Co-workers begging for donated PTO

[Emergent]

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.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

We can only give time thru HR. The person has to call them and then it comes to the unit. We have had a couple of people wanting extra time, these people knew they had health issues or surgery etc and yet they took every single cancel and used every speck if holiday time. Not my problem if you squandered your time.

[Emergent, RN]

Think about it. 12 hrs of PTO for me adds up to over $400. Would I donate that to a sometimes unpleasant co-worker, who has a husband, enables her drug addict son, and has money for trips to Hawaii?

There's a good Jewish word for that, it's called Chutzpah.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

My place of employment (hospital) does not allow this. The last one I worked at did allow it, but we could only donate 8 hours per year. This cut out a lot of that type of behavior.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

We can't do direct donations. Any donations go to HR to dole out as they see fit.

[AssociateDegree]

While we don't have PTO where I work, we have sick time. Once a year, HR asks all employees to donate 7.5 hours' worth of time to a time-bank, to be used for anyone with a catastrophic illness who has used up all of their sick time, short-term disability, etc. Anyone who donates has priority to use the bank if needed. This is a voluntary program and since HR administers it, it takes individuals out of the equation. I have a lot of sick time hours accumulated and have maxed out on the number I can keep, so I am really donating hours I'd have to lose anyway. I know of 2 employees who had end-stage cancer and were able to maintain their income and benefits by drawing on the bank.

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

While we don't have PTO where I work, we have sick time. Once a year, HR asks all employees to donate 7.5 hours' worth of time to a time-bank, to be used for anyone with a catastrophic illness who has used up all of their sick time, short-term disability, etc. Anyone who donates has priority to use the bank if needed. This is a voluntary program and since HR administers it, it takes individuals out of the equation. I have a lot of sick time hours accumulated and have maxed out on the number I can keep, so I am really donating hours I'd have to lose anyway. I know of 2 employees who had end-stage cancer and were able to maintain their income and benefits by drawing on the bank.

That is a good way to do it, I would participate in that.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

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!

That is quite a different scenario. Is she ill.. or manipulating for vacation time?

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

My employer doesn't allow gifting of PTO, so having somebody ask for it isn't a problem. We do have a fairly generous PTO policy as well as optional short term and long term disability insurance which the company will pay half the premium for if you opt into it. So really no excuse for not getting it as the premiums are less than 5 dollars a check after the company pays their half. The only thing I don't like is if I miss a scheduled day I have to use PTO if it's available, no option not to, so I can't take a day without pay if I want to save the PTO for a different time.

[Emergent, RN]

That is quite a different scenario. Is she ill.. or manipulating for vacation time?

No, she needed surgery. Hey, I had a $700 unexpected car repair, folks. I went to Hawaii and needed to bail my son out of jail, so you can ya'll please send me donations? PM me for my mailing address...

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

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

It is in my opinion if your debts are all paid, which is where the 6-8 month emergency funds come in according to the Dave Ramsey preaching. All extra money that was previously being used to pay off debt would go toward the emergency fund until you had your desired emergency fund built up.

[Emergent, RN]

It is in my opinion if your debts are all paid, which is where the 6-8 month emergency funds come in according to the Dave Ramsey preaching. All extra money that was previously being used to pay off debt would go toward the emergency fund until you had your desired emergency fund built up.

Dave actually recommends 3-6 months. And that is not to keep your total lifestyle up, but to pay your bills and live frugally, within reason. So, if your income is 80,000 a year, then $20,000 is a reasonable cushion.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Think about it. 12 hrs of PTO for me adds up to over $400. Would I donate that to a sometimes unpleasant co-worker, who has a husband, enables her drug addict son, and has money for trips to Hawaii?

There's a good Jewish word for that, it's called Chutzpah.

L'Chaim