Fired for taking vacation

[cyc0sys]

I put my vacation request in 30 days prior to the new schedule as per policy. The new schedule comes out and they have me working during my requested time. So talk to the scheduler confirms I have requested time off and confirms it with HR.

I had just covered the UM vacation the week before mine and 1 other nurse's vacation prior to that. Two days prior to my departure, my UM informs me that my leave has not been approved and no explanation is required. I informed her that it was not acceptable answer and I would not be working regardless of whether it was approved. Everyone else got to take vacation and I covered most of them.

Yesterday, after returning from vacation, they fired me over the phone. No call, no show. Surprise right?

Now before some of you go off, I'm not crying, whining, complaining or looking for sympathy. I very much knew what the expected outcome was going to be.

Sometimes you just have to give zero #####.

Self care is self respect.

[brownbook]

The phrase, "You can't fire me, I quit," comes to mind.

I hope you get a better job soon. Good living is the best revenge

[Aunt Slappy]

Sometimes your management is full of ********.

Hope you find a better place to land.

[Daisy4RN]

Yep, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do, (most) management just doesn't care!! Good luck with the new job search!

[Sour Lemon]

I would only advise that you quit next time instead of waiting to get fired.

Some employers don't want to grant time off because they're short staffed, but people leave over it making them even shorter staffed. It doesn't make much sense.

[TNT_RN09, BSN, RN]

I would only advise that you quit next time instead of waiting to get fired.

Some employers don't want to grant time off because they're short staffed, but people leave over it making them even shorter staffed. It doesn't make much sense.

Well when you've already paid for hotels & booked flights months in advance to then find out 30 days before your vacation is denied, i see why many would quit

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

It doesn't sound like an employer that you want to be working for anyway.

I once had a 2 week trip to Africa booked MONTHS in advance that my manager knew about. The trip cost several thousand dollars. My direct manager left and I put the dates on the calendar after they hired a new manager but before she started. I got an email from my director that said "Hi Kel, since this will affect [New Manager] a great deal, let's talk about it." I knew right then that if she tried to tell me I couldn't go, I would have immediately given my notice that the day before my vacation would be my last day. The next time I saw her, she said something about it, I said "Old Manager knew about it and I already paid for everything" and she said we'd work something out. There was really nothing to work out since I didn't need New Manager to cover for me at all, I had a colleague who always covered for me. When I told New Manager about this months later, she thought it was ridiculous since my vacation didn't affect her at all.

A large part of why I left my last employer was because of how horrible their PTO policy was. At my new job, I have 33 days/year. I have taken 2 week long vacations in the 6 months since I started and will be going on a 10 day honeymoon this winter. I won't work for an employer that doesn't recognize that employees need time off. Actually, when I was interviewing for my current job, one of the questions my medical director asked me is how I thought I would deal with working with some difficult situations (I work with medically complex children in foster care) and I honestly answered that I take vacations and I completely disconnect from work during vacation.

Also just going to leave this here: It's Proven That You'd Be More Productive If You Took More Vacations

My spirit is so not American. I really should have been born in Canada, Australia or Europe.

[Davey Do]

I would only advise that you quit next time instead of waiting to get fired.

A point of contention here, Sour Lemon: When applying for unemployment benefits, it is the employer who has to show just cause for termination. If the employee quits, it is they who have to prove the job situation warranted such an action.

It sounds like cycOsys followed protocol, jumped through the correct hoops, and acted as a good employee in covering vacation for others.

Best of luck, cycOsys!

[brownbook]

My BFF is a retired school nurse. She was always having trouble with administration. The horror stories she shared would curl your hair, (whatever that means).

They had initially approved her vacation. Later they changed their mind. They day she was leaving for the airport they were still calling her saying she couldn't go. She went anyway and still had her job when she returned. She has her Masters in Nursing and was not easily replaced. Maybe that's one (of many) reasons to continue your education.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

Well when you've already paid for hotels & booked flights months in advance to then find out 30 days before your vacation is denied, i see why many would quit

But you need to get approval before making those expenditures. And it should be in writing for your protection.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

A point of contention here, Sour Lemon: When applying for unemployment benefits, it is the employer who has to show just cause for termination. If the employee quits, it is they who have to prove the job situation warranted such an action.

It sounds like cycOsys followed protocol, jumped through the correct hoops, and acted as a good employee in covering vacation for others.

Best of luck, cycOsys!

Yes, this. Sometimes letting them being the one to pull the trigger can work out for you in the long run. I think most reasonable employers would be fine with this termination once the OP explains that she appropriately requested the time off and that she was not notified until 2 days prior (at which point it's pretty much guaranteed to be too late to cancel) that the employer wasn't going to honor the request.

[johsonmichelle]

But you need to get approval before making those expenditures. And it should be in writing for your protection.

I agree, but some places wait til the last time minute to either accept or deny vacay requests. These are questions one should ask management and staff during the interview process. Some places are too strict and understaffed that even if you request vacation time well in advance they will not approve it.