaid meal breaks, time rounding class action lawsuit investigation

Attention nurses and other hospital employees: Are you getting paid for all the hours you work?

Have you worked through meal breaks without compensation? Are you paid for less time than you work due to rounding? You may be entitled to compensation. 

Healthcare professionals tirelessly dedicate themselves to others and deserve fair compensation for every hour they work. Yet, many hospital employees, including Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), and other hourly workers, find themselves unknowingly shortchanged due to the following:

Unpaid meal breaks: Federal law mandates that hospital employees be given an uninterrupted 20-30 minute meal break during the workday in order for it to be deducted from their pay. If you’ve worked through part or all of your meal breaks, you may be owed back pay for that time. 

Illegal time rounding: Hospitals often round clock-in and clock-out times, leading to significant wage losses over time. Even seemingly minor rounding adjustments can accumulate, especially over years of employment.

How time rounding works

Time rounding occurs when an employer automatically rounds employee clock-in and clock-out times to the nearest full or half hour. For example, if you clock in at 8:53 am, the time may be rounded to 9:00 am. Though seemingly trivial, these adjustments can amass into hours of unpaid work, particularly for hourly employees who must be compensated accurately for all time worked.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) allows employers to round clock-in and clock-out times as long as it is done in a way that is neutral. Time clock rounding becomes illegal when it leads to employees not receiving proper compensation for all their time. 

Missed break violations

As an hourly hospital employee, you’re entitled to uninterrupted meal breaks per federal and state labor laws. Your employer must provide breaks for shifts exceeding certain durations, ensuring you’re completely relieved of work duties during these periods. Failure to do so constitutes a violation of your rights under the FLSA.

“Bona fide meal periods are not worktime,” the FLSA states. They should be treated as rest periods in which the employee is completely relieved from all work duties. If your employer imposes work duties on you during your meal breaks, they may be violating the FLSA, and you may be entitled to compensation. 

Are you a hospital employee owed unpaid wages? 

Your dedication to caring for others deserves fair compensation. Every hour worked without proper pay adds up, and reclaiming those wages could significantly impact your financial well-being.

Whether you’re an RN, LPN, CNA, or any other hourly hospital worker affected by unpaid meal breaks or time rounding, you may have a right to compensation.

Fill out the form on this page to see if you qualify for a free case evaluation.