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.

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

I have given a block of PTO for someone in need once.

I would consider it again for someone in a hardship case.

I have only had one job in my career where it was an available option.

I made sure I took the ST disability plan at work.

It is a safety net worth the 30 bucks a month.

[trishmsn]

I made sure I took the ST disability plan at work.

It is a safety net worth the 30 bucks a month.

ANY working adult is much more likely to become temporarily disabled than to die, and everyone with dependents seems to know (or SHOULD know) that they need life insurance to protect their family. Therefore, disability is a no-brainer! That is why I emphasized earlier that it was not offered (until after my situation) and that private policies can be hard to impossible to get unless one is a fit, young non-smoker with no active hobbies!!

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

I signed for short-term disability about 2 years ago. Between a rash of accidents at work and my husband being out of work for 8 weeks after surgery, it was a no-brainer. I was very surprised to discover that my policy covers childbirth.

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

ANY working adult is much more likely to become temporarily disabled than to die, and everyone with dependents seems to know (or SHOULD know) that they need life insurance to protect their family. Therefore, disability is a no-brainer! That is why I emphasized earlier that it was not offered (until after my situation) and that private policies can be hard to impossible to get unless one is a fit, young non-smoker with no active hobbies!!

I would say less than 1/3rd of my jobs have offered it over the years.

If it is available through work, it's a shame to pass it up.

[OCNRN63, RN]

@trishmsn: Where I worked, LTD is mandatory, but STD isn't. I signed up for STD, as well as a supplemental STD policy. About two years later, I became seriously ill. Thanks to those policies, my income was the same as if I'd been working.

I've heard people say, "I can't afford disability." Well, what I paid for those policies was a pittance compared with what I got out of them during my illness. Life can change on a dime, so it's best to be prepared.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

@trishmsn: Where I worked, LTD is mandatory, but STD isn't. I signed up for STD, as well as a supplemental STD policy. About two years later, I became seriously ill. Thanks to those policies, my income was the same as if I'd been working.

I've heard people say, "I can't afford disability." Well, what I paid for those policies was a pittance compared with what I got out of them during my illness. Life can change on a dime, so it's best to be prepared.

In the past few years, I've had a serious back injury (and surgery), breast cancer (and surgery) and two knee replacements involving surgery and lots of PT. While I wasn't as luck as ONCRN, my income has been about 2/3 of what it would have been had I been working. We've kept our house and haven't incurred vast amounts of debt to put food on the table and keep the lights on. All because of that long term disability I signed up for (the short term is part of the benefits package.) I can't say enough about how important it is to have disabililty insurance!

[OCNRN63, RN]

In the past few years, I've had a serious back injury (and surgery), breast cancer (and surgery) and two knee replacements involving surgery and lots of PT. While I wasn't as luck as ONCRN, my income has been about 2/3 of what it would have been had I been working. We've kept our house and haven't incurred vast amounts of debt to put food on the table and keep the lights on. All because of that long term disability I signed up for (the short term is part of the benefits package.) I can't say enough about how important it is to have disabililty insurance!

​I think the reason my income was so much higher was because of the supplemental policy I bought. Otherwise, it would have been ~2/3, which is still pretty good.

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

@trishmsn: Where I worked, LTD is mandatory, but STD isn't. I signed up for STD, as well as a supplemental STD policy. About two years later, I became seriously ill. Thanks to those policies, my income was the same as if I'd been working.

I've heard people say, "I can't afford disability." Well, what I paid for those policies was a pittance compared with what I got out of them during my illness. Life can change on a dime, so it's best to be prepared.

Amen, DH was on it once and it was a good thing for us.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

When I was younger I had both through work. I never bought a private plan. I was young and naive never thinking I would leave. Well I did when I got married. My new state and the facilities didn't offer LTD to the masses they only offered voluntary STD. LTD was an option only given to upper management. I have always carried STD....but it was a LTD I needed. So I saved like crazy for "just in case". The the stock market crashed.

Murphy's law.

To ALL you younger nurses get a private plan when you are young....you have no clue what the future holds.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

Working in a school, in order to be paid during maternity leave, you have to have long term disability. That is where it falls, believe it or not! Pay is only 2/3 regular pay, but it is a regular paycheck. I am not planning on having kids anytime soon, but the cost was so low, it was silly not to get it. You also never know when a serious illness or injury might come up.

[TriciaJ, RN]

I had worked at one place where sick and vacation were separate. I had been there 1.5 years when I found out I needed 4 weeks off for surgery. I was at my wits' end. It turned out people were allowed to donate sick time (yes, unheard of, I know) and a coworker canvassed for me. I not only got all the time off I needed, but there was a B list of donors to fall back on if I needed more time. I was really touched by the generosity of a lot of people I still didn't even know that well.

On the flip side, when chronic sick-time abusers tried to score more time from their coworkers, the sick-time banks snapped shut like clam shells. They were kind, but not suckers.

And if short or long-term disability policies are available to you, grab one of each. Unless you are dumpster-diving and have a $0 entertainment budget, you can so afford it.

[ProgressiveActivist, BSN, RN]

I would say I am terribly sorry but no I am trying to build up my PTO to (insert reason).

What is her email?

Where can I send her a card?

You do not owe a colleague any more than that.

I really think we need Emily Post or Ask Prudence (not me) on this site to advise on etiquette in the workplace.