Being forced to work while sick

Published

The place I work (oncology nonetheless) threatens people who call out. They don't care if you have documentation of being ill and the MD ordering you not come in. I get a cold a couple times a year, and won't come in if I'm febrile, coughing, etc. I was wondering if others have experience with this harassment and things people have done to fight it. Beyond it being stupid and reckless, it must be illegal in some fashion.

Specializes in pediatrics.

How many of these places, I wonder, are "magnet" hospitals?

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Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.

I am shocked .... so very shocked.

In Australia we are allowed to be off sick when we are sick. I have never heard of a manager here making somebody with a fever and bronchitis come into work and care for neutropenic patients.

Why isn't this in the media ???

Surely patients have the power to choose not to use a facility that is abusive to its nurses ?

This dirty little secret needs to get out. Let the public have the information needed to make an informed choice.

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I am shocked .... so very shocked.

In Australia we are allowed to be off sick when we are sick. I have never heard of a manager here making somebody with a fever and bronchitis come into work and care for neutropenic patients.

Why isn't this in the media ???

Surely patients have the power to choose not to use a facility that is abusive to its nurses ?

This dirty little secret needs to get out. Let the public have the information needed to make an informed choice.

Unfortunalty this country is all for the mighty dollar and not the people. That even includes the non-profit hospitals. Where I work they forced a person to come in even though it was coming out both ends. This country needs something but where do you start. I even spoke to my former congressman who happens to be a Doctor and he got voted out after one term ( because of the Obamacare) anyone who knows where to start please do something I have gotten no where.

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I am a CNA in a nursing home and we have a similar policy. I had a doctor's note to not come in until I was on abx for 24 hours for an infection, and when I called to tell them, they told me if I didn't come in, I would most likely be fired. Way to make the residents sick...:mad:

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
This is just crazy. Is this what this how bad things have become in the nursing world? Would they be treating us like this if there were a nursing shortage, I wonder? Is there recourse for you here? It seems like there should be. I'm appalled.

Yes it has...they are always screaming about how we should not come to work if we are sick, but there is hell to pay if you call out.

I have never, ever worked in an industry (and this is healthcare!!!), where calling out sick was considered a major crime...never with any company, no other job..but nursing.

I had to go in 4 months ago with a temp of 104. I was lethargic and I had strep. However, if you showed up symptomatic and THEY sent you home, they didn't call it a call in.

Direct result of a non-RN idiot in HR making up policies without a clue as to how they affect patients or the staff.

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Specializes in Psych , Peds ,Nicu.

Why isn't this in the media ???

Surely patients have the power to choose not to use a facility that is abusive to its nurses ?

This dirty little secret needs to get out. Let the public have the information needed to make an informed choice.

You have to understand the character of US employment , In many states staff are employed " at will " , this means you can be fired for anything ( except if you are in a group protected by anti discrimination laws etc..). So if you have the temerity to be human and become ill , you can be at risk of losing your job. Many become ill , then lose their jobs and then health insurance and eventually become bankrupt , wonderful system !

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How many of these places, I wonder, are "magnet" hospitals?

mine is! the magnet hospital thing is total crappola, they "ask" everyone to vote for them and bribed the staff with free lunch, massages. right now i am staying cause i like working only 3 days a week but in a few years i am either cutting my hours down or going to a surgical center where at least i can get treated poorly and have nights and weekends off. i have worked jobs that pay half what i am making now and i never had to bring in a doctors note after being sick and i had sick time too.

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Specializes in pediatrics.
mine is! the magnet hospital thing is total crappola, they "ask" everyone to vote for them and bribed the staff with free lunch, massages. right now i am staying cause i like working only 3 days a week but in a few years i am either cutting my hours down or going to a surgical center where at least i can get treated poorly and have nights and weekends off. i have worked jobs that pay half what i am making now and i never had to bring in a doctors note after being sick and i had sick time too.

I suspected that might be the case. I had also been at a magnet hospital, and the sick time, vacation time, and low census call off, was all lumped into PTO. I did not stay long, it was brutal, and I knew I just wasn't going to be able to do this and be a happy person. My time off is very very important to me, and I could forsee not having any vacation time for years, as it would be eaten up by low census call offs (low on the totem pole gets called off first), possible sick time, all equals no vacation time. I feel after reading all of the posts here, that I really dodged a bullet. I cannot express how awful this all sounds. It is abusive and disrespectful. And I agree, magnet status is just words. You all deserve so much better. I'm afraid that with the non-existent nursing shortage, that more of the same can be expected.

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wow, that is worse than i expected! :uhoh3: when we get canceled seniority doesnt matter, it goes strictly by the calendar, when you are canceled you go to the back of the line and it has to work it's way around to you. if you are canceled you are given the option of either using PTO for the shift or taking the cancellation with no pay and no penalty. your old place sounds way worse than mine...we only have "PTO" too and sick time comes out of it so basically you have to earn your sick time which i think is disgusting. it accrues VERY slowly.. the newbies who have no PTO and are sick are always coming to work sick. if you have this big family vacay coming up that you have plane tickets for,etc and you get really sick you come in anyway otherwise you could lose your vacay time. i have been at really low paying jobs where i got 10 days sick time when i signed on... i have had coworkers going into the restrooms to vomit throughout the night, sleeping thru their lunch break, then putting a mask on and having to take care of patients. the medical residents are treated pretty badly too, they can't ever miss for anything and they have to work 24 hr shifts, sometimes 4-5 in a row. who on earth can take safe care of someone when they've been at work for 40hrs straight?? at least the RNs are capped at 16hr shifts.

being in healthcare means we arent allowed to be human..

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Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.

Was wondering... does being 'cancelled' only happen in non-unionised facilities and 'right to work' states? Or can it happen across the board?

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Specializes in psych, geriatrics.

I never had such horror-story experiences myself, but can't imagine they're legal at a number of levels: OSHA, health care regulations at a number of levels, or consistency with institutions' HR policies. Hard to say what could be done though: being right, winning an argument, and coming out of an argument better off are all quite different matters in practice.....

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Specializes in Psych , Peds ,Nicu.
Was wondering... does being 'cancelled' only happen in non-unionised facilities and 'right to work' states? Or can it happen across the board?

Can happen anywhere , unless the union contract specifically addresses cuts . My wifes union contract specifically addresses this issue and she cannot be cut , her employer can ask her if she wishes to take low census , if she does then she can take the cut , its her choice .

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