Coworkers who pick up too many shifts...

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and then decide at the last minute that they don't want them! LOL Don't even get me started!!!! I am part time so everyone likes to bug the crap out of me about their scheduling issues. I love my weekend schedule and I am keeping it. There was a nasty note from management a while back regarding greedy shift takers who sign up for waaaaay too much and then call the other staff the night before the assigned shift to try to get coverage. The problem was that they were covering their shift with another person who eventually called off requiring us to call agency... What a mess! So, finally, after three tries, there was a warm body covering the shift...

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Specializes in Pedi.

Seems like management needs to actually manage and stop letting unreliable people sign up for all the OT.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Sounds like your facility needs to establish a better policy regarding picking up extra shifts, since the nasty-gram from them clearly hasn't helped.

Sorry you have to deal with this.

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Yeah. It's a mess! Every weekend there are scheduling problems. It's time for another nasty-gram! LOL I have zero desire to change my shifts. I only work two of them and I like it that way! I always show up on time and I do my job well! My two shifts are my permanent schedule and I don't feel as if I owe anyone an explanation as to why I don't want to change my schedule...

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Specializes in Hospice.

Where I work if you call off too many shifts.....you aren't,t allowed to pick up

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Where I work if you call of too many shifts...you get fired. That would fix your problem.

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Specializes in Adult Acute Care Medicine.

Where I work you are 100% accountable for staffing the picked up shift.

If someone wants to "give back" a picked up shift, they have to find a willing nurse to cover AND go through our unit administrative assistant to have it approved. This cannot be done the night before.

This system works because staff are not calling eachother last minute. It also works because the system is flexible to allow for shift changes, but those changes have to be planned in advance.

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That is the way it is supposed to work there as well... The problem is that many of my coworkers work excess amounts of hours at more than one job. I am not sure of what they are trying to pay for but their lifestyle must be waaaaaay beyond their means! Some of them will work day shift at one job and then go to the other job for eve shift and vice versa. They will get greedy and pick up a ton and shifts and then start switching schedules with this one and that one. I come in on the weekend and I can't figure out who is working! LOL

Then, they decide that they can't or don't want to work a shift and they start pestering the permanent shift folks like myself who work part time. It is 100% pure useless drama that I want no part of whatsoever! Now, emergencies are different. I will cover that for anyone with no issues...I will either do it myself or find someone else who will.

If this was going on in my life, I would seriously have to evaluate 1) My work habits 2) My bills AND my lifestyle 3) My goals...both long term and short term. Why are all of these folks working 60 hours/week???? I guess they want a fancy casket...

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This is a good system! If they call off a certain amount of times per month, don't allow them to pick up anything else... I think that non-emergent shift switches should have to go through the scheduler. They should not be calling other staff members at home for shifts they picked up and want to dump at the last minute... That is why the ringer is off on my house phone and has been ever since I started working in nursing 8 years ago! Haha.

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Specializes in Rehab, critical care.

If they ask you again, just say that you don't want to change your schedule, ever. (if that's the case). Say this is the schedule that works for you, and you hope that they can find someone to switch with them. If you make it clear that you never want to switch with them, they'll stop asking you.

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Specializes in Trauma/Tele/Surgery/SICU.

This is a problem on my unit as well. We have a few who schedule themselves for ridiculous stretches at a time. Like 10-12 in a row. One of them also has a full-time day job, how this person can work nights on top of that I do not know. They blow up my phone on my days off or worse yet will sit next to you and whine for the entire shift about how if you would just pick up one of the days for them they would be eternally grateful. If they cannot find someone to cover them they call off, leaving the unit to scramble at the last minute. This is definitely a management issue and I wish my manager would put into place some of the policies you guys have written about.

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Specializes in ICU.

But yet the hospitals won't hire enough staff to solve the problem.

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