Common use of Low Census Days Clause in Contracts

Low Census Days. ‌ 12.1 Due to fluctuating patient census, it may become necessary to reduce staff on a day-to-day basis, while at the same time keeping an adequate number of Registered Nurses (full-time and part- time) available with the qualifications necessary to accommodate the patients in the System. Low census reduction shall be instituted in the following order: Skill mix, Agency Overtime, Plus shifts /Needs Shift/Critical Shift Registered Nurses**, requests/volunteers, Per Diem Registered Nurses, all other Registered Nurses as determined by rotation within the Nursing Departments. **For Overtime Plus shifts /Needs Shift/Critical Shifts nurses only, they can remain at work over a request/volunteer, they agree to be compensated at their straight time hourly rate of pay until they reach overtime hours as defined in this Agreement. Rotation is based on the date of EL/low census and logged in each individual department. It is the responsibility of the Registered Nurses within those departments to make sure their dates are correct and logged in appropriately. Excused Leave Paid (ELP) and Excused Leave Unpaid (ELU) should be used in the case of low census to bring the employee’s paid hours up to, but not exceeding, the hours appropriate to their current FTE status. 12.2 Low census days shall be considered either paid or unpaid excused time off at the Registered ▇▇▇▇▇’s discretion. The Registered Nurse is accountable for requesting unpaid time and must communicate the request to the department Director for approval. If not specified, the time will be entered by the Department Director as Paid Leave. If a Registered Nurse is called off for low census days, the Registered Nurse will continue to accrue all paid benefits for the days off. 12.3 The System will attempt to give Registered Nurses at least one (1) hour notice not to report to work as scheduled. Registered Nurses will attempt to give the System at least two (2) hours’ notice when not able to report to work. Registered Nurses reporting at their regularly scheduled time and who then are asked to go home upon arrival due to low census shall receive one (1) hour of pay or actual hours worked whichever is greater. 12.4 Registered Nurses assigned a low census day may be placed on-call at the discretion of the System. If on-call, the Registered Nurse receives stand-by pay. If called in after being placed on call, call-in pay (one and one-half (1 ½) times base pay) begins at the start of the regularly scheduled shift time. If called back to shift at least (60) minutes prior to the regular shift start time, the Registered Nurse will receive the original pay rate. After this time, the Registered Nurse receives call-in pay (one and one-half (1 ½) times base pay) for hours worked when called-in and all floating guidelines will apply. 12.5 During period of extreme low census in a department where two (2) or more low census days per nurse per pay period are being mandated for full-time and part-time Registered Nurses, either the Association or the Department Manager shall initiate a meeting to discuss and develop a staffing plan until census improves.

Low Census Days. ‌ 12.1 Due to fluctuating patient census, it may become necessary to reduce staff on a day-to-day‐to‐ day basis, while at the same time keeping an adequate number of Registered Nurses (full-full‐ time and part- timepart‐time) available with the qualifications necessary to accommodate the patients in the SystemHospital. Low census reduction shall be instituted in the following order: Skill mix, Agency OvertimeOvertime Registered Nurses, Plus shifts /Needs Shift/Critical Shift Registered Nurses**Nurse, requests/volunteers, Per Diem Pool Registered Nurses, all other Registered Nurses as determined by rotation within the Nursing Departments. **For Overtime Plus shifts /Needs Shift/Critical Shifts nurses only, they can remain at work over a request/volunteer, they agree to be compensated at their straight time hourly rate of pay until they reach overtime hours as defined in this Agreement. Rotation is based on the date of EL/low census and logged in each individual department. If two or more Registered Nurses have the same EL date, the Registered Nurse with the most house‐wide seniority shall have the option to take the EL, day or stay and work. It is the responsibility of the Registered Nurses within those departments to make sure their dates are correct and logged in appropriately. Excused Leave Paid (ELP) and Excused Leave Unpaid (ELU) should be used in the case of low census to bring the employee’s paid hours up to, but not exceeding, the hours appropriate to their current FTE status. 12.2 Low census days shall be considered either paid or unpaid excused time off at the Registered ▇▇▇▇▇Nurse’s discretion. The Registered Nurse is accountable for requesting unpaid time paid time, and must communicate the request to the department Director for approval. If not specified, the time will be entered by the Department Director as Paid LeaveDirector. If a Registered Nurse is called off for low census days, the Registered Nurse will continue to accrue all paid benefits for the days off. 12.3 The System Hospital will attempt to give Registered Nurses at least one (1) hour hours notice not to report to work as scheduled. Registered Nurses will attempt to give the System Hospital at least two (2) hours’ notice when not able to report to work. Registered Nurses reporting at their regularly scheduled time and who then are asked to go home upon arrival due to low census shall receive one (1) hour of pay pay. When a Registered Nurse is requested by the Hospital to go home during a four (4), six (6), eight (8), ten (10), or twelve (12) hour shift due to lack of work, the Registered Nurse will be paid for actual hours worked whichever is greatertime worked, with a minimum of one (1) hour. 12.4 Registered Nurses assigned a low census day off shall not be required to remain available beyond the time the Registered Nurse is called off. The Hospital may request the Registered Nurse to be placed on-call at the discretion of the System“on call” for a scheduled shift. If on-callon‐call, the Registered Nurse receives stand-by pay. If call pay and, if the Registered Nurse is called in after being placed on callin, call-in pay (the Registered Nurse receives one and one-half one‐half (1 ½) times base pay) begins at pay for hours worked when called‐in. The Hospital may ask the Registered Nurse to work for straight time if called in before the start of the regularly scheduled shift timeshift. If called back to shift at least (60) minutes prior to the regular shift start time, the The Registered Nurse will receive has the original pay rate. After this right to deny the request of straight time, the Registered Nurse receives call-in pay (one and one-half (1 ½) times base pay) for hours worked when called-in and all floating guidelines will apply. 12.5 Pool Registered Nurses shall not be called in or assigned work in departments where Registered Nurses who have been assigned low census days off are qualified, oriented, available for work, and have notified the Administrator of the Day or the Administrative Manager. Registered Nurses who have been assigned low census days from their regularly assigned departments shall be offered shifts in other departments where they are qualified and oriented to work before Pool Registered Nurses are assigned to that department. 12.6 During period of extreme low census in a department where when more than two (2) or more low census days per nurse per pay period are being mandated for full-time taken by full‐time and part-time part‐time Registered Nurses, either the Association or the Department Manager shall initiate a meeting to discuss and develop a staffing plan until census improvesplan.