My co-worker refuses to trade shifts with me

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I accepted a position 3 years ago, working Monday and Friday 7-7P as an infusion nurse. My worker who works opposite me on T/W/Th has been there for 13 years, and has seniority. I took the position, naively assuming on occasion she might trade me days in order for me to not use PTO. She refuses to trade, enjoying to never work a weekend ever. I accrue 1 hour of pto every day I work. As you can see, it is slow accruing. If I or a child get sick, a vacation is out for the year. As it is, I've not taken a pto day in 1.5 years, trying to save it for a longer vacation, because my coworker will not trade. My manager just says my coworker has seniority and does not have to trade. I never can take a short trip, never have a Friday off, have no financial benefit reflecting this sacrifice, and no foreseeable change. Is this fair? Do I have recourse? Or should I seek different employment? Of note, I really love my job, and can see myself working there for a long time aside from the scheduling issues.

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8 Answers

Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

If your sole position is "my coworker won't trade with me," you probably have little recourse.

It's a lousy schedule, but they didn't trick you. They offered you a job working Mondays and Fridays (it's not clear, but I'm assuming from what you wrote that you work Mondays and Fridays only, not Fridays through Mondays), and you took it. I hope I understand that correctly; apologies if I don't.

I seriously question a manager creating a position that is Tuesdays through Thursdays for one employee at the expense of another employee working every Monday and Friday. It's bound to create ill will.

Then there's your coworker. How on earth did one person get such a sweet deal? In three years, she could not graciously trade with you even once? Unbelievable.

PTO

However, I'm not sure why you can't take a short trip. Your PTO accrual rate is two hours per week, which is 104 hours per year. To take two weeks of vacation (starting on a Saturday and ending two Sundays later), you need forty-eight hours of PTO. Granted, if your PTO also covers sick time, it can get used up fast, but that's true of any job.

It's not that you can't take a vacation. It's that your weekends are boxed in, and you can't take a long weekend without using PTO since your coworker won't trade.

Recourse

  • Talk to your manager again. Provide specific examples of how the current schedule is affecting your work-life balance. Highlight your commitment to the team and suggest possible solutions, like a rotation of weekend shifts or occasional flexibility. Hopefully, your manager will be motivated to make some changes to retain you.
  • Accept the situation. Decide if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and if you can live with the schedule. Unfortunately, once something feels unfair, it's hard to see it any other way. Then, resentments begin to build. You love your job but can't separate it from the scheduling situation, and you risk becoming chronically unhappy. Unhappiness changes you, and no job is worth it. 
  • If nothing changes and you can't accept it, start looking elsewhere.

Ultimately, it's about finding the right balance between job satisfaction and your personal needs. If you genuinely love your job, it's worth advocating for yourself before considering a change.

Very best wishes,

Nurse Beth

Agree with the above.

I stress not making this about your coworker. This really has nothing to do with the coworker at all. That person has a relationship with the employer and you have a relationship with the employer. The only way your coworker owes you anything is if this is a situation where you have covered for her needs upon her request and now she won't reciprocate, but you didn't mention that as a factor here.

Your real beef, if there is one to be had, is with the employer who set things up this way. They--not your coworker--are the entity who has a vested interest in your job satisfaction. Hopefully they would consider some sort of modification of your schedule or time off.

 

We need some clarification on your schedule. You mention working Monday and Friday, but then also mention your coworker enjoys never working weekends. If you only work Monday and Friday, then you would also get to enjoy never working weekends. You accepted the position 3 years ago knowing exactly what your schedule and PTO would be. Has your PTO rate not changed in 3 years? Any job I have had there are tiers for PTO and the longer you work there, the more time you earn. 
 

There should never be an assumption or expectation that a coworker will switch days with you. Many people work specific schedules for a reason, so it may not be easy for others to change their schedule to accommodate switching with you. Your coworker not switching with you isn't preventing you from taking a longer vacation. Using 12 hours of PTO to take one day off would give you a week off of work. 
 

I would suggest talking to your manager and see if your schedule can be changed at all or if you could work additional hours to cover taking unpaid time off for a longer vacation. If there is no flexibility and you don't feel the schedule and PTO is working for you, then it may be time to consider employment elsewhere. 
 

I agree with the points everyone else has made and agree clarification on your schedule might help us give you more specific suggestions.  I have another question as well.  When your coworker wants to take off, do you cover it?  If so, stop.  At least until an arrangement can be made to reciprocate.  If not, who is working when she takes off and why can't they work when you take off?  My first thought when reading this was that it sounds like your manager needs a PRN nurse to cover when either of you goes on vacation or is out sick.  If there already is one then I'm curious as to why they are covering her days but not yours.  And if you're covering her days off, then you need to have a discussion with your manager and coworker.  Covering each other should work both ways not just one.  If your manager is making you cover her days off, she should make her do the same.  If your manager is not willing to make her do that, she needs to hire a PRN.  

Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.
JKL33 said:

Agree with the above.

I stress not making this about your coworker. This really has nothing to do with the coworker at all. That person has a relationship with the employer and you have a relationship with the employer. The only way your coworker owes you anything is if this is a situation where you have covered for her needs upon her request and now she won't reciprocate, but you didn't mention that as a factor here.

Your real beef, if there is one to be had, is with the employer who set things up this way. They--not your coworker--are the entity who has a vested interest in your job satisfaction. Hopefully they would consider some sort of modification of your schedule or time off.

Exactly.

What goes around, comes around.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

If your co-worker always works Tues, Wed, Thu does that mean you always work only a Mon and Fri? So you already have a 3 day stretch off, it's just during the week instead of over the weekend.  That's ample time off to plan a short 2 day trip or other fun activities. Plus you still have the Sat/Sun weekend off. Not sure why you would complain about your co-worker not ever changing days with you. You have a set schedule with more than enough time away from work to make plans around work. The slow PTO accrual is pretty awful, but if you otherwise like the job I doubt you'd find another with hours like you have now.

Sounds like you have a sweet job that you love ~ you  only work Mondays and Fridays  7am - 7 pm.  = 2 doubles/week.    Your co-worker works 3 days in a row ~ Tues, Wed and Thursday ~ doubles?   Your co-worker's schedule works for her and her family and she has seniority.   SOL or find another infusion job with a schedule that allows you to have long weekends. 

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