FMLA

[cecilsgirl]

I was just curious, do you feel that your co-workers abuse either "sick" bennifits, or FMLA? Where I work there is a real problem with this, Also, Do you feel your place of work does enough ( or anything) to reward good attendence?

[anonymurse]

It's got nothing to do with rewards. We don't do enough to punish bad attendance.

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

My hospital never had rewards for good attendance. They had the attitude "What next, do we have to reward you for following the rules............like no fire arms allowed on the premesis?"

I know of people being put on a "probationary" period due to call offs and tardiness, never heard of anyone getting fired. I think most people straighten up during the probationary period.

I have known more than a few people who abused FMLA. As with most laws, the outcome of what they put in the books was not the intended purpose. Today, it is viewed as a ticket to take mental fatigue days as needed. Anyone can go to the doctor and get the paper saying they suffer from this or that. So, in that aspect, I'd say the law makers failed. Its just too easy to abuse.

On the other hand, if the laws were not there, institutions would be practicing some scary disciplinary actions on those who are truly calling off due to medical necessity. Heck, even with the law in place some facilities will try to tell people they have to come in when it is just not possible for them to.

So, in retrospect, I'd rather let the one's who abuse it continue on but have the few who truly need it be protected.

[mappers]

I think it is abused at our facility. We have people who call out all the time and claim FMLA. One woman actually said her allergies were really bothering her and she had a headache, so she was calling out FMLA. WHAT??? You don't get FMLA for that.

FMLA must be applied for and approved. I'm assuming these people have actually applied for it and gotten it. But once you get it, it doesn't mean you can use it for whatever you want. There is such a thing as intermittant FMLA, but it has to be used for the same issue that it was originally applied for. I mean, can someone really get FMLA for allergies????

I do have one co-worker that has fibromyalgia. I can see her having flair ups and having to call out and needing to use FMLA. Another co-worker had a lump removed from her breast and used FMLA to leave early for her radiation treatments. That is legitimate as well.

But a person can't call out FMLA because the didn't sleep all day, which is what seems to happen with certain people. Call out if you need to, but take the point like the rest of us.

[mamamerlee, LPN]

It's not that easy to qualify for FMLA. And you can't just call off willy-nilly. That is abuse of the system, and HR needs to be tracking it.

I had FMLA about 9 years ago; I did actually breakdown at work, and had suicidal ideation. I was admitted to a 'day hospital', for therapy, from 8-12.

Per my own request, I asked if I could work 4 hrs a day, and my doc thought that would be okay. (I wasn't in nursing at that time) I was expected to be at work at 1 pm. Occasionally I worked longer hours. When the day therapy was completed, and I was seeing someone weekly, HR worked with me to block off time to go to my appts.

And you don't get paid for that time off - - so if people are taking extra time off, they are losing money.

Try to not concern yourself too much with other people's actions. It will only annoy and frustrate you.

[ittibittinurse]

I used FMLA twice...my father had a CABG, then my mother broke her hip and had complications. I did not have any problems. As for the call outs and tardies...these happen quite a bit. Not sure why....but I do not understand why being on time for work should be rewarded.

[frann]

Cecilsgirl-I initially thought you were one of my coworkers, but I think you work in longterm care.

we have someone that when one FMLA runs out he gets another one for something else. around here all you need is a signed note by doctor.

Our FMLA'er is transfering at end of month, but sadly they aren't replacing the position. budget cuts

very frustrating

I can't work any harder or any faster

[MzMouse]

Try to not concern yourself too much with other people's actions. It will only annoy and frustrate you.

100% agree with this.

But to answer the question; there is no reward for good attendance, simply the expectation that those of us who show up every day will continue to do so.

I haven't seen a lot of abuse of FMLA, but some pretty questionable call-in by the same people time after time. One would think it would start to hurt them, but i have yet to see it.

[shiccy]

We had a supervisor on my shift that would cry nearly every time work came around. I'd venture to say this didn't happen when she was off.

She also would sleep in the office for HOURS, never help the staff, tell us "Well I'm not good at IV's/NG's/Foley's/etc." so she could get out of them... Needless to say, after A YEAR+ of us documenting these things, our fearless leader stepped down and became a floor nurse again.

She would also call off CONSTANTLY for "FMLA" ... we were actually more used to her NOT being there than actually being there. This being said, her "FMLA" was, apparently, for headaches, because that's what she called off for all the time...

It's honestly ridiculous how easily some get an FMLA, and how hard it is for others to get one.

FWIW Good attendance IS rewarded: By having a job

We have a 3 strikes rule. You can call off three separate "incidences" in a 6 month period (seems absolutely ridiculous if you think about it when these people are calling off twice a month sometimes). This is equivalent to 6 shifts / 6 months.

If you call off a 4th time you're put into a 'verbal' (which, incidentally, includes signing your name on paper ... so I don't really see how this is considered a "verbal" by definition haha). A verbal goes away after 6 months.

If you call off again in that 6 month period you are entered into a 'written' which takes a year to get rid of.

If you call off again, you're in a 'final' and you can't call off for A YEAR AND A HALF.

[Zookeeper3]

Yes it is abused. The problem started with the hospital having an unrealistic attendance policy. We are only allowed 3 days a year. Now if your a parent with kids, an adult taking care of an elder.. or have a few health issues you are screwed.

Now that people have had to go out and get an FMLA to protect their job, some do abuse it. I say good for them and keep it up. Once management really wants to fix the issue, they will have a policy that the majority can comply with.

Fix the issue, not the law. There will be abusers in every situation in life, and I just don't focus on those type of people.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

yes it is abused. the problem started with the hospital having an unrealistic attendance policy. we are only allowed 3 days a year. now if your a parent with kids, an adult taking care of an elder.. or have a few health issues you are screwed.

now that people have had to go out and get an fmla to protect their job, some do abuse it. i say good for them and keep it up. once management really wants to fix the issue, they will have a policy that the majority can comply with.

fix the issue, not the law. there will be abusers in every situation in life, and i just don't focus on those type of people.

it's hard to say which came first: abuse of sick time or hospitals having an unrealistic attendance policy. both are abused. i've seen people call in every saturday night they're scheduled or every sunday day shift. i've seen people who called in sick twice a week -- every week. i worked with a few people who had fmla for 13 weeks. would come back to work and would get it again . . . how did they pay their bills, i wonder?

i'm not knocking fmla -- i've used it twice. once when i injured my back and once when my father died and i had to take care of my mother until we could find a memory unit for her. but i know plenty of people -- dh included -- who abuse it.

but hospitals also have unrealistic attendance policies -- penalizing all of us for the actions of a few people who are going to continue calling in sick or getting fmla regardless. my hospital also has a 3 occurance policy. the fourth time, you get a verbal warning, the fifth a written warning and the sixth termination. if you're young and healthy and your family is healthy, that's one thing. but at 50+ with an aging mother suffering from alzheimer's, a bad back, hypertension, hypothyroid and various other disorders, 3 occurances a year is pretty unrealistic.

[RN1298]

It's abused where I work. One nurse calls in for migraines so often, she might as well be a part-time worker. I know migraines are miserable and can be debilitating... but if you're missing 3 full days of work a week (out of a 5 day workweek), it seems like you do not need to be a full-time worker, leaving your other nurses out to dry constantly. But I agree with the person who said there is a reward for good attendance, having a job. :) I really think if you abuse it, it will catch up with you eventually.