Sick time and confidentiality

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Hi

I am feeling like my personal confidentiality has been broken. Our sick time hours that we used last year has been posted in the open with a big FYI on it. Along with that a graph of all us nurses showing who used what sick time last year. Isn't this information personal and not to be shared with others? I had already discussed my sick time in private with my supervisor so I didn't need it displayed to everyone else. If she has a problem with anyone don't you think this should be discussed in private. What do you all think?

Specializes in psych. rehab nursing, float pool.

Our sick days are not posted. Yes, we all know who usually manages to call in Mondays only. Or the person who is most likely to call off on a weekend. I rather wish we had a board up so that not only those of us who work with those people realize the trend, but that those violators see their own trend.

We also have those who every time they are sick they call in the day before. I suppose that can be possible to always know you are too sick to be at work 24 hours in advance, but every time?

We say nothing to those who habitually appear to abuse sick time. However they fool no one. They will hang themselves in time. 1 week ago a person still on probationary period was let go for using 5 sick days in the first 90 days. That was most likely a good decision.

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Specializes in Med Surge, Tele, Oncology, Wound Care.

I am reading this before work and I think I am sick now!

I get only three days of sick time, then after that, we get written up!!!!! I was working with a nurse two weeks ago who came to work with a mask with a terrible URI! She was terrified of calling in sick, even when her patients were telling her to go home.

In the medical profession, if we are sick and it is legit, by an MD note, then we should not feel badly about staying home and resting our bodies, especially if we are on mandatory overtime!!!

I love what I do, however, we are not robots and we do succomb to the illnesses of the world....

I have over 180 hours of paid time off and I cannot even use it, sick or for a vacation!!!!

This is a terrible thing to do, no one should have to know your personal business! Do you have an ethics hotline? Someone you can go to higher than this individual? I think that just sitting by and doing nothing would be an injustice! Let us know what happens.......

Good topic!

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12 weeks of unpaid leave. Unfortunately my landlord doesn't give 12 weeks of unpaid rent for having a baby. But he did give me a few free bagels (he also owns a bagel store).

That was very nice of him to give you some free bagels. :)

One isn't entitled to three months of paid leave, no. However, in most cases, one *can* plan ones pregnancies and save money to cover the unpaid leave. Financial experts advise having three months of take-home pay in savings as an emergency cushion- that would get one through a nice maternity leave. :)

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When I call in sick, they always ask why, and they want to know the specifics. It's not that they care and I don't think it's any of their business. They always downplay your illness and attempt to shame you about how your co-workers will handle the work without you. I think HIPPA should provide employees with confidentiality when you call in sick. But I like the idea of giving some disgusting symptom, "I have a horrible itching smelly yeast infection". I wonder if everyone will know about it when I return to work?

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Just to be the devil's adovocate, the folks that are asking why you're calling in, may need the data to track outbreaks of infections. Infection Control/Employee health have to report health care illnesses/trends to the state. On the other hand, it would be funny if everyone used "outbreak of pubic lice" as a reason. Can you imagine that investigation?

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But they could be kinder when you call in, after all they call in when they are sick too. But because they are a little higher on the ladder no says anything about what a hardship they are causing other people. They're contempt concerning a staff persons illness maybe what causes many people to show up for work even when they should stay home. Many times really sick people come to work just to show that they really are sick, and then the sv sends them home. Not fair to sick people.

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But they could be kinder when you call in, after all they call in when they are sick too. But because they are a little higher on the ladder no says anything about what a hardship they are causing other people. They're contempt concerning a staff persons illness maybe what causes many people to show up for work even when they should stay home. Many times really sick people come to work just to show that they really are sick, and then the sv sends them home. Not fair to sick people.

Well, it's not really their job to care about you or your sickness. Yes- they call in too, and I bet they get the same spiel. Could they be nicer about it? Sure- it would certainly go a long way toward making the sick person feel better- but at the same time- they *are* being greatly inconvenienced and it's not an issue of "fair"- it's an issue of interpersonal communication and social nicety. Fair doesn't enter into the picture in this case. Sure people show up to work to prove that they are sick- because so many people take days to go golf or paint their toenails. Yes- everyone needs a "mental health" day- but they should schedule it in advance and get coverage for their shift- not leave it up to someone else to put their own duties on hold to find the psuedo-sick person a replacement.

In this economy- just be thankful you *have* a job... Because that can change in an instant given all the cutbacks.

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Specializes in ER.

Posting who had the most sick days? I don't see a problem with it. Everyone knows who took the most days, who calls in because it's sunny, and who called in a lot because they have a serious illness in the family. If you call in because you have a sick child, and you are being a responsible mother then it shouldn't be embarassing for you. Hopefully the ones that are embarassed are those who called in every Friday. I suppose if you feel guilty about your call ins already a poster would make it worse, but I think that was the point.

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Wow you sound like some of the people I work with. I see alot of people who are not kind to each other, even when they working right next to them. We are so mean and uncaring to each other. It would sure go along way if we were as nice to each other, as we are to the pts we care for. Aren't we in the caring carreer?

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When I call in sick, they always ask why, and they want to know the specifics. It's not that they care and I don't think it's any of their business. They always downplay your illness and attempt to shame you about how your co-workers will handle the work without you. I think HIPPA should provide employees with confidentiality when you call in sick. But I like the idea of giving some disgusting symptom, "I have a horrible itching smelly yeast infection". I wonder if everyone will know about it when I return to work?

You shouldn't have to tell your manager, but your infection control department or employee health should be notified if you have something infectious so they can monitor for trends on your unit among staff and patients.

I had an outbreak of conjunctivitis on a unit once, all staff members. Found it early, got proper cleaning and a talk about extra hand hygiene, and we contained it very quickly.

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Specializes in M/S, Travel Nursing, Pulmonary.

I agree with the idea that the calling off tends to be very polar. There are always a few individuals who call off, and those who always are the ones covering their shifts.

Me, I was an OT addict my first year. It got nuts some weeks. Got to the point that people would just ask me to cover shifts for them, shifts that put me in not so comfortable positions with my schedule. And it was always the same people asking. They were the people who called off all the time. They'd ask me to do a favor and just work the shift cause it saved them from having to call off. During my second year, I cut back big time on OT. I came in to help when I felt the unit really needed it. I quit coming in on off days cause someone called me at home and wanted to attend a family dinner and stuff like that.

I started getting attitude about it from very specific individuals. One girl said "You miss a lot of days lately. Why dont you do your part and help." She wanted the day after 4th of July off cause she planned on getting toasted and knew she wouldnt be able to make it in the next day. Funny part was, I called off twice my first two years. 2 times. It just seemed I was missing days cause, well, I wasnt there every single day anymore.

I would have benefited from having something like what was posted on your unit posted.

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Wow you sound like some of the people I work with. I see alot of people who are not kind to each other, even when they working right next to them. We are so mean and uncaring to each other. It would sure go along way if we were as nice to each other, as we are to the pts we care for. Aren't we in the caring carreer?

I think people *should* be nice- but I don't think it's an issue of fairness. Like it or not- there are nice people and not so nice people in this world... Don't take things so personally when you run across those who aren't as nice as you'd prefer and you'll save yourself alot of grief in this life... MHO.

Personally- I'm the gal who brings in bagels for all and asks my coworkers who I'm friendly with and know a bit personally if I can pick up some milk for them on my way home- but I don't take it personally when others get crabby when I have to call off because I know I'm creating an inconvenience- but it will blow over and be forgotten when I show up next shift. *shrugs* I think alot of the stress and bad feelings are our own feelings of guilt alot of the time...

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