I am worth less for Christmas?!?!?

apaisRN, RN, CRNA · Dec 20, 2004

in order to get your health insurance (which spouses and children can not be covered..got that last Christmas)..you have to sign a waver giving our facility full rights to your medical records (which I believe is illegal but they won't insure you unless you sign!!!!)

Um, is someone looking into this? Even if it's legal it is WRONG. I would never want my employer looking at my medical records. I can just imagine the havoc they could wreak.

Purple Princess · Dec 20, 2004

To get holiday pay at our place you have to work the day before then the holiday and the day after to get the extra pay. We get our normal hours worked plus an additional days pay for not even being there:) so like thanksgiving i had to work my usual tuesday then thursday and of course the weekend to get that extra pay. At 32 hours we're considered full-time. I get health benefits from aetna and it's only 40 some dollars out of each pay. It's the full package. The best part was i didn't have to switch doctors and now will only have to pay 10 to be seen vs. almost 70 !!!:uhoh21: so the benefits are descent. we get 4 personal days after a year plus 5 vacation days and different things like that. The only thing that burns me up is how I'm getting the evil eye by some that I managed to get Christmas off and some didn't they think they should be oh so entitled just because they have kids. like oh i can't come in my kids sick, oh i need to take them somewhere, i need this night off to spend with them, and i need all the holidays off to spend with them. Meanwhile the ones that don't have kids end up being guilted into doing double shifts, extra days, the holidays and picking up the slack. Am I the only one to be unreasonable about this? The aides even spouted off and said the new ones should be the ones working the holidays. well this is 24 7 and 365 days a year type commitment. This line of work demands sacrifices cause the people need fed, cleaned up, comforted, whether it's the middle of summer or Christmas day.

OC_An Khe · Dec 20, 2004

And One Wonders Why There Is A Nursing Shortage. Rns Can Only Be Part Time To Save Money? Then Part Timers Get A Lower Holiday Differntial?

I Would Definetly Look For Another Employer

rach_nc_03 · Dec 20, 2004

To get holiday pay at our place you have to work the day before then the holiday and the day after to get the extra pay. We get our normal hours worked plus an additional days pay for not even being there:) so like thanksgiving i had to work my usual tuesday then thursday and of course the weekend to get that extra pay. At 32 hours we're considered full-time. I get health benefits from aetna and it's only 40 some dollars out of each pay. It's the full package. The best part was i didn't have to switch doctors and now will only have to pay 10 to be seen vs. almost 70 !!!:uhoh21: so the benefits are descent. we get 4 personal days after a year plus 5 vacation days and different things like that. The only thing that burns me up is how I'm getting the evil eye by some that I managed to get Christmas off and some didn't they think they should be oh so entitled just because they have kids. like oh i can't come in my kids sick, oh i need to take them somewhere, i need this night off to spend with them, and i need all the holidays off to spend with them. Meanwhile the ones that don't have kids end up being guilted into doing double shifts, extra days, the holidays and picking up the slack. Am I the only one to be unreasonable about this? The aides even spouted off and said the new ones should be the ones working the holidays. well this is 24 7 and 365 days a year type commitment. This line of work demands sacrifices cause the people need fed, cleaned up, comforted, whether it's the middle of summer or Christmas day.

i'm a weekend option employee, and I'm considered full-time at 30 hours a week. when i took the job, the manager was desperate, so I got her to bump up the hours for the position to 30 from the offered 24, so I could get health insurance (I'm also in nursing school full-time, so I needed the insurance because of medical problems I have). When she hired me, this woman said ,'now, remember, even though you're weekend option, you won't have to work christmas *and* new year's day, just because they fall on a weekend'. well, the other NA is weekday-only, so she has to work neither, though she worked thanksgiving. our system is that you work either new year's AND thanksgiving, OR christmas, and the following year, you switch. well, when I got the schedule, guess what? i was on for christmas *and* new year's. her response? 'well, we have to have coverage, and you have to work your 30 hours that week.' what the heck?? I sat there in her office and quoted her hiring pitch, so finally, she agreed to let me have new year's day off, without pay.

we have the same thing with people who have kids vs. people who don't....our weekend HUC is angry because none of the other HUC's offered to switch with her so she could spend christmas morning with her son (she's the only one with children). while I feel bad for my coworkers who have to spend holidays away from their kids, those of us *without* kids also have to spend holidays away from our families, too. my fiancee is in the army, stationed in japan...I won't get to spend *any* holiday with him until 2006.

but, like you said, someone has to care for the sick, even if it's a holiday. that's part & parcel of working in this field, just like being away from me is part of my fiancee's agreement to serve this country.

