How often do CNAs call out sick?

KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2010

"How often do CNAs call out sick?"

Alot. I personally have only called out once since I've been working as a CNA (and it was during Snowmageddon 2010, I thought I would be able to get out of my neighborhood but they did not plow the street..I got chewed out), but others at my facility make a steady habit of calling out. Since our census is very low right now, instead of trying to replace them, they keep it as is, and that makes for a fun shift..not:madface:

Ev1987 · Apr 25, 2010

CNA's call out pretty often at my job. I was just called in to work on my day off the other day, to replace someone's assignment. Our policy is that you must give at least 2 hours notice before the start of your shift. Yet, we still have a good amount of staff report to work because they can't afford to miss the hours. The facility isn't offering much overtime at the moment.

CoffeemateCNA · Apr 25, 2010

I have only called in once since I became a CNA -- and only because the roads had not been plowed and I couldn't drive 40 miles to work in 9 inches of snow. :)

Usually we have at least 1 CNA call in per shift. I work at a non-mandated facility, so nobody is ever forced to stay over their scheduled shift. If someone calls out on day or evening shift, they are usually (but not always) readily replaceable. Plenty of people are happy for the overtime and readily volunteer. If someone calls in on night shift, 95% of the time they just have to work short.

There are some people that call in once in a week. I'm sure everybody knows how we feel about those people.

It seems like everyone always comes down with H1N1 when it's their birthday, and by the next day they have miraculously recovered. :uhoh3:

We really don't have any policies in place to discourage calling in. Management doesn't want to risk us spreading our "sickness" to the residents, and unfortunately, many people abuse this. Occasionally, someone will be terminated for having too many absences (along with other factors), but these standards are not really applied across the board -- management picks and chooses who to use absences against.

eveningsky339, LPN · Apr 25, 2010

Usually we have at least 1 CNA call in per shift. I work at a non-mandated facility, so nobody is ever forced to stay over their scheduled shift. If someone calls out on day or evening shift, they are usually (but not always) readily replaceable. Plenty of people are happy for the overtime and readily volunteer. If someone calls in on night shift, 95% of the time they just have to work short.

At my facility evenings and nights are the easiest to cover so long as there is advance notice. But without notice, nights have to work short... meaning only one CNA and one charge nurse work. Getting people to cover days is next to impossible. Between getting called at 4 am and the "day bullies," day shift is almost always one short.

It must be nice being non-mandated... It seems like at least once a week, CNAs cower in a corner as the RNs discuss what they are going to do to cover the assignment of the person that just called in. I've worked 13 hour shifts before when all I was expecting was an 8.

There are some people that call in once in a week. I'm sure everybody knows how we feel about those people.

Or the ones that call in sick because they started their period... true story.

It seems like everyone always comes down with H1N1 when it's their birthday, and by the next day they have miraculously recovered.

No kidding! I'm willing to bet that today's callouts will be back at work tomorrow, feeling just fine.

We really don't have any policies in place to discourage calling in. Management doesn't want to risk us spreading our "sickness" to the residents, and unfortunately, many people abuse this. Occasionally, someone will be terminated for having too many absences (along with other factors), but these standards are not really applied across the board -- management picks and chooses who to use absences against.

My facility has no real enforcement either. But our 'sister facility' on the other side of town had a problem with weekend callouts. Having enough CNAs during weekdays wasn't a problem, but once the weekend rolled around, everyone magically got sick. So, they implemented a policy: if you call out on a weekend, you automatically work the next weekend, end of discussion.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Apr 25, 2010

I think every workplace has its share of staffers who call in with the 'bottle flu' on weekends, and/or are overtaken by a sudden acute illness that happens to coincide with the first nice days in the spring.

Then you have the other extreme---the "martyrs" who won't call in unless they can't get their head OFF the pillow or OUT of the toilet, who drag themselves through shifts feeling like something the dog dug up, and then get mad when someone suggests that they really shouldn't be there if they're going to sneeze/wheeze/puke/cough all over everybody. :eek:

JDZ344 · Apr 26, 2010

First of all- I can not believe that it is legal to work both a day and night shift! That would not be allowed here.

that aside- unfortunatly, pretty often. Our facility has cut our numbers again, so I can't see the situation improving either.

The hospital where I work is proposing bringing in cash rewards for people who do not go sick for 3/6/months/a year. Starting at 25 for 3 months, up to 100 for a year. The idea is it it saves them so much money in not finding agency staff that they would rather pay out the cash. Now, lets see if it happens...

Restoration · Apr 26, 2010

I know a few who call out often - for vacations, to go on interviews or after a heavy night of partying :rolleyes:

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Apr 26, 2010

As of late, in my facility, the call outs are out of control on all the shifts. I feel for the CNA's who have to work shift after shift short staffed. The get worn down physically and mentally and end up gettin sick themselves (but their illness are real, unlike the frequent call out people)

One CNA in particular has had a "death in the family" at least 2x a month for the last 4 months. Last I knew most people had a set of parents and two sets of grandparents.

She made the mistake of calling out for her mom's mom's death TWO times! She even said it was her grandma on her moms side. One death was "a long illness, and she's finally at rest" the second was "very sudden and unexpected" well, yeah, it would be UNEXPECTED since you said she was already dead! That was the last time, she was canned!

The frequent call out people become magically ill on the day the "big party" was to be held..you know, the one they were talking about the night before and how mad they were that they couldn't go because they were working the next night. Or have N/V/D and a temp of 110 (sarcasm) on the nicest, warmest days..and then come to work the next day with a nasty sunburn that they didn't have the day before they called out!! GRRRR!

KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN · Apr 26, 2010

One girl always calls out when its her weekend to work..saying how she can't arrange childcare. Well one day our manager was like "well you can leave him in the lobby, I can watch him for you!" And magically she was able to arrange a sitter for him & showed up to work:rolleyes:

ItsTheDude · Apr 26, 2010

crap work and pay = it's very common for cna's to call in "sick".

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Apr 26, 2010

People at my facility aren't that bad, probably because there are penalties for calling out and incentives for perfect attendance. We have a few on "medical leave" that can call out as much as they want though. So between them they call out enough for everybody else. You know they're broke when they suddenly start showing up to work consistently.