Two Days

Nurses General Nursing

Published

New hospital policy is that you can only have 2 days off a year, a rolling year. We went from six days to two days. Does not matter why. No doctor notes, et. We​ receive merit salary increases partly influenced by attendance.

Very unhappy employees.

Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

Look at the new policy closely and you will probably find that it is two occurrences per rolling calendar year. Yes! that is a very strict sick policy. I hate policies like this because they put a sick employee in catch 22 situation and this often leads to employes coming into work ill. So instead of taking care of the true offenders and abusers they punish everyone with stupid policies such as this one. I have sent home many a coworker that has come in ill because they are in fear of getting a warning for calling in. Our current policy is that once you get to five call ins in a rolling calendar year you get a verbal warning first and then the action increases from that point on.

There are a couple of things you need to be doing when working with such a strict policy, If you must call in sick you must not return to work until you are 100 percent better. So if you have one call in and are sick for five days that will count as one occurrence. Also keep track of that occurrence because it will not drop off you count until you reach that day the next year, So if you call in on Jan the 1st it will not drop off your count until you reach the next Jan the 1st.

Next, always have all your coworkers phone numbers so if you are ill you at least have the opportunity to find a replacement. Most policies will allow you to find a replacement and it will not count that you sick because you have found a replacement. This is a good reason to try and get along with your coworkers and if asked pick up a shift is someone else needs to call in sick. They will be more apt to return the favor.

Next look for a policy that allows you to get a medical certificate that forces your employer to not count your sick call in days. These often have to be renewed every few months by your doctor or your pediatrician. I almost had to get one when my daughter who is an asthmatic just kept getting bronchitis. At the least find out about the policy. Employers do not advertise these you need to hunt for them.

Realize that often managers can choose to ignore the policy if they do not believe you are an abuser of the call in system but they can also use the policy to make a case against you and get you fired.

You can also you your sick leave to take care of a sick family member and get paid from your sick leave bank and disability rather than calling in sick and using your vacation time. In my experience an employer will not go out of their way to aid you in the process and you just have to know this information. I have helped many a coworker by pointing this out to them so they caould get a pay check and take care of an ill family member. I have a knack for using the benefits and knowing the policies.

Find ways to make the system work for you and in the meantime work on becoming unionized because this policy it horrid.

Specializes in Acute Care, CM, School Nursing.
We only get paid sick time for the 3rd consecutive day we are out. That means if you are absent from work for 2 days, you won't get paid, regardless how much "time" you have saved up. I haven't seen bonuses for extra shifts, or any other incentive, in years. We don't get extra pay for holidays, etc., either. If it is your scheduled day to work, you work as usual for the usual pay. We have a LOT of call-outs, but management doesn't seem to mind too much, since they don't pay us anyway.

Oh. My. God. Does this apply to all hospital employees, or only to nurses? Can you imagine any other place of employment trying to pull this?

What is going on in this world?????

Specializes in Interventional Cardiology, MICU.

All employees. The office 9-5 should not have as a hard time with this, as the nurses with 12 hour shifts.

Where I work you are allowed 2 occurrences in 90 days or 3 in 6 months. So if you are out, you stay out until you are back to 100%. It's a dumb policy and doesn't stop the chronic call offs. People get FMLA and then their attendance sucks again. Get it ASAP and CYA.

Specializes in PCCN.

wow- who is only sick 2 days of the year? hope they like everyone coming in sick to work.

No, no, and no. You are a PROFESSIONAL..you are not being treated as one.

Management is flogging the remaining nurses in order to maintain THEIR idea of control.

Please.. don't allow this abuse and move on.

Oh, and just to throw in there....if a facility policy states you have to stay home if you have one of any number of illness, then that is quite the catch 22, no? Or if you are sent home due to the employee health nurse sending you home....

It is astounding to me that a place where patients are vulnerable, where nurses can and do spread illness to each other, their families, along with already compromised patients...that this would be an issue at all.

Wait until the first time an ill patient gets a secondary infection from a nurse who is unable to call out ill. Or that insurance declines paying for ANY hospital acquired illness.....

Specializes in retired LTC.

Haven't read all the comments but I'm guessing that you're not union.

Specializes in Interventional Cardiology, MICU.

No not union. As of Thursday of last week, management has changed the policy again. Now we are allowed four days. What are they doing?

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