Co-workers begging for donated PTO

Nurses Relations

Published

Specializes in ER.

Another co-worker out for a few weeks for a legitimate health problem begging for PTO donations. My gripe? She is always calling in, and often begging for people to pick up shifts for one reason or another. In other words, she's used up her PTO bank for personal days.

I feel strongly that people should show up for work, on time, when scheduled. That's what I do. That way you accumulate PTO, instead of using it up and ending up unprepared for a real illness.

Additionally, it's important to live within a budget and have a personal emergency fund, just like Dave Ramsey recommends.

P.S. I know I'm not obligated to donate, and won't be. I do want to bring up the subject of sound financial planning by nurses.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

That would really annoy me.

My husband has taken it upon himself to be the financial advisor/sage dad to all the young CNAs that he works with, convincing them why it's SO important to start retirement planning in one's 20s, as well as pay off your debt/don't accrue more debt. We have bought and given away so many copies of Total Money Makeover I've lost count!

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Can you sell them to her? lol

Expecting others to subsidize her lifestyle?

How much is a day of PTO worth?

Some people have a lot of nerve.

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I sympathize with your sentiment, but I also feel that 6-8 month emergency funds are not realistic for a lot of people.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I have found myself in that situation more than once -- with coworkers who squander their PTO on "fun" stuff and then don't have any left when a real need arises. Then they tell their sob story and expect those of us who were responsible with our PTO to donate to them.

It can get awkward, but I have learned to say "No" most of the time. I have said "Yes" a couple of times when I felt that the person involved had behaved responsibly and truly had a need through no fault of her own ... but I have learned to not be a push-over for everyone who want's a hand-out to subsidize their poor choices in life.

About financial planning in general ... I find it sad to see the poor choices made by some of people I work with.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

I think begging for PTO is just plain greedy and rude. Using the term "PTO" must feel better than asking for straight cash, but that's exactly what they're doing. I have never had a co-worker ask for themselves, but we have had several instances of terribly unfortunate circumstances (brain tumor, house fire, etc) where we all donated to the victims.

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Specializes in MDS/ UR.

Wow, in all my years I have only had one place that even allowed you to do such a thing,

Honestly, I would only consider it to someone in extreme circumstances.

That is why I have ST disability.

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Perhaps "she is always calling in" because of "legitimate health problems".

Hard to accumulate CTO, if you you need to use it right away.

It sounds like she is treading water due to her illness.. why not throw her a life jacket?

I have a coworker that uses most of her time as she accumulates it. She recently had to travel overseas for a funeral.

I did not hesitate to offer her some hours.

Nurses should take care of each other, nobody else will.

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Specializes in Gerontology RN-BC and FNP MSN student.

What?....you can give and get PTO amongst eachother? I have never heard of that.

I thought each person has their own...and that is that.

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Specializes in ER.

No, she sends out desperate emails about her trip to Hawaii, how she won a trip to Las Vegas and really wants to go, she is constantly sending out an email to get a few hours off her shift for this event or that.

Last place I worked there was a similar coworker always calling in suspiciously, wanting half her shift off for various personal reasons. Then Bam! She fell off a ladder and ruptured a disc and cried woe is me, I'm out pf PTO!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Many places I have worked do not allow this. Giving someone your earned PTO is giving her free money. I would say no. However...if she had cancer and ran out and needed the money I would consider that...and I have. The problem I didn't have it when I needed it.... I received none.

No good deed goes unpunished.

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Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

Requests for PTO should be vetted through the manager or HR.

Then, anyone who wanted to give could transfer hours anonymously and not feel pressured if they didn't choose to donate.

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