I've worked as a nurse for several years. I have never noticed a particular problem on election day with staff getting away to vote. Usually we put up a sign-up sheet a few days before for people to pick early, or late and we cover for each other. Hasn't ever been a problem before. However, this time we have received LOTS of "encouragement" to vote early. (In my state we can vote starting tomorrow, Saturday, and Monday, at the county election board.) This isn't convenient or even possible for some of us, due to working those days.
Though our policy doesn't require it, we have been notifying our management team that we will be voting on the way to work, or leaving early to go vote. Our management has not actually said that we won't be able to vote on Tuesday, but are saying things like, "I don't know how we're going to do it", and "really, everybody just needs to vote early". The only difference I see from 4 years ago is completely different management; none of them were here then.
My question to all of you is, how does your facility handle this? Our HR policy makes it clear that employees must be allowed to vote. How would you handle a situation if you arrived at work on election day and then were told that you just couldn't go vote unless you found coverage for yourself?
There is no acceptable excuse for not voting, with the options of early voting and absentee voting.
People who dont vote are just failing to use own of their most basic privileges in life.
I totally agree with you. I may not have explained the situation as well as I should have. Our early voting days are the Friday, Saturday and Monday before election Tuesday. Some of us are working all of those days. Also, on those early voting days they are open from 8am-6pm. We work 12 hour shifts, and our work hours are 6:45am to 7:15pm. Those hours do not allow for voting on the "early" voting days. We didn't find out until Thursday that management was not planning on allowing people on duty to either come in a little late, or leave a little early in order to vote. Our polls are open 7am-7pm.
My concern is that since in previous years this has not been considered a problem we assumed that it would not be a problem this year. Hence, few of us considered absentee ballots. The early voting days are an option for some, but not for all. It would have been more helpful if management had talked about this earlier, but as I said, our work place has in the past been very supportive of staff voting during work hours, (as stated in our state law), and we've all worked together to make sure that everybody has their opportunity. I am just wondering what other hospitals do where nurses work during the entire time the polls are open.
Your management HAS to recognize your constitutional right to vote. Not to allow you to vote on the scheduled election day is against federal law. They will have to make provisions to allow you to vote in your precient no matter how far from work it is located. If they try to stop you I would be calling the election board..the press as well as a lawyer.
I am actually going to vote and then come to work and ask people if they need to be relieved to go vote. I have not checked with manager on this but I figure we work 7a-7p so if they don't go during work they will not get a chance otherwise and I, like Tom feel everyone should vote NO excuses!
Our polls close here at 7pm. I work until 5pm. I will leave early at 4:30 to vote. All our patients will be through by then (outpatient chemo center). If I go in Tuesday and see they have scheduled late patients, I will still be leaving at 4:30 because as of Friday, our last patient was at 2pm. Everyone knew to keep Tuesday light after 2pm, hopefully they did. If not, I guess my manager will be working late. Hope she votes in the morning. :)
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
i've already voted by absentee ballot. really, today is too late to start thinking about how you were going to vote. the time to consider that is as soon as the schedules come out. if you know you're going to be working on tuesday, make arrangements to vote early or to vote by absentee ballot. if you have three days for early voting, it seems like you could take turns relieving each other to vote over the four days.
directcare4me
173 Posts
I totally agree with you. I may not have explained the situation as well as I should have. Our early voting days are the Friday, Saturday and Monday before election Tuesday. Some of us are working all of those days. Also, on those early voting days they are open from 8am-6pm. We work 12 hour shifts, and our work hours are 6:45am to 7:15pm. Those hours do not allow for voting on the "early" voting days. We didn't find out until Thursday that management was not planning on allowing people on duty to either come in a little late, or leave a little early in order to vote. Our polls are open 7am-7pm.
My concern is that since in previous years this has not been considered a problem we assumed that it would not be a problem this year. Hence, few of us considered absentee ballots. The early voting days are an option for some, but not for all. It would have been more helpful if management had talked about this earlier, but as I said, our work place has in the past been very supportive of staff voting during work hours, (as stated in our state law), and we've all worked together to make sure that everybody has their opportunity. I am just wondering what other hospitals do where nurses work during the entire time the polls are open.
Thanks for your responses.