Manager Set Up A Meeting With Union Rep

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Specializes in Home Care/Psychiatry.
Manager Set Up A Meeting With Union Rep

So I received a text message from one of my manager's yesterday telling me they've booked a meeting with the union for my next day shift. That's 2 days from now. When I asked what it was about she just said it's not an accusatory meeting and that she just wants to review something together, not to panic, no prep required.

Uuuh like yeah, I'm panicking because that doesn't deny if its a reprimanding or an investigation, I can't eat, can't sleep. I had so much other stuff I needed to get done in the next 2 days and now all I can think about is this meeting and what it's about.

Honestly, even thinking about just calling in sick because that is what this is doing to me. Looking for opinions/advice and also wondering if I could get in trouble for calling in sick to avoid this meeting that was sprung on me from no where.

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Specializes in Dialysis.

I'm not in a union, so I don't know, but can you talk to a union rep to maybe get some clarity and answers prior to this meeting? I hope all is okay, and it's a whole lotta nothing 

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Based on my experiences (extensive experience working in management at union facilities) it sounds like this is an investigatory meeting. Any time management needs to meet with an employee to ask them questions that could lead to the employee being disciplined, they are required to offer them union representation. What is odd to me is that the manager secured the union rep her/himself. Normally, the manager just says "I need to meet with you, and you may have a union rep present at this meeting" and then let them know how they would go about contacting their rep if the employee doesn't already know. It's up to the employee to reach out to the union and make sure they're at the meeting, not management.

OP, it could be as simple as "You have had 4 absences in the last 6 months which meets our absence policy threshold, so I need to give you a verbal warning."

My suggestion is find out who the rep is, and reach out to them directly and find out what they know. The union works for YOU, not your hospital!

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Also, DO NOT call in sick. Because that just postpones the meeting. 

Also, it could be an investigation of another employee, and you might have information they need. Which could be why the union is already involved and engaged.

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I feel like the fact your manager arranged for your union rep to be there (which is highly unusual) may indicate that the problem is with another person not you although if that's the case your rep should have contacted you. I agree that you should get a hold of them. 

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Specializes in Home Care/Psychiatry.

update:

turns out one of my co workers who's also my room just told me today that she also received the same text message. Were being reinstated to work shifts in our PICU and she's assuming it's related to that. 

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Oh wow. Okay, whew! Dang, that's a good lesson to keep in mind. *** like that scares the crap out of people.

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Specializes in Home Care/Psychiatry.
klone said:

Oh wow. Okay, whew! Dang, that's a good lesson to keep in mind. *** like that scares the crap out of people.

I know and I'm back to paranoid cause I found out this morning not everyone has this meeting and I've now been told it's about "fact-finding" like great so it's investigatory.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Try not to stress! Please let us know how it goes. Did you reach out directly to your union rep? That is a must!!

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Specializes in Dialysis.
PsychNurse6083 said:

I know and I'm back to paranoid cause I found out this morning not everyone has this meeting and I've now been told it's about "fact-finding" like great so it's investigatory.

Again, reach out to the rep. It may have little or nothing to do with you directly. You mentioned others being summoned as well. Hugs

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Specializes in Home Care/Psychiatry.
Hoosier_RN said:

Again, reach out to the rep. It may have little or nothing to do with you directly. You mentioned others being summoned as well. Hugs

Had everything to do with me, the others were different things. A patient reported me after a week later for not being compassionate or empathic enough although I was completly taken aback once I realized which patient it was because I had tended to her every demand and she basically told management that she was scared to ask me for anything ?

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Specializes in Dialysis.
PsychNurse6083 said:

Had everything to do with me, the others were different things. A patient reported me after a week later for not being compassionate or empathic enough although I was completly taken aback once I realized which patient it was because I had tended to her every demand and she basically told management that she was scared to ask me for anything ?

Some people are just jerks

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