Tardiness...

[night owl]

I'm not one to come here and b***h, but I just need some feedback on this one, please.

I don't know if any of you have had this problem where you're employed, but I would like to know if a person comes to work late, say anywhere from 15 min to over an hour, how does your facility handle this? Do they dock your pay? And is it pretty much the same for all of your shifts?

The reason I ask is because on our shift which is 12mn-8am, the supervisor calls each floor and asks, " What is your census?, who all is there?" ( meaning the staff). If someone isn't in yet, they are to call the supervisor when they arrive, explain why they are late and then the super docks them for the amt of time they are late. I have no problem with that. The thing that irks me is that it's not done on every shift. Alot of the day shifters come in late and no one is EVER docked, including the head nurse! The supervisor for the day shift calls the unit and tells them to send one NA, or a LPN or RN to wherever, but never asks if anyone is late. Afternoons, I'm really not sure about. One morning, the supervisor sat in the lobby of the nursing home and observed that out of 75 employees that were due in at 7:30, only 15 of them came to work on time, and only 2 were marked down as being late. Talk about fraud! People were being payed for not being at work and nothing was done about it. Our 6am nurse ALWAYS comes to work at least 20-30 min. late every day, and I blame the nurse in charge for not marking her late...she doesn't want to "make waves" and is afraid of retaliation.

I don't think it's fair that other people on other shifts can get away with being late all of the time and the midnight shift seems to be the only shift that NEVER gets away with it. Why do you suppose that is???

[shavsha]

I am a person that tends to be late. I am a very poor estimator of time. However I have NEVER been late to work because I tell myself and everyone I am with that I have to leave for work at 2:30. I only live 5 minutes from my work and my shift starts at 3:00! I like having the extra time to greet my coworkers from the first shift. Sometimes, like yesterday...I arrived at 2:54...just enough time to go to my locker and clock in. When you have three kids sometimes things just happen!

There is one nurse that works my shift that is always late. Because we have a time clock she does not get paid for that time however when she is scheduled we always have this conversation: "Has ______been seen yet? Well, we'll wait a few minutes before we start the tape. (We have taped report). "Oh, she'll get here soon.....Well, guess will go ahead and start..." Then she comes in. Off goes the taped report so she can get settled and those of us who are trying to get report can hear. Part of me understands....if you are a late-type of person it is difficult to "get it together". But on the other hand it is not acceptable that one person can hold up an entire shift!

[willie2001]

We have had to time clock now for several years; the kind you swipe your badge through. I have to be at work at 7:00AM. If I swipe at 7:01, I am late and written up accordingly. I'm ordinarily not late, but I cut it close, usually clocking in a 7:58 or 7:59.

[ktwlpn, LPN]

I feel that chronic lateness is inconsiderate-totally thoughtless.A co-worker clocking in late every day is saying to me "my life is more important that yours" I keep my alarm clock a good 10 or 15 mins fast-I listen to the radio while getting ready for work in the am-helps keep me on track.I also pack lunch every evening while cleaning up the kitchen and lay out my uniform for the daymat bedtime.I like to relax and not have to rush in the am-that sets the tone for my whole day....We have a time clock so it is the responsibility of the payroll dept to report tardiness.Several of my in -laws also have this trait-nothing worse then working all day and showing up for a holiday dinner on time and having to wait 2 hours to eat-when I host I don't hold the meal-I set enough aside for the latecomers on paper plates...We have a time clock so it is the responsibility of the payroll dept to report tardines.

[sassynurse78]

I to, am always late, usually anywhere form five to fifteen minutes. I have tried to change it, but it seems no matter what I do I am still late! One of my biggest problems seems to be that my clock, watch, clock in the car are all set with the radios time or the tvs. But our time clock is 10minutes faster then that and also the clock at the nursing station is 10-15 min fast!

Regardless of my excuses, it is very disrespectfull. I do not understand why any place would have no time clock, even in a honest profession you will always have dishonest people, where I work, If you miss your time to clock in by 30min you have to sign in, I have seen people sign in as that they forgot their badge to clock in with and actully have been late. But they are the ones that have to live with theirselves.

