A nursing union at Hartford HealthCare-owned Backus Hospital in Norwich is seeking to end what it says is “dangerous” and “illegal” mandatory overtime work.
State law bans mandatory overtime according to expanded legislation that went into effect Oct.1, 2023. Hospitals are not allowed to require nurses to work more than 12 hours — one shift — in a 24-hour period, or more than 48 hours a week. The law’s intent is to reduce the risk of medical errors arising from fatigue, and to prevent worker burnout.
But Backus Hospital’s nursing union, which represents over 400 caregivers, is alleging that hospital management is violating that state law. The group filed an injunction in state Superior Court Tuesday seeking to stop hospital administrators from directing nurses to be “on call” immediately following the completion of their 12-hour shifts.
"Patient care is on the line — that's why we're asking a judge to step in," said Sherri Dayton, a registered nurse, and president of the Backus Federation of Nurses, in a statement. "We warned floor managers of the danger back in late August when they started directing nurses to be ‘on call' and then work beyond their 12-hour shifts. They've left us no choice but to seek legal intervention on behalf of our patients.”
A Hartford HealthCare spokesperson in a statement said “we are surprised and disappointed by the complaint as we have been collaborating with AFT to establish a sub-committee on this specific matter.
“As a long-standing, common industry practice, nurses are assigned their on-call shifts and have the flexibility to work with their colleagues to adjust their schedules if they prefer,” the spokesperson said.
