Should I complain to the boss?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Where to begin.....

I work at a large trauma hospital in a city of about 1 million people. I worked nights until 1 month ago and always parked in the hospital garage adjacent to the hospital. They take money out of my check every month to pay for the parking garage and my badge gets me in and out. The only way your badge will work to get you out is if you badged in. This makes it so that staff won't let other people out of the garage without paying.

Skip to day shift...The parking garage installed a second set of gates on the 6th level so that only employees can park on level 6 and above. These gates were installed about two months before I went to day shiftl. For the past month I have been parking in the employee section during my day shift with no problems...UNTIL TODAY!!!

As I tried to leave my badge would not let me out of the employee level. I got on my cell phone and called the parking office to let me out. After an HOUR of sitting in the garage I got out of my car and walked down to the parking office. There I was informed that I could no longer park in the garage unless I had been an employee for 15 years or I worked in the housekeeping department. COULD THEY NOT HAVE TOLD ME THIS BEFORE I BADGED INTO THE GARAGE AND WORKED 9 HOURS.

Needless to say I was informed that I must now start parking at an offsite parking lot for employees and take a shuttle to the hospital. I probably wouldn't have a problem with this, but the parking lot is in one of the worst areas in the city. There is no security for the employees walking to and from their cars and no one there with the cars during the day. My hubby is a police officer who works that area and is EXTREMELY upset about this. I pulled the crime stats from that area and there have been numerous armed robberies, sexual assaults, burglary of vehicles and even two HOMICIDES. All within ONE block of our parking lot. I get to work at 5:00 am and there is very little light in the parking area. What do you think? My clinical manager says that no one has had any trouble....YET.

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Specializes in private duty/home health, med/surg.

Geeze, that's great that no one has had any trouble...yet. :rolleyes: Maybe you could find co-workers in the same situation & brainstorm to come up with a solution. If enough of you insisted, they might come up with some kind of security escort.

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Don't complain. Inform! (Pretend that you think they don't already know.)

Write a letter to the head of the security department, with copies to the CEO, head of human resources, and the risk management department. Give them the statistics you quoted in your post , the source of the statistics, and state that you do not believe the new parking area is safe due to crime in the area. Point out that it is not well lighted and that there is no security provided for employees parking there, or for their vehicles. State that you believe they must not be aware of how dangerous this is for the employees, because you 'know that they would not want to put their employees in danger'.

Either hand deliver the letters/ copies and record the name of the person who receives the letter, along with the date and time. (Or mail them, receipt, requested)

If you get no response within a week, follow up by phone. If then you get the runaround, send a copy of the letter with a brief explanation to your local paper. My guess is you will not have to do all this once the risk is spelled out to the powers that be -- too much liability risk.

If it were me, I would also (separate from the above) request that I be paid for the hour that I was kept waiting in the parking garage.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

I'd complain until whoever's in charge of parking hated the sound of my voice.

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I would also make sure they stop taking the money out of your check if it is supposed to be parking fee, and you cant park there anymore!

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Oh yes, I remember when my sister (who also works for the same hospital system) talked to me about the change in parking policy. This was at least a year ago though (maybe longer). She is somehow except because she has a child in the on campus pre-school.

I think it is the crummiest thing! I gasped when she told me about the location of the off-site parking lot. Is there a public parking garage close by where you could pay a monthly fee? If I had not other options, the fee would be worth it for a little it for my sense of security.

I suppose you could take it to the hgiher ups and media, but the reality is there is no physical space in the area to place more parking spaces...although they could build one in a safer area (which wouldn't take that much of a stretch!).

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I suppose you could take it to the hgiher ups and media, but the reality is there is no physical space in the area to place more parking spaces...although they could build one in a safer area (which wouldn't take that much of a stretch!).

Or they could provide security.

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Specializes in OB, lactation.

lots of good ideas.. if someone didn't already mention it, I would at least try to buddy up with someone to walk with. Do you have a coworker that arrives at the same time that you could try to coordinate with? Or (I know, probably a long shot)... is there enough hospital security that you could get an escort? (Like at college, we could call for an escort at night).

Sorry you are going through this - I'd be upset too.

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I really appreciate everyone's suggestions. Hopefully there will be a lot of people coming and going at the same time. I am, however, going to give the stats I pulled to one of the assistant administrators i know. Thanks again for all the advice! Stephanie

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There I was informed that I could no longer park in the garage unless I had been an employee for 15 years or I worked in the housekeeping department.

Ok I am confused. So what you are saying is that unless you have 15 years OR are a housekeeping employee you have to park off site? Ok why does housekeeping get to park in the parking lot? I would assume that it is harder to get a nurse then it is to get someone in housekeeping. Am I wrong? I mean why is housekeeping not parking off site and the nurses (who are always short and needed more) forced to park offsite? Correct me if I am wrong but I did not see anyone question this aspect. 15 year employees I can understand having some special items given to them. But the housekeeping staff? That seems ridiculous! I would defenitly start complaining and see who they would rather lose the Housekeeping staff or the nursing staff!

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Oh, yes, complain. And do it in writing. Keep a copy of it.

The hospital is putting itself at risk. You might consider also, writing to the hopsital's legal depatment giving them the crime stats.

File your complaint with Osha and your local labor board.

The are legally responsible for providing a safe parking enviroment.

The need to provide round the clock escort to and from your car. They need to provide security for your car.

Other hospitals do it.

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If a nurse was mugged walking to or from this unsafe lot I wonder if it would be considered a worker's comp injury. I would certainly sue if I were injured in the situation you are describing...what is wrong with this hospital?? I am surprised nurses will work there. But then again I don't wish to go into the big city for the big hospitals anymore due to the safety factor: those parking garages and the neighborhoods these hospitals are in are suspect.

Be careful and good luck in getting this situation looked at and changed.

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