Whether you’re starting a new job at a hospital, joining a staffing agency, or moving into a specialized nursing role, training and onboarding are an essential part of the process. California law makes it clear: if the training is required by your employer, you must be paid for that time — even if it occurs before your official “start date” or outside of your normal work hours. Unfortunately, many healthcare employers try to sidestep these laws, asking nurses to attend unpaid orientations, complete online training modules on their own time, or shadow other staff members without pay. These practices are unlawful, and if you’ve been denied wages for training or onboarding, you may be entitled to back pay and penalties. At RN Counsel, our attorneys focus exclusively on protecting the rights of nurses. We understand how hospitals and agencies operate — and how they sometimes use onboarding as a loophole to avoid paying new hires. We know how to fight back.
Under both California labor law and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), time spent in training, orientation, or onboarding is considered hours worked and must be paid if:
In other words: if you have to be there, you have to be paid.
Paid training time for nurses can include:
Mandatory sessions covering policies, procedures, or workplace rules.
Hands-on instruction for using medical equipment, performing procedures, or meeting new compliance standards.
Instruction on charting systems like Epic or Cerner.
Time spent following another nurse to learn workflow.
Fire drills, infection control, HIPAA compliance, etc.
BLS, ACLS, PALS, or other certifications required for your position.
Recertification or policy updates required by the employer.
Even if you complete them at home, if they are required, you must be paid.
Employers often try to avoid paying for training by:
If training is necessary to perform your job, it’s not truly voluntary — and it must be paid.
Some employers set your start date after training ends to avoid paying wages for the training period. This is illegal if you were required to attend.
Assigning required modules to complete on your own time without pay is a violation.
If the training directly relates to your current job and benefits the employer, it must be paid — regardless of whether it also benefits your career.
In most cases, training time must be paid at your regular rate, including shift differentials if applicable.
If you are required to travel for training — for example, to a corporate office or another facility — the time spent traveling during normal work hours must be paid. Additionally, you may be entitled to expense reimbursement for mileage, lodging, meals, or parking under California Labor Code § 2802.
The FLSA sets the federal baseline for training pay, but California law is often more protective. California courts have generally interpreted “hours worked” broadly, meaning more situations qualify for pay. In healthcare, this is especially important because of:
If your employer fails to pay you for required training or onboarding, you may be entitled to:
If multiple nurses at your facility were affected, the case may qualify as a class action, significantly increasing potential recovery.
You have the right to:
A large California hospital system required new nurses to complete 12 hours of Epic EHR training before starting their first shift. The hospital delayed the nurses’ start dates so the training period was unpaid. This violated California law, and the nurses successfully recovered back pay plus penalties through legal action.
Save agendas, emails, and sign-in sheets showing you attended.
Keep your own log of hours spent in training, including online modules.
Retain emails or messages from supervisors requiring you to attend.
This protects you from retaliation and ensures your claim is presented correctly.
At RN Counsel, we’ve seen the many ways employers in the healthcare industry try to avoid paying for required training and onboarding. Our attorneys have the experience and legal knowledge to identify violations, calculate back pay, and recover the compensation you deserve.
When you hire RN Counsel, you get:
If you have attended training, orientation, or onboarding without pay, you may be entitled to significant back wages and penalties. These claims have strict deadlines, so it’s important to act quickly.
📞 Call RN Counsel today at (424) 252-4711 for a free, confidential consultation with one of our qualified attorneys. We’ll review your situation, explain your rights, and fight to recover every dollar you’ve earned.
Yes. If you cannot perform your job without the training, it must be paid.
Generally no. Training time should be paid at your regular rate, including differentials.
Yes, if the training was required.
If it’s required by the employer, you must be paid regardless of the official date.
Yes, if it occurs during normal work hours, and you may also be entitled to expense reimbursement
Yes. If you cannot perform your job without the training, it must be paid.
Generally no. Training time should be paid at your regular rate, including differentials.
Yes, if the training was required.
If it’s required by the employer, you must be paid regardless of the official date.
Yes, if it occurs during normal work hours, and you may also be entitled to expense reimbursement