Call-off policy

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2005

We have the same policy. You must call off greater than 2 hours before your shift.

However, there are trolls that don't do this. They wake up at 6am and are ill. We had a coworker call from the parking garage too sick to make it to work, two minutes prior to her shift starting.

To my knowledge my facility doesn't enforce the policy through verbal or written warnings.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Nov 13, 2005

1981

Just curious...
What is your facility's call off policy?
My facility's policy is suppose to be calling off with no less than two hours until your shift starts, however, I've run into an interesting glitch in the system and want to compare gripes. LOL

We have a new policy which states you cannot be cancelled only put on call ($1.50/hr woo hoo) so you have to be available for 12 hours. Recently so many PRN people have complained that if they had been cancelled they could have worked elsewhere that day so now the PRN people have a choice of being cancelled or on-call. Full and Part-time have no option other than to take call and make that big money. The call rate was $1.50/hr when I started there in 1981. That definately is peanuts. What is your on call rate?

TeleRN44 · Nov 13, 2005

I called off 12 hours before my shift was due to start. The last two days I worked, management tried to send me home early because I wasn't feeling well. I didn't take them up on the offer because I knew that while I was uncomfortable I could finish the shift.

Yesterday, I felt worse...and knew I wouldn't be able to pull it off.

Then, half an hour later, management called me, wanting to know HOW bad were things because my calling off left them short staffed. Mind you, this was one of the individuals who offered to send me home early just a couple of days ago...

Anyhow, now I'm supposed to make up the shift for who ever had to come to cover for me. I don't have a problem with this, persay but I am wondering is this a common practice? We have a few call off queens ourselves and have never seen this required of anyone else.

TeleRN44 · Nov 13, 2005

1981
We have a new policy which states you cannot be cancelled only put on call ($1.50/hr woo hoo) so you have to be available for 12 hours. Recently so many PRN people have complained that if they had been cancelled they could have worked elsewhere that day so now the PRN people have a choice of being cancelled or on-call. Full and Part-time have no option other than to take call and make that big money. The call rate was $1.50/hr when I started there in 1981. That definately is peanuts. What is your on call rate?

HA! I wish we had PRN staffing! :chuckle

We're so dang short that more than one person calling off throws everything into major upset and turmoil for the rest of the licensed staff. PRN staffing would eliminate some of the problems we currently experience such as the constant calls to fill in for call offs and out right holes in the schedule where there just isn't anone scheduled. Period.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Nov 13, 2005

Our policy states that day shift nurses must call at least 1 hour before their shift. I guess the thinking there was you might go to bed feeling fine but wake up sick. The other 2 shifts are supposed to call out at least 2 hours before their shift. We dread the words "supervisor pick up 881" when it's around 1 o'clock because it's usually a call out.

People who call out don't have to make up the time. We only have one or two people on our per diem list to call in if there are call outs.

The policy says no more than 3 absenses in a 3 month period. Chronic offenders are counselled. They all know the system..no one ever gets to the 3rd and final counselling because they keep all the dates in mind.

So...what do you do when you're sick? Come to work and share your germs and put everyone at risk for catching what you've got, or stay home knowing your co-workers will be working short??

Bird2 · Nov 13, 2005

Our policy states that an employee must call off 3 hours prior to the start of a shift. If someone called off on a week-end they were to make up the hours on another week-end when we were short but this created overtime and some employees did it on purpose to get the overtime. So that piece of the policy disappeared. We were getting massive call offs for one day illnesses. They decreased when employees were suspended and terminated for not following the call-0ff policy. We can have 7 call offs a year before termination. If you are off for 3 days with the same illness that is only counted as one call-off. I think 7 call -off's is generous. I have called off one time in in the past 3 years. We also saw a pattern with employees that picked up overtime then at the end of the week they suddenly were sick.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Nov 13, 2005

Anyhow, now I'm supposed to make up the shift for who ever had to come to cover for me. I don't have a problem with this, persay but I am wondering is this a common practice? We have a few call off queens ourselves and have never seen this required of anyone else.

That would be the day when I would feel compelled to make up a shift for whoever covered for me. Sick is sick. An employee should never go to work sick, even if they feel they can make it, it's selfish to subject co-workers to the germs.

I personally would not do it and would be upset if my co-worker came to work sick. I personally would not make up the shift whether or not I wanted to just to make a statement.

P.S. IMO - 12 hours notice is more than generous!

lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN · Nov 15, 2005

Policy means squat. We seem to need staff too much to fire the chronic callers. Consequences mean nothing.

suebird3 · Nov 17, 2005

our policy is at least 4 hours before the shift change. doesn't mean they do it. i can't begin to count the # of times i would field a call off about 1/2 an hour before the shift starts....... :uhoh3:

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[color=#483d8b]suebird

johnson0424 · Nov 18, 2005

ours is two hours b4 the shift although people dont abide by it. the thing that stinks in our facility is that we are made to stay if they can't find coverage for us so we are forced into a double..it happens frequently and they know about it ahead of time most of the time and dont do anything about it..it is frustrating to us who have to stay...anyone else have this issue?

tridil2000, MSN, RN · Nov 18, 2005

ours is two hours b4 the shift although people dont abide by it. the thing that stinks in our facility is that we are made to stay if they can't find coverage for us so we are forced into a double..it happens frequently and they know about it ahead of time most of the time and dont do anything about it..it is frustrating to us who have to stay...anyone else have this issue?

no one can make you stay.

aren't there laws for that?

when i was in high school i worked in a supermarket. i was in a union. the one thing that the union made sure of was that we knew the labor laws. nurse should really take the time to know all the labor laws in their state.

your state's nurses assoc should hear about some of these issues folks! call them...ask them!!!!!