[TKOLRN, BSN, RN]

I worked with a nurse at my old job who was ALWAYS late relieving me. One particularly bad night she was scheduled 11p-7a. At 11:15 she sauntered by the trauma room where I was lavaging an OD. She stood in the doorway and laughed, not yet knowing that it was soon to be HER patient that I was lavaging. Well, I certainly knew and was determined to get the last laugh. Knowing there was a narcan order on the chart, I decided to do my lavage first. Always easier to keep the charcoal IN them and OFF me that way. Well, as this nurse now entered the room about 11:25, you can imagine how irate I was at this point. I finished the lavage and gave her report. Then, without a word, I walked over, drew up the narcan and slammed it in. As I hit the door, she said "What did you just give him?" I replied, "Narcan" and walked out. I wasn't 1/2 way to my car when he went ballistic. It seems in my "rush" to lavage the patient, I had "forgotten" to apply the PRN restraints. Needless to say, the first 1/2 hour of her shift was as crappy as the last 1/2 hour of mine. She was NEVER late relieving me again, and I worked there 4 more years after that!!:) :)

[TKOLRN, BSN, RN]

My wife is constantly rippin' on me because I live 10 minutes from work but leave 35 minutes before my shift.

In 15 years of full-time work, I have been late 3 times!!I work with a lady who was late three time LAST WEEK!!!!

It drives me crazy when people are chronically late..I agree with one of the other postings-that just screams "my time is more valuable than yours".

Our work makes note of each tardy..you get pay docked AND a nastygram from the boss...

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

TKOLRN you are an evil evil man. (and so wiley)

dropping to her knees to pay homage

That is so cool-wish I had been a fly on the wall.

[mcl4]

Originally posted by ktwlpn

I feel that chronic lateness is inconsiderate-totally thoughtless.A co-worker clocking in late every day is saying to me "my life is more important that yours" I keep my alarm clock a good 10 or 15 mins fast-I listen to the radio while getting ready for work in the am-helps keep me on track.I also pack lunch every evening while cleaning up the kitchen and lay out my uniform for the daymat bedtime.I like to relax and not have to rush in the am-that sets the tone for my whole day....We have a time clock so it is the responsibility of the payroll dept to report tardiness.Several of my in -laws also have this trait-nothing worse then working all day and showing up for a holiday dinner on time and having to wait 2 hours to eat-when I host I don't hold the meal-I set enough aside for the latecomers on paper plates...We have a time clock so it is the responsibility of the payroll dept to report tardines.

While I agree tardiness is a poor trait, I doubt the folks who do this are totally thoughtless. Employers should handle this problem by docking pay or writing a staff member up showing them their are consequences to their actions.

As far as personal life is concern, there are those who are prompt and those who are not. Flexibility is also a trait that is important to have in life and letting go the small stuff including late guest or delayed meals. We all have our faults.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

I hate when people waltz in 10-20 minutes late. And I let it be known....if you want the history on the patient, then read the chart as you are getting only what you need to know to survive. Don't stand there and ask me a million questions because I am going to look you in the eye and say...try being on time like everyone else....it is part of professionalism and it is courteous on top of that. For the chronically late we get points that accumulate and after so many points you get written up, then suspended. But....many of the people that come in late wait until the end of the shift to sign in so that the charge person won't catch them signing in on time. I have been known to change times and leave the head nurse a note. Lateness is something I can't abide by...especially if you don't have a really good excuse.

[hoolahan, ASN, RN]

mcl4, spoken like a true latecomer!

I am sorry, but I agree with the person you quoted 200%, being chronically late says "my life is more important than yours."

Everyone understands that sometimes things happen, but they do not happen to the same person every day.

I am sorry, there is NO excuse for chronic lateness!! It is RUDE to the people who also have lives to return to, babysitters to report to, or whatever! NO EXCUSE!!!!!! (It's times like this I wish Brian had a little crabby face emoticon! LOL! the mad face just isn't quite the same!)

[ktwlpn, LPN]

Originally posted by mcl4

While I agree tardiness is a poor trait, I doubt the folks who do this are totally thoughtless. Employers should handle this problem by docking pay or writing a staff member up showing them their are consequences to their actions.

As far as personal life is concern, there are those who are prompt and those who are not. Flexibility is also a trait that is important to have in life and letting go the small stuff including late guest or delayed meals. We all have our faults.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I just have to reply to this one...(I have tried for several days to hold back-but I can't any longer) What DO you call someone whom is chronically late if not thoughtless and inconsiderate? A "poor time manager?" Why should the rest of the world make accomodations for them? And are you the person that held up the departure of our last bus trip to New York??? We only had time for the Statue of Liberty because of you....

[TKOLRN, BSN, RN]

Perhaps they can be declared Chronologically Challenged and receive special government funding for clocks, watches, chauffeurs and someone to call them and let them know when they should leave for work. Hell, we cater to everyone else that doesn't want to do their share, why not late co-workers??