Part time employee working extra hours

ArwenEvenstar · Feb 20, 2005

No, I don't think you are wrong to feel this way. You are a part-time employee, not a full-time one. I don't think it is fair at all to expect you to pick up extra all the time. I would just politely but firmly refuse!

I have always worked prn (per diem) just because I like the flexibilty of it. But let me tell you, sometimes I have had to really put my foot down. They think that just because I am prn (and they also know that I don't have another job and I don't have children) that I should be available to work anytime and all the time! I don't think so! I am prn for a reason - I want control of my schedule.

So, hey, I think your feelings are totally valid. My advice: politely but firmly stand up for yourself. If you don't want extra hours, just say no!! You should not feel bad at all. If you wanted to work full time, you'd apply for a full-time position.

Hi. I would like to hear from others regarding an issue I have where I work. I work part time (24 hrs. a week) in a surgery center. I work in the gi lab where there are 7 of us not including our manager. Whenever we are short staffed my boss wants me to work extra days. As in if someone is off for 6 weeks with surgery they want me to work 4 and 5 days a week (which I did last summer). One of the girls in my department is about to go on 3 months maternity leave and I'm really dreading being asked to take up the slack. Am I wrong to feel this way? I need some validation for feeling the way I do. Please!

PBAJS · Feb 20, 2005

Been there, done that. I would be asked and would work extra occasionally. Then I was being asked more often, almost every week to work extra. I would cancel and reschedule appointments and when I couldn't I always a truthful valid reason. There were times when I didn't want to work but as I didn't have a reason ... I worked. It seemed that I was always on the run to somewhere. Didn't seem to have enough time for myself. How I wished I could have said "No."

Then one day, in a book, on the web, somewhere, (think the topic was about not going to a wedding, shower, party, ...) it helped me to realized that I never said no, unless I had another commitment that really prevented me from attending or working. I think feeling guilty is somewhere here too.

I changed ... when asked, I responded with "Oh, I can't," without a reason. I try not to use the word sorry, but sometimes it still slips out. Why should I be sorry, I'm not! When I was asked, "Why not?" I said that I had an appointment. If asked if the appointment can be changed, I said no. If asked what appointment ... I just gave a stare or look letting it be known that it is none of his/her business. In reality, or maybe only in my mind, the appointment could have been with a doctor, dentist, lawyer, lunch/dinner date, laundry, supermarket, a good book, ...:rotfl:

It took awhile, but now when asked, sometimes I do and sometimes I say "I can't" and they don't ask why. :chuckle

PBAJS

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Feb 20, 2005

I changed ... when asked, I responded with "Oh, I can't," without a reason. I try not to use the word sorry, but sometimes it still slips out. Why should I be sorry, I'm not! When I was asked, "Why not?" I said that I had an appointment. If asked if the appointment can be changed, I said no. If asked what appointment ... I just gave a stare or look letting it be known that it is none of his/her business. In reality, or maybe only in my mind, the appointment could have been with a doctor, dentist, lawyer, lunch/dinner date, laundry, supermarket, a good book, ...

I can't believe the nerve of some people. They would have gotten the look from me at the "Why not?" point in the conversation. If I want to work the shift, I work it. If not, I don't and it is no one else's business why not. Asking you if an appointment (even if it is just a good book) can be changed is just rude. Then, to have the nerve to ask what the appointment is :rolleyes: . I would not even consider rearranging my schedule for someone who behaved that way.

fergus51 · Feb 20, 2005

"Can you work extra next week?" "No."....

What's the problem here? Seems pretty simple to me. If you don't want to work extra, don't.

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Feb 20, 2005

"Can you work extra next week?" "No."....
What's the problem here? Seems pretty simple to me. If you don't want to work extra, don't.

I think that the problem comes in when people badger you about it. Some rude individuals do not understand that saying "no" is an option for the part time or per diem worker.

fergus51 · Feb 20, 2005

I think that the problem comes in when people badger you about it. Some rude individuals do not understand that saying "no" is an option for the part time or per diem worker.

I've been through that. I just stick with "no" "for personal reasons" if they ask why and walk away or hang up the phone. Their understanding is irrelevant. No one can make you come into work if you don't want to. This is a problem we create for ourselves. As long as you stand your ground, your answers will be accepted. If you change your mind anytime someone harasses you, it just encourages further harassment.

RNKPCE · Feb 21, 2005

People work a certain amount for a reason. There is no reason anyone should feel obligated to work more. Some of the people I work with that occasionally work extra also have more sick time then those of us who don't. I have even known of nurses who work extra then call in sick the next weekend day??? I would much rather have a reliable employee with low absenteeism who doesn't work extra then an employee who does work extra but has a higher rate of absenteeism.

I knowing our staffers are just doing their jobs. When I am not working my kids expect me to pick them up afterschool. Who is going to do that job if I don't?

This was one reason I got caller ID. If they want on call staff they need to pay us on-call pay.

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Feb 21, 2005

I've been through that. I just stick with "no" "for personal reasons" if they ask why and walk away or hang up the phone. Their understanding is irrelevant. No one can make you come into work if you don't want to. This is a problem we create for ourselves. As long as you stand your ground, your answers will be accepted. If you change your mind anytime someone harasses you, it just encourages further harassment.

I agree with you, I don't give in either. Yet, I think it complicates things a bit when the person asking is your employer, which is what it sounds like the OP is describing. There could be reasonable concern about retribution if you refuse to come in, even though not obligated to do so. They start in on the spiel about "you should be more flexible, yada yada". Not everyone has a good employer. Not everyone even has a sane or logical employer. I personally know of a few nurse managers who seem nothing short of psychotic. Thankfully, I do not work for them anymore.

SmilingBluEyes · Feb 21, 2005

what was that old 80s saying?

oh yea

"just say no"

Gompers, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2005

You're not wrong in feeling the way you do. They can ask you to work extra hours, but you shouldn't HAVE to do it. You have promised them 24 hours a week. If they need more coverage, they need to hire more people, period.

I know that it's harder to say "no" when you work in a small office or department. It's not like there are 100 other nurses the manager can go ask to work extra! So if you say no, there's a good chance there will be tension when you work your regular shifts.

Maybe it'd be worth it for them to get a traveling nurse for those three months? Something, anything! But expecting someone who works part-time to step up to practically full-time if they don't want to isn't right!

rn-jane · Feb 21, 2005

Hi. I would like to hear from others regarding an issue I have where I work. I work part time (24 hrs. a week) in a surgery center. I work in the gi lab where there are 7 of us not including our manager. Whenever we are short staffed my boss wants me to work extra days. As in if someone is off for 6 weeks with surgery they want me to work 4 and 5 days a week (which I did last summer). One of the girls in my department is about to go on 3 months maternity leave and I'm really dreading being asked to take up the slack. Am I wrong to feel this way? I need some validation for feeling the way I do. Please!

Where i work whether you are full-time, part-time or perdiem if you work extra from your normal schedule you get what they call incentive pay. IT's roughly double time for your extra time given, if you are over 40 hours you also get overtime pay. I will only pick up no more than 8 hours per pay period, because my time is valuable at home too.