Responding to annoying co-worker who asks you to work for them every week?

Nurses General Nursing

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  1. How would you respond to a co-worker who asked every week if you can work for them

    • 27
      Stop responding and ignore them
    • 54
      Simply say no and ask them to give you more notice time
    • 14
      Tactfully confront them and let them know that what they are doing is bothersome
    • 21
      Other option not listed

116 members have participated

I have a co-worker who struggles with little aches and pains and she's always asking me to work for her every week. It's always something new as for the reason she wants someone coming in for her. I don't want to ruin a good relationship with her. I do remember one time I needed help from her but she was extremely rude about it and I had to wait and wait AND WAIT for another nurse to help me. I remember telling myself I will never help her outside of work ever again. How do politely send the message when she texts me asking if I can work for her? This is a weekly occurrence and I'm tired of it! But what if I need her to work for me? How to play this smart?

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.
Had this problem. The same RN always asked me to take her holidays because she had to go to church. She had already run through the other staff when I came to the unit. I did it a few times, but then told her I make my schedule based on my needs and cannot switch anymore. She still texted me, but I stopped replying. I figured I had already told her I was done covering her holidays, if she didn't get the message, oh well. Eventually she stopped asking, and we are still great co-workers. Set your limits.

I had a co-worker who wanted Christmas Eve night shift off to go to church. My mother had specifically asked me not to work that shift, but, when she (mom) found out this woman was offering $350 in addition to what I would earn as night shift differential, and holiday differential, Mom offered to babysit my son, and packed me a really yummy lunch!

Money talks!

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

When someone asked me to work for them (and I was a PRN tech for a while so it happened often) I worked when I wanted to and didn't work when I didn't want to. It was never about the person who was asking. It was always about whether I wanted the hours and could fit them into my schedule.

That is how you should do it. How you feel about this person is irrelevant to the question of whether or not you choose to pick up hours. Do you want the hours? If yes, then you say yes. If no, then you say no.

If you don't want extra hours ever, tell your coworkers that. If everyone on your unit feels like that, and there are no PRNs or not enough PRNs then you have a staffing issue.

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Specializes in Cardicac Neuro Telemetry.
She sounds like a real piece of work. She is NEVER going to work for YOU, so feel free to let her know you want the weekly requests to stop NOW.

I agree with been there, done that. This person doesn't strike me as someone that takes a hint. You can try simply ignoring her. If she doesn't get the hint, tell her that you are unable to trade with her. Period. You don't owe her an explanation. She isn't reciprocating your generosity. She is taking advantage. Put a stop to it now.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I have a co-worker who struggles with little aches and pains and she's always asking me to work for her every week. It's always something new as for the reason she wants someone coming in for her. I don't want to ruin a good relationship with her. I do remember one time I needed help from her but she was extremely rude about it and I had to wait and wait AND WAIT for another nurse to help me. I remember telling myself I will never help her outside of work ever again. How do politely send the message when she texts me asking if I can work for her? This is a weekly occurrence and I'm tired of it! But what if I need her to work for me? How to play this smart?

Just say you're sorry, you're unable to work for her. You don't need to give reasons or excuses. Do you really think that if this is a weekly occurrence, she will EVER agree to work for you? And even if she DID agree, do you think any charge nurse or manager would sign off on the switch. (I wouldn't.)

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I think your question should have been like "HOW TO APPROACH This Situation" cause you will meet the likes of her all throughout your life!

I think part of the problem is you're trying to be too nice and too afraid to hurt someone's feelings even though they are "At Wrong" or at fault. But also realize you are enabling them so somehow you share responsibility here.

Solution is very simple: This incident might be the best time for you to develop thick skin not just because of her but for yourself. You'll never know it just might define your future in nursing. :rolleyes:

Most leaders have thick skin to manage the "bad kind" of "wrong" and "inappropriateness." So can you? :)

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"Responding to annoying co-worker" there are amicable ways to deal with this. Just..quit responding quickly ... and become unreliable. Be slower to respond to text or emails, when you get around to your first response for help be vague and uncommitted, say you think you already have plans for that day but will check and make sure...tell her that you will get back later to let her know...and never get back. All you need to do is change the parameters of your relationship...do this slowly and don't be abrupt in your change, smile and acknowledge her in the hallway, all at the same time make yourself hard to corner harder to talk to, be too busy to be chatty with. Easy peasy... It's just like softly breaking up with somebody...make yourself slightly annoying so they feel like you are no longer worth the effort..make them break up with you.

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Best advice I ever got, and that I remind myself of often: "No" is a complete sentence.

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Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.

No.

It really is a complete sentence.

Embrace it.

:angel:

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Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.
Best advice I ever got, and that I remind myself of often: "No" is a complete sentence.

I just saw your response. Yep, should have browsed. :eek:

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Specializes in ED.

Just say no. No explanation needed.

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Just say no. No explanation needed.

...but why?

...b/c your annoying...

huh...but in the past you did it.

[Arnold voice] welcome to the future [/Arnold voice and dawn on sunglasses]

directed by Michael Bay.

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Just say no. No explanation needed.

Yes..! In many many parts of our lives we feel the need to "explain our no's" as though we have to sell it to them. Many of us also offer personal information way to freely sometimes this information isn't even ours to give, we need to stop this. ( I could go on and give examples of things learned from a mossad agent but that would quickly get off topic...just in short quit offering information.

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