How many of you have blackout periods at work?

Simplepleasures · Jan 28, 2008

Just wondering if we are the only ones that have a blackout period at Christmas. For about two weeks we cannot take vacation or holiday days. We can only take our days off. I was told that this was because the same people were getting Christmas off (senority) and it saved having to deal with that. But rumor is that is was done because the DON have to come in when a whole unit called in sick?
Anyone else like that?

Whoa, I at first thought you meant blackouts as in drank too much alcohol! :eek:

Yes we always had a period from about a week before Thanksgiving to after New Year that we could not take vacation or days off.

Quickbeam, BSN, RN · Jan 28, 2008

At my former hospital, we were blacked out from Thanksgiving until 1/10. Forever. As someone whose entire family was 1200 miles away, it meant I could never under any circumstances* get away during the holidays. Not even once every 10 years. It really bothered me, enough to change specialties. I now work community health and take all the time I want off over the holidays.

*The exception was pregnancy. The predictable outcome was that our birth rate around the holidays was legendary.

P_RN, ADN, RN · Jan 28, 2008

Yes same as Quickbeam. Plus no sick day pay off before or after a holiday.

allnurses Guide · Jan 28, 2008

Wow, I've never heard of that.

We just take turns. Or put out a schedule and people write down what they would prefer. One nurse always asks for Thanksgiving off since that is the big gathering for her family. She will work Christmas, New Years, whatever . . to get Thanksgiving off.

I don't see why a rotating schedule can't work.

steph

SDS_RN, RN · Jan 28, 2008

Our facility is the same way. We cannot request any time off over the Christmas season. We are also now being asked not to request vac. time from March until May because we are going paperless and also being asked to work extra shifts during this time.

BillieRN · Jan 28, 2008

Our facility has a schedule posted each year with set holidays that we are required to work. If you work Christmas, you are off Christmas Eve. No you can not put in for vacation during your holiday but you can swap out the day with coworkers. Is seems to work well on our unit.

perfectbluebuildings, BSN, RN · Jan 28, 2008

Anytime from January to March.

We can request single particular days off, but no vacation time allowed.

Midwest4me · Jan 28, 2008

Wow I first thought you meant forgetful periods or bps(brain pauses as we older nurses call them!)! Ha!

No blackout periods at our hospital--many people take off the week of any given holiday; if you have time on the books, it has to be granted to you(scheduler does of course take in consideration others' requests too and the issue of seniority always plays a role).

hikernurse · Jan 28, 2008

We are limited to how many people can take vacations from Thanksgiving to New Years and it's first come first served. They are pretty good about letting you have specific days off as long as you work the number of hours you are scheduled. We work every other Christmas (includes both day and eve) and if you worked the year before, you're clear...except you end up working both Thanksgiving and New Years. Hopefully this won't change in the next year since I worked last Christmas .

hikernurse · Jan 28, 2008

Wow I first thought you meant forgetful periods or bps(brain pauses as we older nurses call them!)! Ha!

These I have every morning as I give report, LOL :bugeyes: .

kcochrane · Jan 28, 2008

Guess I should have worded the subject line better.