Nurses and other healthcare workers often spend their own money on work-related expenses — from scrubs and medical equipment to mileage for patient visits to using their cell phones to track and submit their hours. California law makes it clear: your employer must reimburse you for all necessary work expenses you incur in the course of your job. Yet many healthcare employers ignore or underpay these reimbursements, leaving nurses and other healthcare workers to shoulder costs that legally belong to the employer. At RN Counsel, we fight for those who have been denied expense reimbursements. We understand the scope of expenses that come with working in the healthcare field and know how to hold hospitals, clinics, and staffing agencies accountable for every dollar they owe.
Under California Labor Code Section 2802, employers are required to reimburse employees for all necessary expenses or losses incurred in direct consequence of the discharge of their duties or in obedience to employer directions.
In plain language:
If you spend your own money on something you need to do your job, your employer must pay you back.
Necessary expenses for nurses can include, but are not limited to:
If the employer requires a specific type, color, or brand.
If the employer requires using personal cell phones to track and submit work hours or for any other work-related reason.
Stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, thermometers, penlights, etc.
Specialty nursing shoes or slip-resistant footwear mandated by the employer.
Mileage, tolls, and parking for traveling nurses or home health visits.
Tablets, laptops, or internet service required for charting or telehealth services.
If required by the employer for work eligibility.
Costs paid out-of-pocket as a condition of employment.
Common ways employers fail to reimburse nurses include:
Employers sometimes give a small uniform allowance that doesn’t cover actual expenses. California law requires full reimbursement, not partial.
Some employers create burdensome reimbursement processes or reject claims without valid reason.
Requiring nurses to provide their own supplies, technology, or PPE without reimbursement.
California follows the IRS standard mileage rate (updated annually), and underpaying this rate is a violation.
This is irrelevant — the law requires the employer to reimburse directly, not leave it for the employee to claim later.
Traveling nurses often face unique reimbursement issues. While travel stipends are common, they must be sufficient to cover actual required expenses. If the stipend is less than your actual costs, you may still be entitled to additional reimbursement.
Examples:
When employers fail to reimburse expenses:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some hospitals required nurses to provide their own PPE — from N95 masks to face shields — without reimbursement. This was a direct violation of California Labor Code Section 2802. In such cases, nurses could recover the cost of PPE plus interest for delayed reimbursement.
Speak to an Attorney Early: If your employer delays, denies, or retaliates, legal help is critical.
At RN Counsel, we know the financial burden employees face when employers cut corners on reimbursements. We have successfully represented nurses in recovering unpaid expenses, interest, and penalties from hospitals, clinics, and staffing agencies.
When you choose us, you get:
If you’ve been forced to cover work-related expenses out of your own pocket, you may be entitled to full reimbursement. These claims often have strict time limits, so act now.
📞 Call RN Counsel today at (424) 252-4711 for a free, confidential consultation with one of our qualified attorneys. Let us review your expenses, calculate what you’re owed, and take swift action to recover your money.
Only if it fully covers the cost of required uniforms. If not, you are entitled to the difference.
Yes, but they must reimburse you if it’s required for your job.
You may still be entitled to reimbursement if you can provide reasonable proof of the expense.
Yes. Paying less than the IRS standard rate is a violation unless the employer can prove actual costs are lower.
If you are misclassified and really function as an employee, you may still be entitled to reimbursement.
Only if it fully covers the cost of required uniforms. If not, you are entitled to the difference.
Yes, but they must reimburse you if it’s required for your job.
You may still be entitled to reimbursement if you can provide reasonable proof of the expense.
Yes. Paying less than the IRS standard rate is a violation unless the employer can prove actual costs are lower.
If you are misclassified and really function as an employee, you may still be entitled to reimbursement.