Mandatory Inservices only offered on my "OFF"days!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

What is the deal with this?! I have had 2 mandatory inservices the past month that are offered on multiple days but none of them my "on" days, so I have to arrange for someone else to care for my elderly FIL & Grandson and go into work on my days off:angryfire . This totally pixxes me off, and the girl who runs human resources always leaves nasty messages on my voice mail telling me they will either terminate me or remove me from the schedule if I do not pick one of those days, grrrr.

I have spoken to her on more than one occasion regarding this, and she always threatens my job.

I thought there was some law saying if a inservice was mandatory they must offer it during your scheduled day? If anyone knows where I can find this please let me know. I don't mind doing it, that's everywhere but my days off are spoken for, I have a life outside of work:uhoh3: , I know silly me..what am I thinking..

-MsP

If it is mandatory, then they must pay you for it.

The issue with it being done on your scheduled work time is that your shift will be short if you are gone from an assigned day. Unless you have extra staff that can cover your patients, then it is not fair to the other staff. And what about your patients? Think of it in those terms.

And how often are these mandatory inservices and how long are they? Can they not be offered at several times of the day, so you can attend after work, or before work depending on your shift?

There is no union that I am aware of that mandates when the inservices are held, or specifies that they need to be done while you are working.

Most of the nurses that I am currently working with love to come in the for the inservices and get the extra pay for it.

Remember that patient care comes first, and the inservice cannot interfere with that. And you normally do not see mandatory inservices being required twice a month, every month.

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Specializes in med-surg,sa,breast & cervical ca.

Yes we get paid, but it is difficult for me as I am the caregiver for my elderly FIL (who is wc bound & incontinent of B&B) and my 3 yr old g-son on my days off. I have explained this to this HR witch more than once.

It is a yrly non-violent crisis intervention certificate & mine expires 5/10, so she would really have no reason to take me off the schedule this weekend as mines still good, she was just being a you know what-she is always threatening things like this on my (and others) VM.

BUT it is ok for me to work without the cert as long as I pick a class date now-I am not responding to her nasty phone call as I do not want to react out of anger, kwim?

They have 4-5 classes scheduled over the next month & not one are on my work days. It is just really difficult for me to come in on my days off and this is the third time over the past few months. I will tell her Fri, (if I am on the schedule) I will go to the inservice but be bringing my FIL & G-Son with me-so be prepared...

Ugh...I'm just sick of being treated like this, I'm not going to tolerate it. What I expect will happen is my Sup will call me and I will tell him how she speaks to me and basically will have to go in on my day off once again.

-MsP

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Yes, this is just awful.

I used to work at a facility where these meetings would be scheduled for 0800 and I was a 3-11 nurse. I normally didn't go to sleep til about 3,4, or 5 a.m. so it was the middle of the night for me. Even the night nurse had it easier than I did, as she could just hang out for 30 minutes until the meeting started. Although if a night person had to leave on time to get kids off to school or whatever, that would be bad. Although once a month, known in advance, it wouldn't be that bad.

In fairness, I must say that sometimes they would hold these meetings at 1430, which was great for me but terrible for the night nurse. I know you can never please everyone but I often wondered why we couldn't have them at 2200. That would have inconvenienced only the Day shift for a change, LOL.

I only worked part-time and was glad of the extra easy hours but it was most disconcerting that they were always scheduled without much notice, then they were canceled as often as not and, of course, no one bothered to call and tell me don't come because the meeting was canceled, then they would refuse to pay me for my show-up time.

I felt that 2 hours worth of pay would have said, "Hey , we appreciate you coming in for nothing because we were too stupid, mean, disorganized too notify you it was canceled." It would have compensated me for my travel time and inconvenience and frustration. But no, they didn't see it that way. Not one dime was I ever given. I liked the job so put up with it.

Sometimes, some of the mandatories and inservices only lasted 15 or 20 minutes and I would get paid for only that amount of time, after the drive in and back, in the middle of the day, on my day off - or on a day when I was scheduled to work but not until 3. So I'd have to double back, drive it twice, alter my plans, schedule my day around the meeting. It was a pain and it happened about every month. As I say though, I liked the job so put up with it. It was a short drive (5 miles each way) but it was annoying. At least I didn't have child care, elder care, or car issues to deal with.

Another job I had would have lots of inservices at lunchtime. Great for Days, terrible for the rest of us. I always asked that they would videotape them so we could see them at our convenience on Evenings and Nights but they always refused to do that. I just figured they didn't really want us to see them. And I will be damned if I'm going to get up any more, now that I'm almost ready to retire, in the middle of my night to come to some mandatory thing. Let the ones giving it come at the end of my shift and I'll stay over, or come before it starts so they can catch 3-11 and 11-7.

I think the HR person is out of line to threaten you but you should not ARGUE with her. Just quietly state your truth and get your BOSS to help you arrange something else. Or is this an HR presentation, as opposed to a Nursing class? Why is HR threatening you but your boss is not? My main advice is to not argue. And do understand that this is always a problem in a 24/7 job. You might have to make some concessions. Maybe if they pay you for travel time, at least 1 direction, it would help you swallow this bitter pill. Or see if they will reschedule it for a day you are on duty, just you might have to come in a little early or stay a little late. If you care about the job and want to keep it, be willing to be a little flexible. Don't burn your bridges. Catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. I wish you the best.

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Our mandatory meetings and inservices include lunch and a drawing for some sort of door prize. We get paid our hourly wage, plus I get $10 for mileage...it's a good deal.

Your boss seems to be a person of understanding. This is how to do it. This tells staff that they are appreciated, they are more than numbers. It recognizes that it is hard for people to come in on their time off.

