I actually re-upped my membership just for this conversation... We got over a foot of snow overnight. The hospital did not provide sleeping arrangements for the night prior, but began penalizing AM shifters who called out. Of those who made it, at least half had stayed in hotel rooms at their own expense. They kept the PM shift through the day on mandatory on-call and provided sleeping arrangements. Most of the next PM shift folks (including myself) made it in, but barely. It took me 2.5hrs for my husband and I to dig out my car, and if either of us had been under the weather it wouldn't have happened.
Here's what I found unfair: I don't know about ya'll, but hotel rooms are an expense. Money I have but can't just throw away. If the hospital wasn't going to supply sleeping arrangements, they can't expect the nurses to come in after a foot of snow. Not just nurses, housekeeping, PCTs, etc, they're being penalized too. If a hotel room is an expense for me, what about someone who makes half (or less!) what I make. Penalizing PM folks who couldn't come in wasn't very fair either. They kept folks over because things were bad, so penalizing someone who didn't come in isn't fair. They also can't expect people to come in a full 24hrs before their sift. 5-6, fine I'll do that, but 24... Heck no!
Here's what's fair: Keep the PM shift on-call. They were given sleeping arrangements and were paid on-call pay while they weren't working. I would have expected it for myself and would have had a bag packed. That's fair, somone's got to take care of the patients and you're already (safely) here. If the AM shift had been given sleeping arrangements, I would have expected them in as well. I also got my butt into work because I could. I wouldn't have expected my 55 year old single co-work who lives in my region to have done it, but the gal who lives walking distance... Yea I would have given her hell if she called out. It's our responsibility to be honest and keep each other honest.
I am wondering. How do firefighters, police, and other essential personnel handle things, what are their policies?
Also, if you live somewhere where it snows, the community is prepared for snow. When I lived in Colorado I drove in the snow in my tiny hatchback all the time because they plowed the roads. Ever notice how planes that take off in Denver are grounded in DC? Same with nursing, some places ppl get in with two feet of snow, others are in chaos with three inches (ahem Atlanta...)
Lastly, saying 'well what did you expect' isn't a good response. My mom was a nurse, so I've lived with this all of my life, and I thought it was unfair as a kid too. Christmas, weekends, etc that's to be expected. Making every effort to get to work, that is to be expected. Borderline exploitation, has been expected, but should it?
