I need a good excuse to quit LTC job

jsteine1 · Jul 29, 2005

You should very carefully review your employee handbook or personnel policies re voluntary termination processes, ie, expected notice period( they cannot enforce that)Typically, its 2 weeks. I have seen policies that specifically state that if sick or vac days were used during the "notice period", it would not be honored ;ie paid. Your policies will clearly state whether unused benefit time will be paid out at termination or not and in what way it will be prorated if at all.

If you have an employee handbook, did you sign anything at the time of hire indicating that you have read and understood the contents and policies of the handbook? If so, the facility can enforce the policies as written, which could include you not being paid for time off taken following resignation. An interesting point: if you were employed for a number of years, and any of the policies were changed during your tenure, BUT you were not asked to sign a new employee policy handbook or letter of understanding, the older policies technically apply to you. A prior post advised a tastefully written letter of resignation, thanking the facility for the opportunity etc. I could not agree more. You never know where the current management of your facility will end up over the years. Never burn any bridges. Ask for a letter of reference on company letterhead immediately and retain it. Nursing management is a small world.

ZZTopRN, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2005

You should very carefully review your employee handbook or personnel policies re voluntary termination processes, ie, expected notice period( they cannot enforce that)Typically, its 2 weeks. I have seen policies that specifically state that if sick or vac days were used during the "notice period", it would not be honored ;ie paid. Your policies will clearly state whether unused benefit time will be paid out at termination or not and in what way it will be prorated if at all.
If you have an employee handbook, did you sign anything at the time of hire indicating that you have read and understood the contents and policies of the handbook? If so, the facility can enforce the policies as written, which could include you not being paid for time off taken following resignation. An interesting point: if you were employed for a number of years, and any of the policies were changed during your tenure, BUT you were not asked to sign a new employee policy handbook or letter of understanding, the older policies technically apply to you. A prior post advised a tastefully written letter of resignation, thanking the facility for the opportunity etc. I could not agree more. You never know where the current management of your facility will end up over the years. Never burn any bridges. Ask for a letter of reference on company letterhead immediately and retain it. Nursing management is a small world.

What about "at will" states? The employer and you are not required to give any notice. You can be terminated at anytime without notice or reason.

noclpn · Jul 30, 2005

I also have a question about "at will" states. I though that meant that you could be fired at anytime, not that you can quit without notice. Does anybody know?

CritterLover, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2005

i'm not an expert in employment law, not even close. but i believe that it would be perfectly legal for you to walk out at the end of you shift and never come back.

i suppose if your facility is very short staffed, they might try to turn you into the state for "abandonment," but that is highly doubtful as long as you complete your shift. even if your facility tried to do that, i doubt even more that it would go anwhere with the board.

the issue is getting a good reference, and not burning any bridges. that is why you need to give notice. not to mention that it is the professional thing to do.

i know what it is like to dread going to work, to desperatly need something different. i have found, though, that giving notice in itself can improve my attitude. something about seeing that "light at the end of the tunnel," knowing that the horror is going to be over soon, makes it easier to go to work.

dinkymouse · Jul 30, 2005

At my facility the rn's have to give a months notice or they have to pay back their sign on bonus. I don't know how they would make you do that except take your last check. Of course that doesn't stop them from walking off and not showing up. If you don't put in a months notice you also lose your sick and vacation days that aren't used up.

barefootlady, ADN, RN · Jul 30, 2005

Estrogen,

It has been my experience from facility policies, if you do not work the entire notice they list you as a not eligible for rehire and dock your pay. Sick time is usually lost.

jsteine1 · Jul 30, 2005

As I said in the note, a Notice period cannot be legally enforced, but one of your goals is to leave there without burning any bridges or having anyone feeling negatively about you in the future. I cannot tell you how many calls from employers or headhunters I get about people seeking positions that I worked with more than 10 years ago; ie, individuals looking for an "unofficial" reference on someone I know or had worked for me a long time ago. It happens all the time informally and those are the references that can help or hurt the most. Personally, I'm very careful and will acknowledge that I knew or worked with an individual, but either sing their praises or say I cant recall a lot about the person if their departure was involuntary or had negative overtone in any way. But, not all current or former employers are discrete and can say something that could hurt you throughout your career. No one owns up to that behavior and its nearly impossible to prove that casual comments might have cost you a job.Unfortunately, it's hard to legislate informal conversations that occur.

