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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Bryan Lentz
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Lentz votes to ends mandatory overtime for health-care workers
HARRISBURG, Oct. 8 – State Rep. Bryan R. Lentz, D-Delaware, said legislation he co-sponsored that would prohibit hospitals and other health-care facilities from forcing nurses and other direct patient care workers to work overtime has passed the House and Senate.
The bill now goes to the governor, who has said that he will sign the bill into law.
"Nurses and other health-care workers should not be placed in a situation where they must choose to treat patients while they are sleep-deprived, or refuse and fear retribution," Lentz said. "That's not fair to the employee who may have family and personal responsibilities, and it certainly is not fair to the patient who is expecting quality medical care. It's simply common sense to understand that when someone is tired, they won't perform at 100 percent."
The legislation (H.B. 834) prohibits hospitals and other health-care facilities from mandating overtime for health-care workers except in specific emergencies or when unforeseen staffing shortages could compromise patient safety. While the bill allows health-care providers to voluntarily work overtime, it prohibits hospitals from disciplining or firing those who refuse to work overtime.
"There are 1,200 nurses in my legislative district alone who stand to benefit from this measure," Lentz said. "This bill would improve a health-care provider's ability to perform his or her job functions, yet also allow for more quality time to be spent at home with family. That means improved morale both at home and in the hospital, and a better standard of patient care.
"Hospitals should no longer continue to rely on mandatory overtime to cover a staffing shortage. Instead, additional employees should be trained and hired, rather than requiring current employees to put in excessive and unsafe hours."
According to a study, "Time After Time: Mandatory Overtime in the U.S. Economy," one of the occupations most affected by mandatory overtime is nursing in hospitals, where chronic understaffing often leads nurses to work additional hours in less than ideal physical and emotional condition.
A survey by the American Nurses Association found that half of nurses reported working as many as 10 hours beyond their normal work week, and almost one in five said he or she worked between 60 and 80 hours almost every week.