I work as an APRN in Ky.We are salaried employees who work under a contract. I work more hours than what is outlined in the contract. Part o...

Question

I work as an APRN in Ky.We are salaried employees who work under a contract. I work more hours than what is outlined in the contract. Part of the contract is to maintain patients electronic medical records. We have all struggled to maintain the expected patient visits daily and complete all charting. We are working to correct this situation. My employer has decided that until all previous charts are completed he is going to withhold our pay even though we have worked 10-14 hours a day seeing patients, taking care of administrative duties, etc. There are days when I do not even get to take a lunch break (even though it is "scheduled"). Is it legal for him to withold pay for days worked?

Answer

No, he cannot refuse to pay you for hours you've already worked, however, as a salaried employee, even if your contract is based on pay for a certain number of hours, you are likely not restricted to only those hours. Particularly in a hospital setting, you work until the job is complete and someone else takes your shift, and that means getting your charting done before you leave, lunch break or bathroom break or not. If you don't feel you're being adequately compensated for this, it might be time to renegotiate your contract.