jsteine1 · Jul 30, 2005

At Will refers to the rights of the employer only;technically.An employer can add or reduce the size of their staff as their business needs dictate,(IE, closure of a wing) but there is a lot that has to go on behind the scenes to avoid lawsuits. If for example, there is a reduction in force, they need to use a solid methodolgy to determine who goes, ie, seniority, experience, skill-sets or a combination of all three, being careful to avoid issues of discrimination. However,if its one person and their company policies specify a clearly defined disciplinary process, they are bound to carry it out and document each step.Granted, those steps can be carried out very very quickly in certain circumstances. All of us are free to work when and where we wish to. The issue I believe here is not a legal one for you. Its not burning bridges for your future.

jsteine1 · Jul 30, 2005

Another comment on "At Will". In an industry employing licensed professionals who are in high demand, it's unlikely that an employer will terminate employment just because they feel like it. There is ALWAYS a reason, even if its not been articulated well to those affected.

Mandylpn · Jul 30, 2005

I have decided to leave my LTC. I really feel like the working conditions there are putting my lic. at risk. The only thing is I have limited nursing experience, and I want them as a reference. I guess what I'm asking is, what is the best excuse for quiting a job on short notice without offending the DON. The other nursing staff will understand, everyone talks about leaving all the time. Any suggestions are welcomed. I have never quit a job before just because it is so terrible there. Thanks!!!!

:confused: I can relate to your experience. How long have you worked there? Months? weeks? I would suggest to give notice also, like the others stated. I know how much you want to get out of there but if a new employer calls them and you have not given a proper notice who knows what they will say. from what I understand legally all they can give out is the date you started and the date you left, just a verification that you worked there. Look in your employee handbook and see if it states anything about how they give a reference, what info they give out. Above all, DO NOT walk out in the middle of your shift, that would be abandonment. Good luck, working in long term care is very hard. :nurse: Let us know how this turns out for you.

noclpn · Aug 11, 2005

I finally did it! I quit! I feel alot better. Now I have no idea what to do! I'm thinking about leaving nursing for awhile, so I can spend more time at home with my family. Thank you for all your advice. By the way, the DON was super nice and I am still rehireable. (even without the proper notice)

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2005

Short and sweet:

1) I am resigning my position because I have found employment elsewhere.

2) I am requesting a leave of absence for a family emergency. My (mother/father/husband/child) is very ill (you supply the disease) and needs constant nursing care and I want to be the one to provide that for him/her at home. [Note: these leaves are good for 8 weeks which gives you time to go job hunting.]

3) Just call off sick and tell the DON you have pneumonia, broke your leg, or something else that is going to keep you off work awhile. She will tell you she needs a doctor's excuse. Tell her you'll get in touch with him. Use caller ID and don't take any calls from her until you get your next job.

Also, make sure some of your co-workers will give you a reference. When you apply for jobs tell them the DON resigned, but Nurse so-and-so is kind of taking over and they can contact her for a reference. Otherwise, most places know better than to call a DON they don't know on the phone for a reference. Any DON who knows about protection of confidentiality doesn't give out any specific information on an employee to anybody. Mostly, prospective employers contact whoever is in charge of personnel and can only get a verification of your dates of employment, your job title, and whether your temination was voluntary or forced (got fired).

I'm sorry. I'm laughing as I write this because I was in management and I've heard just about everything. Look, the fact of the matter is that you can quit your job at any time. They can't hold you to it. What are they gonna do? Send a car to your home to pick you up and bring you to work even when you say you're not coming? No way. Most places want a notice that follows the same length of time as a pay period--that's two weeks in most places. It's nice to do it that way. However, you don't have to. What you do have to do is let the DON know you're quitting and make sure she has at least 24 hours to find someone to cover your next shift. It really is that easy.

One final note: If you get caught in a lie they can't send you to jail, you just suffer some embarrassment at getting caught in it.