Is this something I can go to HR about? Not sure...

[rbbb]

If we are sick on a weekend and call-in sick, my manager wants us to make up that weekend shift missed. Full-time day shift nurses have to alternate working 2 weekends one month and 3 weekends the next month.

One nurse called in because one of her boys was sick (she is a single mom to 2 boys), and the other nurse that called in had a bad reaction to an antibiotic. They both got notices to makeup that weekend shift that was missed. There are other people have received notices on weekends that they missed, but I know these two were legitimately sick.

There are a lot of nurses that are upset about this rule because if we call call-in sick, it already counts as an occurrence against us, it uses our PTO, and our body doesn't decide to not get sick, just because it's a weekend. Also, this rule does not apply to night shift nurses. Just day shift. However, everyone gets sick. What's ironic is that my manager was off work for nearly 5 months due to a diagnosis of multiple myeloma and when he comes back, he is enforcing this policy.

Is my manager on a power trip? Is this something that HR can do anything about?

[icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN]

Going to HR will get you nowhere. They will back your manager even if he is wrong; their job is to minimize liability for the faciity not to protect the employee.

Second your manager will most likey retaliate against you in some way shape or form if you file a grievance. All that you will accomplish is to be labeled a troublemaker in their eyes. It's not worth it.

If you feel that strongly about being mandated to make up missed weekend shifts, and I am not saying that you are wrong to feel that way, then find another job, preferably in a unionized facility, and resign gracefully.