BAN ON MANDATORY OVERTIME FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS

WHEREAS, the health care industry is responding to the nursing and health professional shortage by increasing the overtime demands on employees; and

WHEREAS, health care employers are increasingly mandating overtime when employees refuse overtime requests; and

WHEREAS, nurses and health professionals overwhelmingly believe that the quality of patient care suffers when employees are forced to work overtime; and

WHEREAS, nurses and health professionals believe mandatory overtime contributes to nurse and health professional turnover at their workplace; and

WHEREAS, workers who refuse mandatory overtime face suspension, termination or other workplace discrimination; and

WHEREAS, in order to recruit and retain nurses and health professionals, FNHP/AFT supports enhanced working conditions to reduce stress; and

WHEREAS, FNHP/AFT believes patients in all health facilities deserve the highest quality care possible:

RESOLVED, that the Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals/AFT launch a national campaign to expose the negative impact on quality patient care of mandatory overtime and to prohibit the use of mandatory overtime for employees of health care facilities through legislation, collective bargaining efforts and any other appropriate means possible.