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · Dec 20, 2004

yes it is! my hubby who is a paramedic doesn't get the benifit even i do at time and a half! he only gets a 100 buck bonus (which is more than most jobs..but then again look at what he does..he deserves that and more!)...even if he is going to be out there doing 4 extra hours because the county needs him (they have to stay on shift if the demand is high...no matter what..hubby is late every day...1-4 hours!).
saddest thing yet..he makes substantially less than i do...and he has been a paramedic for the same company for over 8 years!!!!!! i made almost twice as much as a new nurse than he did when i met him 5 years ago!!!!

sounds like my household! hubby is working (his usual 24 hr shift) on christmas (medic supervisor). i'll be home. he just got promoted to captain, and prior to his big raise he was at about half my hourly rate :angryfire. and believe you me (well, i don't have to tell you, triage), he busts his butt (as do we). he knows more that most nurses i know (and won't hesitate to tell you :chuckle ). he's getting at least 1 1/2 time (hopefully more). and he'll do it all over again the following sat for new years we're still trying to figure out what to tell our 4 yr old, about how santa is going to wait until sunday, when daddy is home :icon_sad:

as a part timer, what is your holiday obligation? and how many hrs per week do you work? i'm a per-diem. at one place, they give the per-diems 1 1/2 for holidays (same as staff). at the other, i'm not sure, but i don't think they do. i've never done the holiday there as a per-diem, and don't really plan on finding out (as i am not required to work).

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · Dec 20, 2004

the only thing that burns me up is how i'm getting the evil eye by some that i managed to get christmas off and some didn't they think they should be oh so entitled just because they have kids. like oh i can't come in my kids sick, oh i need to take them somewhere, i need this night off to spend with them, and i need all the holidays off to spend with them. meanwhile the ones that don't have kids end up being guilted into doing double shifts, extra days, the holidays and picking up the slack. am i the only one to be unreasonable about this? ..this line of work demands sacrifices cause the people need fed, cleaned up, comforted, whether it's the middle of summer or christmas day.

let me be the first to agree with you on this one, and i have a kid, like most of my co-workers. i really feel bad for those who don't- it's as if you don't have any family, (or that chrismas is only for kids). and didn't these people realize this when they started working in the hospital !!!!:icon_evil :icon_evil. this is one of my major pet peeves!! nobody wants to work on christmas (well, almost nobody). i can't deal with everyone saying "i have kids!!!" you guys picked the wrong profession (or the wrong specialty, go work as a school nurse then!!) funny thing this year, christmas falls on the jewish sabbath. we have an orthodox jewish nurse, who everone assumed would work on christmas day. oh well. she agreed to work the night shift (after the sun goes down). and the whole seniority thing gets blown way out of proprtion too. if you're on the bottom of the totem pole for 5 yrs, does that mean you have to work christmas every year? :icon_ques

jschut, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2004

I'm a weekend person. I have to work Christmas and New Years, without the bonus in pay. No double time...no time and a half.... just plain ol' regular pay.

Neither do I get any type of bonus either.

When I returned to school and went to weekend option, they took away my 28 hours vacation time I had AND my 68 hours sick time I had built up...they also continued to take $150 insurance out for two more pays even though I was told it would be cancelled....I fought with them to get my vacation pay returned...finally.....

I had to beg and beg to be allowed to have 4 hours off the 18th of December to go and pick up my Amanda from the airport. I asked everyone who would listen if they would work for me...when the schedule came out, I was on it for the full shift. I let it be a widely known fact that if I did not get the 4 hours off to go get my girl, I would call in for the entire 8. Two days before she came home, I found out that I could work a 4 hour shift in exchange for the 4hours I needed that Saturday.

