So, at one of my jobs, we're assigned three holidays a year. One year you work Memorial Day, Labor Day and Christmas. The other year you work 4th of July, Thanksgiving and New Year's.
This was my year to work Memorial Day, and even though it was on a Monday, and I generally do not work Mondays at this job, I was scheduled to work it. Which is fine, since this was my year for that holiday.
However, I looked and saw that I am on the schedule to work on July 4th. Even though I usually work Tuesdays, and July 4th is on a Tuesday, it is technically not my holiday to work since I already worked Memorial Day. My next holiday will be Labor Day, which is a Monday (and I can guarantee you that they won't forget to put me on the schedule for that day).
They are going to be short staffed already and if I don't work that day, it will be even worse. I suppose it is tacky for me to try and get it off since they are lacking on staffing and it will be hard to get people to pick up. At the same time, according to the schedule in the handbook, it is not my holiday to work.
How hard should I push to have this holiday off? I already signed up work a day shift at my first job, and while I could technically make an evening shift work, I really was looking forward to having some of July 4th off.
I was also considering resigning from the job if they end up making me work July 4th, but that is probably a bit extreme, even though they are only following their own polices to their own advantage. I have no doubt they were probably hoping I would forget that July 4th wasn't my holiday to work and that they could get an extra holiday out of me.
Specializes in Management, Med/Surg, Clinical Trainer.
"They are going to be short staffed already and if I don't work that day, it will be even worse. I suppose it is tacky for me to try and get it off since they are lacking on staffing and it will be hard to get people to pick up."
Not your problem...to be crass. The scheduler is responsible for the schedule. She knows WHO is supposed to be working which holiday and she should book accordingly. I would approach her and mention this is not your holiday, in case it was a mistake.
I did nurse scheduling for years, and to put someone on a holiday that is not theirs without their permission is tacky at best!!
I suppose it's possible that it was an oversight, but I'm still highly suspicious since they made sure that I was on the schedule for Memorial Day, a Monday, and I typically don't work Mondays. [/i]
I see from your other posts that you work a lot, and I'm "on your side" here, so-to-speak. I get it. Still, it might be worth just considering this:
Let's say they are using a scheduling program/template that allows "standing" items to be populated forward repeatedly, such as your working of Tuesdays. So say that comes forward every time there is a new round of scheduling to be done. Next, they go through and add in the folks who are supposed to be working whatever holiday crops up during the scheduling period they're working on. Then they continue to build the schedule from there. That is how they would be sure to get you on the schedule for Memorial Day even though you don't typically work Mondays, and the same sort of system would've pretty easily allowed them to overlook the fact that you were pre-populated for that Tuesday, 7/4. It's a really big and difficult job, I can't say that I would remember, "Oh - purplegal shouldn't be on here, I remember she worked Memorial Day" - you know? Plus, depending on what kind of system they use, they may only be able to view portions of it at once, then a different portion, etc. They also wouldn't have noticed there being an "extra person" in the numbers for that 7/4 shift due to the fact that it is an understaffed shift, so there's nothing to cue them number-wise, either.
Generally-speaking, if you don't need or care about this job, it's best to let it go under other (better) circumstances...
If you're just venting that's understandable. I'd still try to turn it into a positive if possible. This time around.
I would be a little more diligent in checking the schedule when it comes out, but I would contact your scheduler ASAP and point out the error. Chances are if they scheduled you and it's not your holiday, then they didn't schedule someone else that they should have. I would also let them know that you are working at another job already that day.
Well, she has actually already agreed to work somewhere else that day, so perhaps it will be a bit more of an inconvenience than you suggest?
Oh I just re-read, yeah committing to another employer would be a strong case. Yet, that doesn't seem to be the main concern of the OP. If it were, a thread wouldn't be necessary.. OP would tell this employer that she was mistakenly added to a holiday and is unable to help out as she's scheduled elsewhere. No dilemma.
I'm guilty of taking other threads of OP's into consideration.
On my unit we have assigned holidays in order to make sure there are enough staff on those days--usually we are overstaffed due to the holiday obligations. So, unless they are understaffed all the time, it makes no sense that they would already be understaffed that day, especially since they scheduled you and it is not your holiday. Did they let someone else out of their holiday obligation? I would not work it. It is not your problem that the scheduler messed up. It seems like they already know you prefer Tuesdays and are taking advantage. Sorry, I'm jaded at this point. And I do not feel obligated to fix someone else's mistakes/oversights.
