sleep time

[akflightmedic]

That is correct. All your calls must equal 181 minutes as that would mean you did not get 5 hours of uninterrupted rest. They are playing by the rules in that regard.

You need to change it by presenting facts and figures that gives them a reason to change it.

OR

Take longer on every call, drive the speed limit everywhere.

Another important thing to add into that time is run reports. If they are basing the 181 mins on call time alone, then they are in for a rude awakening when you add up the time for run reports, restocking, refueling and anything else job related before going to bed. You could even through in a shower or two as it is sometimes necessary to clean yourself after a particular call so you are nopt stinky for the next run..and since you got stinky doing their work, it is job related. There are many technicalities you can use to your advantage if they wish to play hardball....

[kristinaemtb]

AK, we take our time, trust me! But you can only take up so much time when our station is next door to our corperate office. And our hospital is 1 mile away with the gas station next to it.

[medstudent30]

My first job, we worked 24's. If you had less than 5 hours of down time, then you got paid the whole 24, other than that it was hour for hour.....meaning if we went to a call and got a refusal, we got one hour for 15 minutes or so of work. The next job that I worked 24's, we were paid 20/24 unless we ran one call during the day and one call after 1 am. Where I am now, you work 24 you get paid 24, as for down time, if its there it gets taken. So if I have my truck checked and all equipment accounted for as well as making it pretty.......and then I don't run any calls, I basically get to do what I want, when I want (as long as I ain't goin into a bar and gettin liquored up while on duty). [/font:4d97e6aded]

[AKmedik8or]

There was a similar 24 hour work schedule in Denver CO and you may be able to find the case law that went into the settlement against AMR in the favor of their employees'. I know several employees that received back payment for wages for their "sleep time".

If you have a duty to respond you should receive wages.

[Dustdevil]

Of course, there are other issues to sleep time besides pay.

The biggest question is, do you even get any sleep time? A lot of agencies for some bizarre reason have policies prohibiting sleep during the day hours. WTF? You have to catch sleep in this business when you can, because there will be many nights when you simply can't do it at night. Emergencies aren't scheduled. The employer may look at the run log and think, "they only made two runs last night, so they should have been able to get plenty of sleep!" but that doesn't tell the whole story. Usually those two runs were perfectly spaced out to allow you a grand total of maybe 3 or 4 hours sleep that night. Then the a-holes who relieve you the next morning come into the station at 0600 making as much noise as humanly possible with total disregard for your need to sleep.

24 hour shifts for EMS providers should simply be illegal in any high-volume (per unit) system. They contribute greatly to the burnout rate in this business, as well as promoting an atmosphere that is unsafe to both the patients and the crews. 24's are a retarded leftover from the FD roots that should have gone the way of MAST pants a long time ago.

[Scaramedic]

24's are a retarded leftover from the FD roots that should have gone the way of MAST pants a long time ago.

Hey don't be dissing MAST pants. :angryfire:

With a little spray paint they make a great robot halloween costume!

Peace,

Marty

:thumbleft:

[sickbxy]

We are on a shift dependent pay scale, more hours you are at work the less you get paid per hour. 24 hour cars get paid the less but they get paid for all the time they spend at the station.

[purpledriver38]

Here in Eastern Central NY we work 24 hr shifts and get paid for 24 hrs. The nature of our business is unpredictable so you sleep when you can and eat when you can. We now have an outpost we are required to staff 24/7 and it is great! You can almost guarantee a minimum of 5 hrs sleep a night while there & generally you are there every other shift. We only work 8 days a month - that's full time! You take the down time when it's there and deal with it - again, it's the nature of our business. Sleep when you get home!

[Ztenec]

Recently moved to a job that has 1 crew on for 24 with sleep time from 2300-0700 without pay during that time unless on calls. After reading this I'm interested to find out more but I have to wait until Monday. I also don't want to rock the boat too early... at least wait for the probationary period to end

*edit* there are other crews on, but just one 24... I'm a bit confused but I will surely see the light soon enough.

[epi-do]

I can't really comment on sleep time since the company I work for does not do 24 hr shifts. However, we were bought out the end of last year, and since that time they have begun deducting a 30 minute lunch from every shift you work. If you are unable to get that time at any point in your shift, you must fill out paperwork stating such so you don't get docked the time. A bunch of us were standing around talking about it, and a couple people made the comment that it wasn't legal because it doesn't matter if we are eating lunch or not, when a call comes in we have to take it.

I no longer have it at my fingertips, but I did research Indiana case law about the issue and found out that they can dock your pay when you are not busy in certain circumstances. From what I read, it all comes down to whether you are "waiting to engage" or "engaged to wait". The IN courts defined "engaged to wait" as a situation similar to being sent for stand-by at a football game. You may not actively be doing anything at the moment, but you are unable to go or do something else. If you are "waiting to engage" you are free to do things such as stop for lunch, run an errand, etc. The way the case law reads, your employer has the option of paying you anytime you are "waiting to engage", but must pay you the entire time you are "engaged to wait".

I don't necessarily agree with it, and think you should be paid the entire time you are on the clock, but at least around here they aren't doing anything illegal. Just because it is legal, doesn't make it right.