Is my employer's cancellation policy draconian...

Nurses General Nursing

Published

or is this common?:o

Our unit is staffed according to patient census and acuity, so when either of those drops, someone (sometimes multiple nurses) are cancelled. In the past, the cancellation was for the whole shift unless the nurse asked to be called if there were admissions. Most of the time we are fine with just taking the day off. Now, we are being cancelled for any length of time and then expected to come in for the remainder of the shift.

We are notified one hour before the start of the shift of the cancellation. So, at 10 PM we could be called and cancelled for 11PM to 1 AM and at Midnight we could be cancelled for another 2 hours, etc. all night long if we were the nurse with the lowest cancellation hours (we have a point system so that cancellations are spread around).

According to TPTB, this is not considered being on-call because a nurse could just "not answer her/his phone and go in to work" where management would have the option of working her/him for 2 hours minimum and then sending her/him home.

This is just unacceptable to me. Before I take drastic action (quit) I would like to know if this is actually commonplace and I would just be jumping from the frying pan to the fire.

Thanks, nell

Specializes in PICU, surgical post-op.

We're canceled in 4-hour blocks. You get called 2 hours prior to the start of your shift and are offered the option of staying home for 4 hours. They won't commit to giving you the whole day off, but they'll always let you know how it looks. "We have 2 admission plans and you're the second one to get called back in" is a pretty sure bet of having all 12 hours off. You then get 2 more calls throughout the day to cancel you for the additional 4-hour blocks. That works out to calls at 5, 9 and 1 to cancel for 7-11, 11-3 and 3-7. I believe night shift is the only exception to this rule- when they get canceled at 11PM it's for the additional 8 hours, so no one calls them at 1 in the morning to come in at 3.

Our cancels and floats go by last date, not a block or point system.

too bad the nurse can't do the same thing, huh?

Call up and say, oh I won't be in from 7 to 11, but I'll come in at 11 and work until 3, just cause I feel like it.

Every 2 hours I have never heard of.

but I have had some rotten things pulled on me

That's insane. I'd rather just go to work than be called off in 2 hour blocks.

We called off in 8 hour shifts (7-3, 3-11, 11-7). For those working 12 hours, we could take off from 3p-7p, or 7p-11p.

We took 'turns', although I rarely got called off as I was often the only RN on at night.

Thanks AliRae.

At least you have 5-6 hours to get something done before the next call. I don't suppose you are paid on-call time?

Our policy has no set time block - they can cancel us for from 15 minutes to 12 hours at a time.

Our cancelation notice is only 1 hour. I live 1 hour away if there is no traffic...

Mulan,

We have to give 4 hours notice if we call in sick.

Emmanuel Goldstein,

I love your monniker.

nell

Do union contracts typically address this issue and, if so, so how? Are unionized nurses paid to be on call? Is it a reduced hourly wage?

Specializes in PICU, surgical post-op.
I don't suppose you are paid on-call time?

Nope. But at least the cancellation policy is up-front- you know you're only getting 4 hours at a time, and it's your choice as to whether you accept a cancel or not. They can't force you to take it. However, if you're not taking cancels, you're probably going to end up floating when you come in, because someone on another unit will want to stay home.

We are ASKED if we want an excused absence (EA) . It might be 4 hours only or the only other alternative would be the full 12 hour shift.

We then have to use our vacation or holiday time for this.

When they ask full time staff someone will always take the EA.

Sometimes we ask for the EA, if we don't want to go to work and they have enough or too much staff.

If there is still too much staff, the fliers or per diem can get floated to other units.

Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.

yes our is the same way .. we get called off or flexed home early if the census drops.. i haven't been called off for a year and would love to be cancelled... or sent home early ... they send the CNA's and unit scretray off first or call them off first then the nurses.

Do union contracts typically address this issue and, if so, so how? Are unionized nurses paid to be on call? Is it a reduced hourly wage?

Every union is different. There can be different contracts with different facilities that have the same union.

Our union has approved our cancellation policy. Our union has negotiated for on-call pay which in most cases is 1/2 of base pay and doubletime for hours actually worked during the on-call shift.

I have heard of many facilities that pay a flat rate (like $2 per hour). Every facility will have it's own policy union or not.

nell

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