NAPE Member Maureen Scanlon is a Licenced Practical Nurse at the Western Nebraska Veterans’ Home in Scottsbluff. In September, Maureen was unfortunately physically assaulted by one of the Veterans’ Home residents. The attack resulted in serious injuries and Maureen was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance.
Upon her recovery from the attack, Maureen sent the required medical release forms to NDVA Human Resources in order to return to work with some accommodations. Despite submitting all necessary paperwork, Maureen was told the agency could not accommodate her restrictions and that she would remain in an unpaid status until she could perform all her work duties as normal. This resulted in a total of 8 workdays of lost wages for Maureen when she was ready and willing but otherwise denied the opportunity to work.
Maureen reached out to NAPE for assistance, and a grievance was soon filed. The grievance argued that NDVA violated the contract by failing to allow Maureen to return to work with restrictions after she had been cleared by her doctor and supplied all required documentation. Maureen prevailed in the grievance, with NDVA recognizing it had improperly denied her the ability to work under restrictions. Maureen received back pay for the 8 days she was denied the opportunity to work.
It can be difficult for employees to navigate situations like these by themselves, so we encourage you to contact us right away for assistance in workplace safety issues. Our NAPE field staff are here to help advise you through this process and ensure our contract is being followed.