Ban on Mandatory Overtime!

JUSTICE FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS

Take Action to Support Ban on Mandatory Overtime for healthcare Workers. Please contact Vermont House General Affairs members to tell to support H.268 - ban on mandatory overtime.

H.268/S.80 bans mandatory overtime, except in emergency situations, and recognizes the growing danger to patient safety posed by forced overtime practices. The bill applies to health care workers in hospitals and creates an exception for emergency situations.

We need your help. Below is a list of the Committee Members and their phone numbers. You can also call the Sgt-At-Arms and leave messages for them there at 802-828-2228. Below the list of names is more information and talking points about mandatory overtime in healthcare and hospitals.

Legislators who are on the House General, Housing and Military Affairs committee:

Rep. Helen Head of South Burlington, Chair
862-2267
hhead@leg.state.vt.us
helen.head@myfairpoint.net

Rep. Joseph Baker of West Rutland, Vice Chair
438-9819/773-9121
jbaker@leg.state.vt.us
littledodgetruck@cs.com
joseph.baker@ae.ge.com

Rep. John Moran of Wardsboro, Ranking Member
896-9408
jmoran@leg.state.vt.us

Rep. Kesha Ram of Burlington, Clerk
881-4433
kram@leg.state.vt.us

Rep. Brian Savage of Swanton
868-3566/782-9314
bsavage@leg.state.vt.us

Rep. Bob South of St. Johnsbury
748-0878/748-5111
rsouth@leg.state.vt.us
vtrepsouth@gmail.com

Rep. Tom Stevens of Waterbury
897-7031/89
wstevens@leg.state.vt.us

Message: Please vote "yes" on H.268, the bill to ban mandatory overtime at Vermont hospitals.

Protect patients.
Protect the nursing profession.
Support the Ban on Mandatory Overtime.

H.268/S.80 bans mandatory overtime, except in emergency situations, and recognizes the growing danger to patient safety posed by forced overtime practices. The bill applies to health care workers in hospitals and creates an exception for emergency situations.

Mandatory overtime is unsafe for patients

It is common sense that forcing healthcare employees to work longer shifts could increase the likelihood that they may be involved in a serious medical error that could result in patient injury.

Mandatory overtime is becoming a regular way to staff facilities

Instead of hiring enough nurses to meet patients’ needs, understaffed hospitals often order nurses to work back-to-back 8-hour shifts or four extra hours on top of a 12-hour shift.

Mandatory overtime contributes to the national nursing shortage

Nurses are refusing to work in hospitals with unsafe conditions; being forced to work unplanned overtime hours is considered unsafe.

15 states have restrictions on the use of mandatory overtime for nurses
CT, IL, MD, MN, NJ, NH, NY, OR, PA, RI, WA, WV

These states have provisions in regulations: CA, MO, TX
These states have included mandatory overtime in staffing bills: MI, NY, TX
These states have 2009 proposed legislation: AK, IL, MA, NY, VT, WA.