I don't know how much quietly working a Tuesday summer holiday would actually add to my karma but I think I'd take it.
And I'd just cancel my fabulous Tuesday plans.
Yeah, the thing is I almost feel like if I don't work it, I'll have to pay for it someday, somehow, someway even though it was never my holiday to work to begin with. Especially since I could make it work. I'd just really rather not and enjoy myself after working my other job in the morning on that day.
"They are going to be short staffed already and if I don't work that day, it will be even worse. I suppose it is tacky for me to try and get it off since they are lacking on staffing and it will be hard to get people to pick up."
Not your problem...to be crass. The scheduler is responsible for the schedule. She knows WHO is supposed to be working which holiday and she should book accordingly. I would approach her and mention this is not your holiday, in case it was a mistake.
I did nurse scheduling for years, and to put someone on a holiday that is not theirs without their permission is tacky at best!!
While I agree that scheduling is not my problem, I do feel bad that any time I'm asked to work any extra hours, my answer is basically always no. And it's not like they're really asking me to work an extra day. After all, if it weren't the 4th of July, I wouldn't be working that day. But, it just brings me back to Memorial Day...I typically don't work Mondays but they still expected me to be there. So, I ended up working an extra day that week, so really I've earned a week with one less day. I'm torn between being a "good employee" and a "team player" and standing up for my right to not have to work holidays that, on paper, I'm not obligated to work.
I see from your other posts that you work a lot, and I'm "on your side" here, so-to-speak. I get it. Still, it might be worth just considering this:
Let's say they are using a scheduling program/template that allows "standing" items to be populated forward repeatedly, such as your working of Tuesdays. So say that comes forward every time there is a new round of scheduling to be done. Next, they go through and add in the folks who are supposed to be working whatever holiday crops up during the scheduling period they're working on. Then they continue to build the schedule from there. That is how they would be sure to get you on the schedule for Memorial Day even though you don't typically work Mondays, and the same sort of system would've pretty easily allowed them to overlook the fact that you were pre-populated for that Tuesday, 7/4. It's a really big and difficult job, I can't say that I would remember, "Oh - purplegal shouldn't be on here, I remember she worked Memorial Day" - you know? Plus, depending on what kind of system they use, they may only be able to view portions of it at once, then a different portion, etc. They also wouldn't have noticed there being an "extra person" in the numbers for that 7/4 shift due to the fact that it is an understaffed shift, so there's nothing to cue them number-wise, either.
Generally-speaking, if you don't need or care about this job, it's best to let it go under other (better) circumstances...
If you're just venting that's understandable. I'd still try to turn it into a positive if possible. This time around.
On my unit we have assigned holidays in order to make sure there are enough staff on those days--usually we are overstaffed due to the holiday obligations. So, unless they are understaffed all the time, it makes no sense that they would already be understaffed that day, especially since they scheduled you and it is not your holiday. Did they let someone else out of their holiday obligation? I would not work it. It is not your problem that the scheduler messed up. It seems like they already know you prefer Tuesdays and are taking advantage. Sorry, I'm jaded at this point. And I do not feel obligated to fix someone else's mistakes/oversights.
This place is chronically understaffed. There are open shifts, multiple of them, every single day and most of the time, not all of them are filled. So, I'm not surprised at all that they don't have enough people to work July 4th. I have no idea if someone else got out of their holiday obligation or not, and I'd almost rather not know (because if the answer is yes, I'll be livid).
But, I'm wondering what I should do if they do not remove me from the schedule? I will get a no-call, no-show if I do not show up and I'm on the schedule. At the same time, I would have documentation stating that this was not my holiday to work and I was not obligated to work that shift. Plus, I'm with you in that someway, they may be trying to take advantage of me.
And, although my mom, who I have discussed this situation with, has told me not to resign if I end up working July 4th, I have started looking for other nursing jobs. In fact, I've applied to two of them. I don't think anyone can fault me for wanting to work with an employer who does not take advantage of their employees and pays them what they are owed.
JKL33
7,043 Posts
Well, she has actually already agreed to work somewhere else that day, so perhaps it will be a bit more of an inconvenience than you suggest?