Do you get called when your shift is cancelled?

SaoirseRN · Oct 11, 2013

If they are canceling shifts, how busy can they be? That seems inconsiderate to me.

loriangel14, RN · Oct 11, 2013

My workplace has to call me or they have to pay me for 4 hours.

Kamilah Coney, ASN, BSN, RN · Oct 19, 2013

The coordinating staff at the agency I work for has a tendency to call late when a shift is cancelled. Sometimes it's the agency's fault and sometimes it's the facility's fault. Either way, if I show up and find my shift has been cancelled, I get two hours of pay. I have made it a habit to call the facility to find out in advance if my shift has been cancelled.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 21, 2013

If I am not notified of my cancellation at least two hours prior to the start of the shift, they have to give me 2 hours' pay. So they definitely call me to cancel when they need to.

In addition, in both facilities that I worked per-diem (not even agency) at, I was guaranteed 2 hours' pay if I was not cancelled in time.

So what they're telling you is definitely NOT standard practice.

caliotter3 · Oct 30, 2013

It is not standard practice to not call when a nurse has been cancelled, but failing to call, happens, sometimes frequently. In my state, according to Labor law, one is entitled to "reporting time pay", also called "show up" pay, of one half the scheduled shift, or at least four hours. Many employers refuse to pay that four hours of entitled pay and feign ignorance of the law when the employee calls them on it. One staffing coordinator said they called me a few minutes, not two or four hours, before a scheduled shift but my phone never showed that call. Another time this happened I was enroute. Never heard my cell phone ring, nor would I have answered it while driving on the highway. I had to mention the Labor Board before they would pay me for that shift. Encourage the OP to do an internet search for "reporting time pay" or "show-up pay" for their state to find out if there is a policy in their state.

TajoRN · Nov 22, 2013

Thank you. I was chastised by my agency for calling the facility to check on my shifts.

Blackcat99 · Nov 24, 2013

When I use to work private duty, I would sometimes work part time with one of their clients. I remembering showing up at his home 3 different times to report for duty. Three different times I showed up at his home only to learn that he was in the hospital. Three times the agency failed to called me to let me know that the shift was cancelled and that he was in the hospital. I was not the only one either. The same exact thing happened to all of the other nurses who worked with that client too. :banghead:

caliotter3 · Nov 24, 2013

When I use to work private duty, I would sometimes work part time with one of their clients. I remembering showing up at his home 3 different times to report for duty. Three different times I showed up at his home only to learn that he was in the hospital. Three times the agency failed to called me to let me know that the shift was cancelled and that he was in the hospital. I was not the only one either. The same exact thing happened to all of the other nurses who worked with that client too.

Just today, I did not go to a "make-up" shift because the client never returned my communication from last Monday concerning one of the shifts they "wanted" to get made up. I could not reach them at all yesterday, when I called yet again. This is at least the third time this person has not confirmed a shift with me, although they want to harangue about how they are owed hours. I appreciate that my time and effort is not respected, but enough can be enough. After all, this was my only day off for the week and the original shift was missed because the client called off, on me.

delphine22 · Apr 11, 2014

Mine calls both to confirm and to cancel shifts. It's annoying because they call a good two hours before the shift starts to confirm I'm coming, and sometimes I'm still sleeping!

cockadoodie · May 1, 2015

i have been called at 5 am and cancelled at 5:20 am. I have rapped up a dinner out and been cancelled driving home to shower and get ready. when i started agency years ago we never ever got cancelled, its not the same here anymore, agencies open do okay and then are gone because they undercut each other. I'm making 3-5 dollars an hour less than 2005.

minerwife927 · May 5, 2015

My agency calls or we get 4 hr pay.