My employer called a couple of hours ago asking me to work tonight. Honestly, I have been shoveling snow for hours and am tired and sore and absolutely do not feel like driving in to work and staying up all night. We are chronically short staffed and I feel guilty for not answering my phone or calling back, but I'm afraid that if I call back I'll cave in and work, and I REALLY don't want to.
Also, yesterday when my street was drifted shut and I was unable to get out to drive to work, I asked if they would send someone in a 4WD to come and pick me up, since they had said that they would offer this to everyone who couldn't make it in due to the weather but they told me no, because I live in an outlying area, but that I would still be charged with a call off. Does this seem right? I was willing to work, I just couldn't get there and they backed down on having someone come and get me as promised.
I'm feeling pretty conflicted right now; angry, guilty, frustrated, anxious...
Having been the person who had to make the calls, hoping someone would come in, I answer and give a firm no if that's the case. That way they know for sure they can cross me off the list, and aren't waiting and hoping I listen to my voicemail and call back. No amount of pleading/begging works. "Sorry, I can't, I've got plans" is sufficient. I'm a grownup dealing with grownups and don't have to explain my reasons for not wanting to work extra.
I'm on vacation right now. (Staycation, really.) My phone was ringing so often for call-ins I actually blocked the hospital's number a few days ago.
How can they call you to come in when you're on vacation? I assume you're using your vacation days. Or did you just schedule yourself so you'd have a block of time off?
Instead of blocking the number, just call the charge nurse for the shift before yours and say, "I'm on vacation until such date, please leave a note on the phone list not to call me to come in before that date."
I NEVER answer my phone when work calls! I get calls several times a day for shifts. My work numbers have a special ring on my phone, I never answer, they call and send a text message each time they need someone. If I can work I call back.
Having been the person who had to make the calls, hoping someone would come in, I answer and give a firm no if that's the case. That way they know for sure they can cross me off the list, and aren't waiting and hoping I listen to my voicemail and call back. No amount of pleading/begging works. "Sorry, I can't, I've got plans" is sufficient. I'm a grownup dealing with grownups and don't have to explain my reasons for not wanting to work extra.
This. When there is a callout and I have to justify who I called and what their reply was, it is helpful to have the answer "I called and she was not available." So I almost always extend them the same courtesy. I have been doing this long enough to value my time off and work when I like (this is for my 2nd job which is perdiem).
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Having been the person who had to make the calls, hoping someone would come in, I answer and give a firm no if that's the case. That way they know for sure they can cross me off the list, and aren't waiting and hoping I listen to my voicemail and call back. No amount of pleading/begging works. "Sorry, I can't, I've got plans" is sufficient. I'm a grownup dealing with grownups and don't have to explain my reasons for not wanting to work extra.
I too have been the person making the calls. If the people who calls demonstrated the same level of professionalism you do then there would be no need to block their number. As we have seen in this and other discussion, far to often that is not the case.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
How can you block a number from an employer? What if they want something besides you working an extra shift? They think it is ringing and you never hear it?
I have an app on my stock android phone called 'Call Control' that allows me to blacklist certain numbers. When I've blocked a number, the caller hears fuzzy silence on his/her end.
I can unblock a phone number when I am ready to hear from that person/entity.
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
Personally, I view my phones, cell and land-line, as being a CONVENIENCE for me, and just because it rings DOESN'T mean I have an obligation to answer it. Phones do not control my life.
I rarely if ever come in extra. I figure I get mandated often enough when I am already there so I don't feel obligated to come in extra. I never answer when work calls, and I don't call back to say no. I figure when they don't hear from me within a short while they know the answer is no. There are a few nurses that will pick up extra shifts on short notice. There used to be more but we have worked short staffed for so long that most of the nurses feel like I do, we get enough unwanted OT with mandates.
I rarely if ever come in extra. I figure I get mandated often enough when I am already there so I don't feel obligated to come in extra. I never answer when work calls, and I don't call back to say no. I figure when they don't hear from me within a short while they know the answer is no. There are a few nurses that will pick up extra shifts on short notice. There used to be more but we have worked short staffed for so long that most of the nurses feel like I do, we get enough unwanted OT with mandates.
I couldn't imagine. There's no way in hell I'd ever answer the phone for an employer who mandates. To me, mandating shows extremely poor human resource management and isn't somewhere I'd stay for any length of time.
Our facility has a mass text that you can opt in or out of. I get it because sometimes you get bonus pay (Base + overtime + 10/hr + Diffs) which is amazing, but most the times I just ignore it.
LOL, it was the ADMIN coming up with this plan that had the chutzpah (nerve, gall, sheer audacity)! ME, otoh, was merely using my invisible verbal racquetball racquet to deflect the....flying excrement....coming my way! !
Oh gotcha...sorry I read that post kind of fast and was being kind of facetious anyway, but now I see what you were saying. My unintentional insult should teach me to do that. I'll read more carefully next time!!
!
delphine22
306 Posts
Having been the person who had to make the calls, hoping someone would come in, I answer and give a firm no if that's the case. That way they know for sure they can cross me off the list, and aren't waiting and hoping I listen to my voicemail and call back. No amount of pleading/begging works. "Sorry, I can't, I've got plans" is sufficient. I'm a grownup dealing with grownups and don't have to explain my reasons for not wanting to work extra.