I think, though, that it must be the exception. Most places just seem to think they own you and you have to put the job first, even on your days off.

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Yes we get paid, but it is difficult for me as I am the caregiver for my elderly FIL (who is wc bound & incontinent of B&B) and my 3 yr old g-son on my days off. I have explained this to this HR witch more than once.

It is a yrly non-violent crisis intervention certificate & mine expires 5/10, so she would really have no reason to take me off the schedule this weekend as mines still good, she was just being a you know what-she is always threatening things like this on my (and others) VM.

BUT it is ok for me to work without the cert as long as I pick a class date now-I am not responding to her nasty phone call as I do not want to react out of anger, kwim?

They have 4-5 classes scheduled over the next month & not one are on my work days. It is just really difficult for me to come in on my days off and this is the third time over the past few months. I will tell her Fri, (if I am on the schedule) I will go to the inservice but be bringing my FIL & G-Son with me-so be prepared...

Ugh...I'm just sick of being treated like this, I'm not going to tolerate it. What I expect will happen is my Sup will call me and I will tell him how she speaks to me and basically will have to go in on my day off once again.

-MsP

When do you work? If it''s just weekends, forget about them scheduling inservices when you are working. That ain't gonna happen. Also, if you do know in advance, can't you get a sitter? And how is it going to be easier for you to take the 2 with you instead of getting a sitter? And how long does it last? If you do take them with you, it will show your job that you do have your hands full and really need your days off but it will probably anger them, I'm guessing. I don't know but it might backfire on you.

It's really a shame that they can't or won't be more flexible and that they won't at least pay you for some travel time or for a sitter.

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Specializes in med-surg,sa,breast & cervical ca.

Yes , it is difficult & expensive for me to find alternative care for my FIL, he is end stage COPD also. I seriuously don't know what i'm going to do with this old fart, by the time I drive in spend 4 hours for the class and then get back etc it's my whole day off.

They just do not care, I work every other weekend & two days during the week and in the past they have always scheduled mandatory inservices on workdays or at least made an effort.

When I called this HR person and explained my situation she said "Well, too bad we aren't making any special arrangements or exceptions for ANYONE this year!" I told her I would let her know which class I could take when I made care arrangments (about a week ago) and call her back so today I received the nasty VM on my cell phone telling me I would be removed from the schedule if I didn't return her call with a date today-mind you there are 4 and the closest one is a few weeks away and the last one in June. I chose not to respond to that phone call because it was rude and threatening.

I'll call my boss tomorrow and let him what the deal is and then file a complaint against here though I know there will be no follow up on it (there never is when your in good with the big boss.

I guess she can remove me from the schedule, whatever but my cert is good til the 10th and it will be lapsed for a month if I take the June class but that's OK to work without it then, cause I signed up for one:uhoh3: and let her talk to me like I'm a piece of crap like a good little nurse...I now I know you can't fight city hall, but it's not right..Why do I stay? The patients, the schedule, the health insurance..it is getting old.

MsP

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Our mandatory meetings and inservices include lunch and a drawing for some sort of door prize. We get paid our hourly wage, plus I get $10 for mileage...it's a good deal.

Your boss seems to be a person of understanding. This is how to do it. This tells staff that they are appreciated, they are more than numbers. It recognizes that it is hard for people to come in on their time off.

I think, though, that it must be the exception. Most places just seem to think they own you and you have to put the job first, even on your days off.

I've only been there a few days and they tell me lunch is usually something like kid's meals from the local burger joint or ham sandwiches and potato salad from the kitchen, but it's better than nothing. The door prizes are things like facility t-shirts or things with the corporate logo, but they're pretty nice!

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Specializes in ER, Outpatient PACU and School Nursing.

we have to do them also on our days off. if they are not done- they will suspend you. It gets my goat. we have so many. Not alot of notice on some either. Im always scrambling for child care since dh and I work opposite days.. we are unionized also.

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Specializes in med-surg,sa,breast & cervical ca.

well I just left her a VM explainng again my situation & told her I would go to the June one & expected to not only be reimbursed for the hourly wage but for someone to watch my FIL while I'm there-Ha! (that'll happen) also told her I did not apreciate her tone nor the threatening my job in her VM to me.

I'm sure there will be fallout but darn it I am tired of her talking to me (and others) lie we are beneath her and our lives do not matter.. It pisses me off. Yea, I think had her VM to me not been totally rude to me I would be more inclined to just roll with it, but this is also getting to be a pain in the rear having make alternative arrangements form my family, there is no one else around and my DIL is dying of ovarian ca right now so I'm not in a frame of mind to put up with this.

I am only impressed with our union as far as our health bennies, we are up for renegotiation this fall and trust me if we lose our health ins to a hmo or ppo I am so out of there as our pay is about 2-4$ an hour less than else where.

I feel better now! Now she can get a crappy VM in the AM like I did.

-Ms.P

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If it is mandatory, then they must pay you for it.

The issue with it being done on your scheduled work time is that your shift will be short if you are gone from an assigned day. Unless you have extra staff that can cover your patients, then it is not fair to the other staff. And what about your patients? Think of it in those terms.

And how often are these mandatory inservices and how long are they? Can they not be offered at several times of the day, so you can attend after work, or before work depending on your shift?

There is no union that I am aware of that mandates when the inservices are held, or specifies that they need to be done while you are working.

Most of the nurses that I am currently working with love to come in the for the inservices and get the extra pay for it.

Remember that patient care comes first, and the inservice cannot interfere with that. And you normally do not see mandatory inservices being required twice a month, every month.

But if you're working 12h shifts, who wants to come in before a shift or stay after a shift?

In my mind, it's the employer's responsibility to see that the unit is staffed so that employees can attend mandatory inservices, not the responsibility of the employee.

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