Is it wrong to request PTO because you've been assigned a shift you don't want?

Nurses General Nursing

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For one of my jobs, I am scheduled for days except for one weekend a month, in which I'm scheduled for evenings. I am generally pretty flexible about which day shift I get...6 am, 6:30, 7:30 or 8. However, there is a shift that starts at 5 am, which I absolutely do not want. So far, during my two years of working, I have been able to trade out of all the 5 am shifts I have been assigned. Just recently, I was assigned another one, and was not finding a replacement as fast as I wanted, as one I had found backed out of it, so I put in a slip for PTO. The day after I put in the slip I found someone to trade with. I also found a copy of the slip in my work mailbox with a checkmark saying "Not approved" and "on the wait list." Granted, I did know that I had a low chance of getting it, since there were already two other people approved for PTO and three more before me on the waitlist. So, I heard right away about not getting PTO, but haven't heard about the trade that I put through. I'm starting to think I was in the wrong for even asking in the first place. Everyone, including the supervisor, is well aware that I do not want 5 am shifts, especially after working an evening before (I work until 11 pm the night before this next one). I do have to wonder if maybe I blew my chances with a trade since I asked for PTO on a day that I could easily see had five other people before me.

I also have to say that our 5 am, 6 am, and 6:30 shifts are at the hospital and our 7:30 and 8:00 am shifts are at the clinic. I have a tendency to put in trades whenever I'm assigned to the hospital, since I prefer the clinic hours. Also, if I'm asked to switch, I'm always willing to go to the clinic, but am more resistant about switching to the hospital. I also never ask for PTO when I'm assigned a clinic shift.

I am feeling guilty about all this and am not sure if this guilt is legitimate or not. I'm thinking it is, because I know that as a day person, 5 am shifts are included. I am actually not assigned very many of them, but panic when one does show up. I also know that I would do a good job at this shift, while some of the people that are never assigned the shift would struggle. There are others who do well with the 5 am shift as well, and even enjoy them, but it's probably unrealistic and unfair to even expect those people to take them all the time. Not to mention, my preference for the clinic over the hospital is becoming obvious, as coworkers have mentioned that I'm down at the clinic a lot. Also, I'm not the only person that prefers the hours downtown, and I know it. If someone else wants to switch from a hospital shift to downtown, I probably should make the effort to do that sometimes, as well. Yes, I work two jobs, and getting up early is exhausting, but it is also my choice to work two jobs, and still need to do my fair share at both.

So...do you think I should say anything about the PTO slip in (as in, apologize) or just be quiet about it? Is this something I should avoid doing in the future? Do you think I should start asking for PTO for some of my clinic shifts so it does not seem as suspicious when I ask for PTO for my hospital shifts? Chances are, when I want time off, I have a better chance of getting a clinic shift off than a hospital shift.

I don't know though...maybe I'm overthinking the whole thing...

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Your facility allows you to request PTO after the schedule has been posted? That's quite unusual. Every job I've worked in required all requests to be submitted a set amount of time before the schedule was finalized.

I would first familiarize yourself with facility policies- what are the expectations for requesting PTO and what are the rules on how many hours must be allowed between shifts?

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I've never seen PTO requests approved after a final schedule has been posted ....except in cases where the employee was canceled due to low census. I think it would be strange for them to "punish" you by not allowing a trade, but it could be that there's a lot going on with your requests and they want to make sure that someone is going to show up for work.

I would call to clarify and ask about the trade. I wouldn't over-explain or start asking for days off I didn't need. That would only complicate things more.

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Specializes in Hospice.

Coming from a management point of view, yeah, I think it is wrong to request a PTO day just because you don't want to work a certain shift/day. However, when that happens to my staff, I don't mind if they trade someone to work it for them, and I always approve the trade. Luckily this doesn't happen often because we self schedule.

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.

I think it is wrong to ask for PTO just because you don't like the shift. However- I would have a talk with management about scheduling. Having someone come in at 5am after they got off work at 11pm the night before is not safe, and may be violating labor regulations regarding minimum recovery time between shifts.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I wouldn't be willing to come in for a 5am shift after working until 11pm, and that is likely violating labour laws. Check your facility policy and speak with your manager also.

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Specializes in Hospice.
I wouldn't be willing to come in for a 5am shift after working until 11pm, and that is likely violating labour laws. Check your facility policy and speak with your manager also.

In Indiana you have to have 6 hours between shifts.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I still wouldn't do it, but that's me. By the time you get home from work, sleep, and drive back to work, your actual sleep time would be around 3.5-4 hours. Not safe.

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Why would it be wrong to REQUEST PTO for a scheduled shift? Whether or not it's approved is another matter. If it is, then it would be management's responsibility to staff for that shift if necessary. More likely, they would require her to find her own replacement before having the request approved. If it was NOT approved but she called in anyway, THAT would be wrong!

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Your PTO is yours to use however you want. As long as you are adhering to the rules to request and use it, it doesn't matter what you are using it for.

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Is it the same employer that schedules a back to back late pm and early am shift? Or are

is the 11pm shift assigned by your other employer?

I think if the hiring agreement was for different, if you always attempt to opt out somehow you may appear to look like you're trying to beat the system. It may not seem like a big deal if you can get the trades and/or PTO but consider how you would be viewed by your manager and coworkers alike if you did this to avoid working any weekends if weekends were included in the hiring process. There's purplegal trying to never to pull a weekend like the rest of us do..

You've had a bumpy start, it would be wise to solidify your employment before risking having a questionable work history. I would at least show up or offer to trade for a 5am shift on the days that don't follow a late pm shift.

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You should not be forced to use PTO and switch shifts to get the schedule you want. It seems you have been jockeying for years now. Who makes the schedule, and what idiot gave you a 6 hour turn around time?

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