Going to HR re: management

[California2]

Hi. I would like some advice please. I am a veteran RN here at this hospital, at the end of my rope with the problems on my unit. I have tried to get off this floor for years and am thwarted each time with a bogus write up. I have gone to upper management but nothing ever changes, they side with the manager (even though everyone knows the management is bad on my floor, one manager just left, ppl think she was forced out)

There is rampant favoritism on this unit..with assignments, vacations, double standards on policy enforcement. I've had enough!!!!! So, I am going to HR, mostly to protect myself form further bogus writeups that may get me fired. I believe this management would love t fire me bc they know I see what's going on. MANY of my peers have the same complaints but are afraid to say anything.

I've been at this hospital for over 13 yrs, different units, but this is the worst. I have never been written up before this unit, I am not a troublemaker, I am a great nurse as evidenced by my patient satisfaction feedback. Please please advise, how can I be most effective with my meeting with HR?

Thanks so much!!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Stick to the facts. Make sure you understand all the current policies & procedures that are relevant to any of your claims, including the correct process for reporting grievances. Be prepared with a record of the dates, times, and details about any grievance you are reporting. Try to avoid becoming emotional. Do not 'trash talk' anyone or make claims on behalf of your peers (who are afraid to come forward). Offer some sort of reasonable solution to the situation. In this case, it would seem that a transfer to a different department may be the best one.

Make sure you have concrete, factual examples of any management violation you are claiming. If you are reporting favoritism or any sort of bias, this can be very difficult to prove. You will need to show that your less favorable treatment was based upon manager bias rather than any other factor.

FWIW, when faced with a "bogus write up", you should act immediately to dispute it rather than let it slide and bring it up after the fact so your work record is not tarnished.

Good luck.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

bring a witness, preferably male and well dressed, and no I am not being facetious.

[California2]

thank you, I will try to remember this...I hope I can transfer to another dept, I have been trying to for a very long time.

[California2]

bring a witness, preferably male and well dressed, and no I am not being facetious.

I don't understand why I need a witness? what good is employee relations/HR if I need a witness?

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

HR is not there to protect you. They exist to protect the employer. Bringing a witness helps treating you fairly and protecting the employer become the same thing.

I'd be careful about going alone. If others have the same complaints it would be better to go as a group to complain. But be prepared for HR to be as responsive as upper management. There's a unit at my hospital with similar complaints and the best the hospital does for that unit is listen to the complaints in a forum with upper management, which is essentially a vent session with promises to follow up and then no changes and no follow up.

[California2]

HR is not there to protect you. They exist to protect the employer. Bringing a witness helps treating you fairly and protecting the employer become the same thing.

I'd be careful about going alone. If others have the same complaints it would be better to go as a group to complain. But be prepared for HR to be as responsive as upper management. There's a unit at my hospital with similar complaints and the best the hospital does for that unit is listen to the complaints in a forum with upper management, which is essentially a vent session with promises to follow up and then no changes and no follow up.

sounds like we work at the same place, lol we have those venting meetings with NO CHANGES..I used to speak up on behalf of my unit, it never helped, so I just keep quiet now..

I am meeting w HR tomorrow, I don't have time to bring anyone with me at this point :-(

I will be calm, polite, factual, non accusatory, etc...I know they side with the management, I know how it works, ut I need to be proactive and do SOMETHING.

thanks :-)

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

It sounds like you have a good plan in place. Good luck- I hope they can at least help you transfer!

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

HR is part of the upper management/administration apparatus. The HR workers might be genuinely nice people who work hard, but their department was set up to protect the company from litigation and to ensure labor/safety regulations are in compliance. They represent they company's interests. They don't represent you.

They will address issues like sexual discrimination or disability discrimination, but, again, this is to protect the company from litigation. Bringing grievances re: how your floor is run can be dicey. Stuff like favoritism or unfair assignments are hard to prove. You'll find HR cares very little about such things. Don't confuse the role of HR with the role of a union.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

I, unfortunately, have no good stories about employees going to HR regarding poor management. I knew MANY co-workers at my former place of employment (myself included) who went this route. None of us are employed at this institution any longer. HR is going to be on management's side, they're there to protect the institution and they couldn't care less about an individual employee.