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.

[joe007]

Interesting take on events.

It's interesting that someone speaking in a direct way is threatening to a boss when it is obviously very important to the employee that she retain her vacation for many reasons (family, financial, work-life balance, etc.).

Why should she beat around the bush and cave to the will of the boss?

What is the boss going to do for her?

How many times should she allow herself to be jerked around?

Where does it stop?

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

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

That's not always possible though. Some trips are planned and paid for well in advance. Sometimes because it's a hot ticket event like the Superbowl, it might be a family reunion or maybe even your own wedding and honeymoon. It's not like those events can be rescheduled for your jobs convenience. I put in for the time off as soon as I know when I need it, but my current schedule won't give PTO approval until a month before. I wouldn't hesitate to tell her I've told you about this months ago and you had plenty of time to figure out coverage.

[adnrnstudent, ASN, RN]

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

Why? I'd rather be fired and possibly collect unemployment while I seek new job.

[chare]

Why? I'd rather be fired and possibly collect unemployment while I seek new job.

In this case, being terminated for cause for failing to report to work, as a no show, no call, it is highly unlikely the OP would be eligible for unemployment. Especially when you consider the fact that the OP told the manager the week prior that he or she had no intention to work the shifts.

Taking unemployment out of consideration, it is always preferable when searching for your next position to have resigned, rather than been fired from your previous.

[BrisketRN, BSN, RN]

I was let go during my probationary period of my first nursing job. Why? I took time off during a "crucial period" of my nursing residency (a week before I was going from orientation to on my own) and didn't make the days up in time before I'd be on my own. Why did I take time off? My grandpa died...in the hospital I was working at...and had a rapid response called on him 3 days before while he was on my floor. Per hospital policy I was allotted 3 grievance days, but I only took 2.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

It sounds like the hospital you worked at needs to implement a formal policy for approving vacation time. At my facility everyone has to request vacations for the entire year in February and managers need to notify in writing in approved or denied in March. After that, no take backs. And the only reason they can be denied is if you have insufficient personal time balances or people more senior than you in your department asked for same week.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

I was let go during my probationary period of my first nursing job. Why? I took time off during a "crucial period" of my nursing residency (a week before I was going from orientation to on my own) and didn't make the days up in time before I'd be on my own. Why did I take time off? My grandpa died...in the hospital I was working at...and had a rapid response called on him 3 days before while he was on my floor. Per hospital policy I was allotted 3 grievance days, but I only took 2.

I know this is a sensitive topic - death of a loved one. What I say will be with fear and trembling of the beating I will likely get.

However - having lived 3000 miles away from family I know that it is not possible to spend the travel money and take the time off to attend every funeral and family gathering. Somehow, phone calls had to suffice for at least 2 deaths in my family - an uncle and my Granddad. I felt lonely and wished I could have gone, but I just couldn't. I survived, so will others who have to endure.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

I know this is a sensitive topic - death of a loved one. What I say will be with fear and trembling of the beating I will likely get.

However - having lived 3000 miles away from family I know that it is not possible to spend the travel money and take the time off to attend every funeral and family gathering. Somehow, phone calls had to suffice for at least 2 deaths in my family - an uncle and my Granddad. I felt lonely and wished I could have gone, but I just couldn't. I survived, so will others who have to endure.

Well, you couldn't go because you lived across the country. That's a little different from the post you responded to where the grandfather died in the hospital the poster worked at. My grandfather died during my junior year of college, in my first semester of clinicals. I had a test the day of his funeral. I emailed the dean about it and went to the funeral. If a job would be willing to let me go for going to the funeral of an immediate family member, it's not a job I'd want to work at anyway.

Similar to what I said earlier in this thread, I doubt anyone at the end of their life would think "I wish I had skipped Grandpa's funeral to go to work" but might think "I wish I'd had the chance to say a final good-bye to Grandpa instead of going to work."

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

I have no doubt that you are an authority on rudeness and therefore have full sovereignty to assert this belief. And by my standards, this post meets all the criteria for utmost rudeness that could now or ever be supposed.

- A fellow rude person

For calling it what it is?

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

Actually, if you read the OP, he did it in full understanding that he would lose his job. Bosses who screw with your ability to use your earned time off are people you want to ditch. Yes, there are rules, s/he followed them by submitting the request 30 days ahead of time. Leaving someone hanging with a vacation request for weeks, even after repeated requests for approval or denial, and then denying it last second is exceedingly rude. Bosses who do that kind of thing deserve the staffing problems they earn by treating people that way.

I never stated her boss was right. I also read the post correctly she knew she would lose her job. I don't know about you, but we need my income in my family. Jobs don't come easy where I live. Getting fired around here and you could be out of work for a year or be forced to relocate your entire family, kids change schools, etc....some people can do that and not care about how it impacts their family, but it's not anything I could do and sleep well at night.

Did she have a right to be upset? She absolutely did. I would have went through the CNO before I handled it in the same manner as the OP and sent an email to everyone involved so there is evidence you were in compliance and they were aware of it.

Absolutely look for another job...but the OP may be writing a very different post in a few weeks when she tries to find a job when she was fired from the last one, which can absolutely be legally disclosed to anyone who calls for a reference.

Life isn't fair. But you can't eat or pay bills with being right.

[Aunt Slappy]

At my facility everyone has to request vacations for the entire year in February and managers need to notify in writing in approved or denied in March. After that, no take backs. And the only reason they can be denied is if you have insufficient personal time balances or people more senior than you in your department asked for same week.

That sounds utterly insane to me. Who can plan their life out a year in advance? Example, I got sued and have had to go to court a couple times. I couldn't have planned that, I had no idea this freak would sue me. Under your facility's policy, I can't use my PTO for those court appearances because I didn't plan for this a year ago. They also don't qualify for sick time. But I'm certainly not losing my case because I pissed off a judge by not showing up. So what would I do if I worked where you work?

[johsonmichelle]

That sounds utterly insane to me. Who can plan their life out a year in advance? Example, I got sued and have had to go to court a couple times. I couldn't have planned that, I had no idea this freak would sue me. Under your facility's policy, I can't use my PTO for those court appearances because I didn't plan for this a year ago. They also don't qualify for sick time. But I'm certainly not losing my case because I pissed off a judge by not showing up. So what would I do if I worked where you work?

Yea just be glad that you and I don't work at that posters facility, lol. I wonder what their staff satisfaction and turnover rates are. Some of these facilities are too strict and treat their grown employees like children. A lot of us like to complain a lot but we are also complacent with foolish rules. Now I'm not encouraging job absenteeism but life happens. These same people supporting their facility rules should not complain when they facilities cut them loose because they became ill.