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Tag Archives: #LawFirm

Meet Margaret!

Meet our Spring 2024 intern, Margaret Grinnell, who is a part of Professor Grant Reeher’s Political Science Internship course at Syracuse University. Margaret is in her final semester at Syracuse, studying International Relations, and is drawn to areas of civil law.

Margaret has had the opportunity to volunteer for the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society in her hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia. In this role, she completed paralegal work in the family law division, helping to support attorneys provide free legal assistance to low-income clients. At Syracuse, she completed a research assistantship with the Muslim Family Law Index Project, assessing legal reform in fifty-three countries. Through these experiences, Margaret gained a passion for legal accessibility and research.

At Satter Ruhlen Law Firm, Margaret is learning about the continuing evolution of labor law legislation, and is developing an interest in advocating for employee rights. She has observed depositions, interacted with clients, and participated in discussions of case law. Different from her previous experiences, at Satter Ruhlen, Margaret has gained a new perspective in the legal field, researching and learning about how employees and unions are protected under the law.

Margaret says her experience at Satter Ruhlen has given her clarity and confidence in her plans to move forward with a career in law. She notes, “Observing the diverse caseload at the firm has allowed me to understand different legal procedures which has enriched my legal understanding.”

We’ve certainly enjoyed having Margaret with us this semester, and we’re excited to watch her pursue a legal career!

 

 

Illegal Mandatory Overtime for New York Nurses

 

Imagine you’re an LPN working at a nursing home, and you haven’t had a day off in two weeks. The nursing home is short-staffed. Management says they’re trying to hire, but you don’t see them trying very hard.  You need the job, so you keep on working. And working. And working.  You need to take your child to the dentist, there is a mountain of laundry, and you really need to get snow tires.  And you need a nap! But there’s no time, because they keep scheduling you for back-to-back shifts.

Now, imagine you’re coming to the end of yet another double. You put in for time off three weeks ago. You’re really looking forward to that nap!

Then the scheduler announces that you are being mandated for overtime. Your heart sinks. No time now for the dentist. No laundry, no snow tires. No nap! You have a feeling that something isn’t right, but you’re not sure who can do anything about it. What’s a nurse to do?

Good news:  the New York State law on mandatory overtime for nurses has been amended. Employers are not allowed to require mandatory overtime for nurses except in emergency situations – defined as a health care disaster, a state of emergency, an unforeseen emergency that the employer could not plan for, or during a medical procedure where the nurse is needed. Note that emergency situations do not include chronic staffing shortages! This law applies to registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs).

The amendment sets up civil penalties for violations, as well as requiring the employer to pay an additional 15% of overtime to the nurse. These penalties only kick in after the New York State Department of Labor completes an investigation and concludes that the law was violated. Nurses who believe that their employers are violating the mandatory overtime protections should speak with their union representative or a New York State workplace lawyer.

And then they should take a good long nap.

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