Effective Date of Emergency Regulations Issues Regarding Mandatory Overtime for Nurses Extended to October 6

On July 9, the New York Department of Labor reissued emergency regulations (first adopted on April 28, 2010) which extend the effective date of the emergency regulations to October 6, 2010. As we previously reported in the May 2010 issue of the New Jersey eAuthority, these new regulations: 1) clarify circumstances under which various types of emergencies will allow health care employers to use mandatory overtime to cover nurse staffing needs; (2) set forth the minimum elements to be addressed in the required Nurse Coverage Plan; and (3) require that the Plan be posted and made available to the Commissioner, nursing staff and their employee representatives.