I am a bit disgruntled too....

webblarsk · Dec 21, 2004

When I read the first paragraph of the first post I thought how thoughtful it was of someone to sacrifice for a fellow employee. The more I read, the more it seemed the OP was resenting their gesture of kindness because they weren't going to get paid as much as they thought. Are you telling me you wouldn't have offered to work for the LPN if you knew about the lower differential?
Some facilities pay minimal or no shift/holiday/weekend differentials. Consider yourself among the lucky that do receive something extra.
I suggest this thread be a forum for sharing random acts of kindness or sacrifices that have been made to help others at the holidays.
Thanks for allowing my input :)

I don't think she resents her gesture. I think she feels like alot of people would in her situation. I know how I would feel if I were told I was only getting time and a half because I was part time. (Something the facility makes the RN's be to save money)

This thread is something Triage started to voice her opinion and bounce her feelings off of someone else. I think it is wonderful that she has helped out a fellow co-worker!

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Dec 21, 2004

I don't think she resents her gesture. I think she feels like alot of people would in her situation. I know how I would feel if I were told I was only getting time and a half because I was part time. (Something the facility makes the RN's be to save money)
This thread is something Triage started to voice her opinion and bounce her feelings off of someone else. I think it is wonderful that she has helped out a fellow co-worker!

THANKS! Yep you nailed it on the head!

I would work for her this day even if it was reg pay or less...that isn't the issue. I did this for not only her, but for her son who will go off to Iraq soon! He needs this time with his entire family. I even made him a Christmas Ornament :).

It was just another example of human kindness..ie what I was doing for someone I care about, and the rotten money pinching things managment is allowed to do to our profession! I work over 36 hours a week, most hospitals here consider that full time, but not our facility..okay fine, but I thought it was a slap to get less than anyone else working that day because I pull in a few less hours and don't cost them any more money in benifits!

It just hit me wrong...not ever to the point I questioned working that day...just was like getting a candy filled stocking and feeling the joy of it...but then finding your allergic to the treats..LOL!

SO many people don't even get bonuses...so I can't complain too much..but it still chaps my hide because I am not the only one in my facility getting this 'Merry Christmas' message from managment...and I think it is bad management and sends the wrong message. NO wonder most employees are very unsatisfied with working there..but we keep on doing it because of one reason or another..and overlying all...our patients (its not their fault...and we care for them so much!)

Jen2 · Dec 21, 2004

The only thing that burns me up is how I'm getting the evil eye by some that I managed to get Christmas off and some didn't they think they should be oh so entitled just because they have kids. like oh i can't come in my kids sick, oh i need to take them somewhere, i need this night off to spend with them, and i need all the holidays off to spend with them. Meanwhile the ones that don't have kids end up being guilted into doing double shifts, extra days, the holidays and picking up the slack. Am I the only one to be unreasonable about this? The aides even spouted off and said the new ones should be the ones working the holidays. well this is 24 7 and 365 days a year type commitment. This line of work demands sacrifices cause the people need fed, cleaned up, comforted, whether it's the middle of summer or Christmas day.

I completely agree with you! When I was working in a doctors office I was actually told that I had to come in and answer phones on christmas day because, "I was the only one that didn't have children". Guess what? I found a better job ASAP after I was told this and put my two weeks notice in. The last day of my two weeks notice was Dec 23rd. I got christmas eve off and christmas day and they had to find someone else to work it. Even now that I am in nursing school I get told all the time by my fellow classmates that the only reason why I do so well is because I don't have kids. I guess I don't have a family, a boyfriend, or a life then. We graduate in May and some of my fellow classmates can't take a job working nights because they have children and/or are married, they can't work weekends or holidays because they need to be there for their family. This all just irritates me so badly. Do people think that hospitals are the First National Bank? I agree that it would be nice if people only got sick from 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday-Friday but this isn't the case. Do people not understand this before they get into nursing? Sorry for the rant this is just one of my biggest pet peves. Especially when I had an office manager tell me to my face that because I didn't have children I would have to work. I think it is a form of discrimination in the workplace.

beaglenurs · Dec 22, 2004

Just want to add my two cents....my eyes filled with tears after reading the first lines of the original post. You are truly a Christmas angel for working for the LPN so she could have Christmas with her son. My son is also in the Army and every minute I am allowed to spend with him is ever more precious. It sounds like this whole situation has put the light on some unfair workplace practices. I hope you are able to resolve these. Please don't let the pay issue detract from the good mission you are doing. "The love you take is equal to the love you make." ( from the Beatles, I forget which one.)

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Dec 22, 2004

I really agree with Beaglnurse - I thought that was an incredibly generous thing for you to do, and that it really embodied the spirit of Christmas. I am saddened that the facility is so grinchy about it. You must really be a terrific person.