I feel I’m being treated unfairly at my job, is there anything I can do?
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I feel I’m being treated unfairly at my job, is there anything I can do?
I am a secretary at a hospital. I am completely untrained in patient care and have no experience. Yet my boss says that I am responsible for helping the nursing staff with patient care (1 on 1 with patient). I explained to my boss that I feel uncomfortable doing thisbut she insists that i am responsible for this. I feel I am being treated unfairly and compromising patient safety. Is there anything I can do?
Asked on February 18, 2012 under Employment Labor Law, Missouri
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
If you feel your employer is violating any laws in regard to medical care, in terms of the specific responsibilities it is asking you to undertake, you could try contacting the state agency which licenses hospitals, doctors, etc. to disclose the violation; if you do and your employer terminates you, you may have a legal claim or cause of action, since employers should neither require employees to break the law nor terminate/retaliate against them for reporting legal violations.
However, if there is no actual legal violations going on, simply that you are being asked to do things beyond your competence, then you probably do not have any recourse; the law does not prohibit employers from requiring employees to perform duties they are unqualified for, so long as there is no actual violation of law.
Note that if you do engage in patient interaction and a patient is injured due to your actions, there are situations in which you could potentially find yourself facing liability. If you are very uncomfortable with this situation or the possibility of liability if the worst happens, you may wish to consider seeking other employment.
In the meantime, the above is a general answer, based on general legal principals. Since this situation is of concern, you would be well advised to consult in detail with an employment law attorney about the specifics of your situation, before you decide what to do. Good luck.
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