Co-Manager Colleague Late to Everything

[SilverBells, BSN]

At my facility, there are several managers to cover three different units that care for both short-term and LTC residents, with myself being included. The teamwork and collaboration among us is generally good, with all of us willing to pitch in and help out when someone else is essentially drowning. With that said, there is one manager that has work habits that have not gone unnoticed. This manager stays at work very late every day to ensure that work gets done. While this is great, it also means that she shows up to work after everyone else as well. Because of COVID restrictions, our facility continues to complete virtual provider visits using iPads. Providers typically like to perform visits earlier in the morning, around 8am or so, and this manager is aware of this. When she consistently shows up at 8:30 am or later, providers are either left waiting or one of the other managers has to complete visits for residents she is responsible for. Additionally, when she shows up later on, it ensures that she does not get stuck with the staffing phone in the mornings. All of us are responsible for the staffing phone, but it is always passed off to the manager who shows up first in the morning, whether or not that is the same person from day to day. The staffing phone inconveniences everyone from getting their work done due to the frequent call ins. It is highly known that this colleague dislikes having the staffing phone. In addition, this colleague often has to be reminded that there are team meetings to attend or patient care conferences. Even when she is reminded, she is almost always absent, stating that she had other resident duties to attend to. She always seems to "have other priorities," even though these meetings should also be priority. By missing these meetings, answers are left unanswered and she sometimes misses key information regarding resident care. With that said, her patients seem to be well-cared for and she does good documentation in regards to the tasks she is completing. Just curious if anyone else has ever worked with someone like this? Were there any approaches that were effective in assisting them to adopt behaviors that meet the needs of everyone? Or, if not, how would you approach someone like this?

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

Why not the truth? "When you come in consistently late, we always have to cover for you, cover the staffing phone, and cover your patients at care conferences. Enough."

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

Unless someone above her makes it an issue, it won't become one

[SilverBells, BSN]

1 hour ago, Jedrnurse said:

Why not the truth? "When you come in consistently late, we always have to cover for you, cover the staffing phone, and cover your patients at care conferences. Enough."

I agree, but I think upper leadership isn't taking a very active approach in that they are accounting for the fact that she stays very late every day and does end up working about 60+ hours a week. The thing is, she is often still in the building at 10pm or later. She really doesn't need to be in the building that late since by that time, the evening supervisor is present and most, if not all of her essential duties, should have already been completed by that time

I also think it's possible that her priorities don't always correspond with what they might actually need to be. For example, it's probably more important for her to attend a Care Conference rather than enter orders into the MAR to call 911 if a patient is experiencing shortness of breath (which all nurses should know to do anyway if the situation warrants it).

[SilverBells, BSN]

3 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:

Unless someone above her makes it an issue, it won't become one

Seems like as long as her patients are having their care needs met, they probably won't. Just seems inconsiderate to hold up providers in the morning when I'm pretty sure she's aware they prefer to do their visits at 8am. Almost seems as if she is expecting that someone else will complete the visit if she is not there, although of course we don't really know her actual intentions. Also, when she does make it to meetings, she seems to have a lot of the answers to issues that others are looking for, so her feedback really is needed.

[Nunya, BSN]

She sounds like a night person, or at least an evening person. However, if her job entails doing things at 0800 then she should be there at 0800. Period.

[kp2016]

It seems like she is taking advantage of the flexible approach approach of working together to get it done to work the hours she prefers and avoid the hours / work she doesn’t want to do.

In short she is taking advantage of you and the other managers. I image management isn’t too concerned as it isn’t costing them anything to have her in the building until 2200 even though there really shouldn’t be any reason/ need for her to be there at that hour and her am work is getting done, thanks to people covering for her so in their eyes there isn’t an issue.

I would say the way forward is to get a bit more formal about how things are done. Start a roster and allocate who will be carrying the phone. If it is her day, don’t pick up the phone for her, let it be her responsibility. If a visit is “hers” stop doing it for her. Let the providers complain to management when she isn’t around or keeps them waiting. In my experience that will get a management level response fairly quickly.

Leave intentions/ reasons out of it let it be a black and white case of her not doing her actual job and required tasks. It will be addressed fairly quickly when you stop essentially covering for her and the providers start complaining.

[amoLucia]

Do you have to 'clock in'? Could she be earning 'comp time'? That would be a 'sweet deal' if she is. Like getting her cake and able to eat it too.

[SilverBells, BSN]

2 hours ago, amoLucia said:

Do you have to 'clock in'? Could she be earning 'comp time'? That would be a 'sweet deal' if she is. Like getting her cake and able to eat it too.

No. We’re all salaried so clicking in isn’t necessary

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

OP:

I wonder if COVID and just the general impact of it on everyone might be a factor.

All of us express our stress differently.

Has anyone asked her if she is okay? Are there other stressors going on?

Before writing her off as not pulling her weight check to make sure there isn't something else.

Also, I think you stated that some providers prefer to have appointments earlier... is this true for everyone? Does she have child care or other care issues that she is dependent on waiting for someone else to come before she can come in? COVID has disrupted a lot of our daily lives and perhaps there is something else going on.

Just my 2 cents.

[DowntheRiver]

Could it also be that she thinks that staying late and jumping in constantly is her way of pitching in? Maybe she thinks it is an even trade - she stays late so you guys come in early. I think your best bet would be just to ask her or address the issue head on.

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

It seems like a simple matter of her ducking tasks that she dislikes, even though they are a core part of the job. As long as management allows it and others cover the duties that she doesn't, she gets exactly what she wants. Management is apparently only concerned that the tasks are done, not necessarily by who. My recommendation is to stop covering for her, and let those who are inconvenienced as a result complain to management.