COVID-19: Suspected Abuse of Systems

[Missingyou, CNA]

I work in long term care.

The latest challenge our facility is facing is staff taking advantage of systems put in place to protect our residents & staff. 

While it can't really be proven, it appears that some staff are calling in to report potential exposure to covid. They are then put on leave for 10 days no further questions asked.. There is no disciplinary action. 

Problem is, there are more than a handful staff who have reported potential exposure 4 & 5 times now. They all have tested negative at our mandatory testing which happens 2x' s a week.

Apparently, it's a good way to get  a vacation which, at our facility is always denied due to staffing shortages. 

Do you see this problem where you work? Would you do it to get time off after working chronic overtime with no time off in sight?

[bitter_betsy, BSN]

I'd never be at work.  I'm potentially exposed every time I walk in the door for a shift.  Sounds like some sort of change needs to be implemented to protect the working staff who have to pick up the slack as well.

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

I would think at some point this could be treated like call outs.  Any person getting 'exposed' and placed on 10 day quarantine more than 2x, especially with nothing back up the exposure, should be disciplined as if they do for too many call outs. 

Clearly they're not reliable employees. And if they are continuously in close contact with Covid + people, they're not following social distancing/pandemic protocols. 

[The Minority Nurse Report, ADN, CNA, RN]

I actually tested positive for Covid-19 and have been on quarantine for the last week. I hate it and had to use up all my PTO. I would not wish this on my worst enemy having Covid-19 and I feel alone.

[ChaosReborn]

@The Minority Nurse Report, ADN, CNA, RN 

I just wanted to say, that I hear you and I see you.  You're not alone, and I hope you feel better!

[JKL33]

On 12/30/2020 at 6:03 PM, Missingyou said:

Apparently, it's a good way to get  a vacation which, at our facility is always denied due to staffing shortages. 

Your facility made their own bed. Why worry about these coworkers any more than worry about abusive employer practices?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that what they are doing is fine in my book. It's just that I don't think that ethical obligations somehow magically only apply to worker-level citizens.

[Niclee82]

When my husband tested positive I called and made my facility aware and they said I had to quarantine for 14days this was in November. Now my son might have it and I’m torn I don’t want to be off again but what do I do??? It’s hard when you have multiple family members in these times. I don’t want to miss work I have never been so stressed.

[PoodleBreath]

Funny story, my sister is a manager at a large restaurant chain. They have a system where people have to call and report any exposure/symptoms of COVID to determine whether they should call out. They were getting so many call ins that they set up a protocol for people to provide a doctor's note or any kind of relevant symptom information for management to process the information in their COVID data base, because if it really was COVID they would have to quarantine the branch affected and notify CDC. She had one person call in and when she asked for symptom information they sent her a picture of a thermometer that registered a temperature of 106.7 degrees. My sister was both furious and falling down laughing.

 

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

On 12/30/2020 at 5:03 PM, Missingyou said:

I work in long term care.

The latest challenge our facility is facing is staff taking advantage of systems put in place to protect our residents & staff. 

While it can't really be proven, it appears that some staff are calling in to report potential exposure to covid. They are then put on leave for 10 days no further questions asked.. There is no disciplinary action. 

Problem is, there are more than a handful staff who have reported potential exposure 4 & 5 times now. They all have tested negative at our mandatory testing which happens 2x' s a week.

Apparently, it's a good way to get  a vacation which, at our facility is always denied due to staffing shortages. 

Do you see this problem where you work? Would you do it to get time off after working chronic overtime with no time off in sight?

The only people I would have issues with would be the higher ups at the facility who run such a toxic workplace that people would burn through their PTO and lie about exposure just to get some time off since they'res constantly being denied because of the fault of the facility for chronic staffing shortages.