Hospital Employees Reach $9.5M Settlement Over Unpaid Training at Work

Nurses and respiratory therapists who filed suit alleging unpaid training at work are seeking approval of a proposed $9.5 million settlement with their employer.

St. Charles Health System Inc. allegedly required the nurses to take tests and earn additional certifications without being paid overtime wages for their time. The nurses say the additional training was not necessary by law, but was a condition of employment.

The settlement motion regarding the unpaid training at work said, “This settlement was not hastily or casually reached. The parties met for three in-person settlement sessions over a 15-month period before reaching any agreement.”

Unpaid Training at Work Lawsuit Took Years

Lead plaintiff Carol G. filed suit against the hospital in 2013, alleging the company had violated Oregon laws and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Beginning in 2008, nurses were required to undergo extra training and obtain additional certifications but allegedly were not paid for that time. Their additional schooling consisted of class time, assignments, reading and studying of subjects such as neonatal resuscitation, general management, trauma evaluation, and a variety of other certification programs.

Nurses often work 12-hour shifts, but training time pushed their hours beyond 12 hours a day or beyond 40 hours per work week. The Fair Labor Standards Act defines a workweek as “any fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours – seven consecutive 24-hour periods.”

Employees at St. Charles Bend, St. Charles Redmond, St. Charles Madras and St. Charles Prineville are included, in addition to workers with Air Life of Oregon. Current and previous employees who worked for any of the mentioned hospitals from Dec. 12, 2005 to the present may qualify for a portion of the settlement.

The unpaid training at work lawsuit also alleges that St. Charles Health System failed to pay employees who left the company a final paycheck within the time frame allowed by law.

At first, St. Charles Health System contested the lawsuit. Finally, both sides came to the table to begin settlement negotiations in the middle of 2014.

According to the unpaid training at work settlement motion, 1,102 former and present employees would split $6.365 million. Fifty-one of those employees opted to become named plaintiffs, and they will each receive $9,803.93 as an incentive award for their “time, effort and willingness to participate in and prosecute this class action lawsuit.”

The remaining 1,051 plaintiffs will receive approximately $5775 each.

If the Oregon federal judge approves the settlement, the lawyer representing the nurses, Roxanne L. Farra, would like to see $2.375 million has her portion. She says she worked more than 5,000 hours on the case and that none of the Class Members expressed an issue with her requested fee.

The Unpaid Training at Work Lawsuit is Case No. 6:13-cv-00019 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.

Join a Free Wage & Hour Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you were forced to work off the clock or without overtime pay within the past 3 years, you have rights – and you don’t have to take on the company alone.

Get a Free Case Evaluation Now