Someone told me something that upset me today.

Nurses General Nursing

Published

A person very close to me(but I won't say who) told me in off hand way that their manager swipes them in and out sometimes, not just the person telling me the story but everyone on the unit has been swiped in by the manager. There are a variety of reasons they say this happens and even though this person would not allow anyone else to swipe them in at the time clock they do allow their boss to do. I told them what everyone knows that doing that is cause for instance dismissal in most facility and it says as much in most handbooks. This person blew me off and said that the boss is in very good with higher levels of management and that would never happen. I told this person they are making a big mistake and next time they should tell the boss they would prefer they not do that. They said it would sound as if they were critizing their manager and they would not feel comfortable telling their manager to stop. Am I wrong maybe, is it OK if the manager swipes you in if they need you to go and do something else at the moment which means you have to leave the clockside?

Specializes in mental health; hangover remedies.
I must say that I like being on a time clock for the reason you state...that I'm getting paid for my time there. I used to write in 11-7, 11-7, 11-7......etc. Now on those days when I'm there an hour late finishing up from a rough shift, I'm getting paid for it.

If staff routinely work over their hours - do management come and check why? Or use it to guage the unit acuity? Have they ever put on extra staff because of excess late clocking out?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in nursing student.
Just popped on the website and noticed the thread and how close it hit home. See I have been working at this hospital for almost five years now, a year and a half in my current position as an ICU nurse. A relative of my also works on the same floor as me, and in the first few months I had noticed that he had been punching in this other girl on our floor and vice versa. I confronted him once because I thought it was wrong and feared that he would get caught one day, and lose his job. Well it continued and I turned my cheek, but there was one day when I was running late and I desperately needed someone to help me out. Knowing that this girl has been doing it for quite some time now I called into the unit and asked for her, she obliged and every once in awhile I return the favor. If you are one minute late you are considered tardy and your reputation takes a hit after so many. The point is that after I had done this for her and her I, we became closer and there was trust formed. Not saying that it is the right way to do it because I know that it is wrong, but sometimes you need that one thing that develops trust between two people. Take it for what it's worth

At my facility I do the time for my floors, this is considered theft and grounds for immediate termination. If you get caught doing this for someone else or they do so for you, you will both lose your jobs. Not worth the risk. Get to work on time and you won't "risk your reputation" as you say.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow, hard to believe a honest nurse would allow anyone to swipe them in or out...terrible I GUESS HONESTY IS NOT REQUIED IN NURSING ANYMORE.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
If staff routinely work over their hours - do management come and check why? Or use it to guage the unit acuity? Have they ever put on extra staff because of excess late clocking out?

Yes. Some bosses do as "incidental overtime" is costly. Sometimes people do indeed need to be counciled on their time management if most people are getting out on time and they are not on a consistent regular basis. If the acuity is bad, and the nurse had a bad day and needs to stay late nothing is said at all. Most people where I work are 12-hour shifts, 36 hours, so they don't get overtime when they are late.

I'm a 40 hour worker and my boss does kind of give me the eye and say "why are you still here", but really doesn't give me hard time about it if I'm late.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
It's never ok to not follow policy. It would be better to keep your opinion to yourself and not say anything to anyone and knowing about it and not saying anything literally makes you an accessory.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you've done anything wrong but from this minute on put it out of your head and just look the other way.

Please read my post again. No where do I say that I work at this place or that I am turning my head. I have never set foot in the facility about which the story was told. I said a person close to me told me this story and it alarmed me. I have never heard of or witnessed a management person punching anyone in even though I have heard my fair share of stories about employees getting fired for punching each other in. What was new about this situation is that the manager is apparently going to the time clock to find someone to run an errand then sending them off while waiting at the clock himself to punch in for the employee. Since that was a new twist in the old cats tail I thought I would run it past you guys. I told the person right away that I was concerned for them and thought it was putting them in a very uncomfortable position. It apparently happens over and over again.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

Every place I have ever worked terminates any employee who clocks in for someone else and also the person who allows this to occur.

Under federal labor laws, employees who are non exempt must be paid for all hours worked. If you have a manager who is changing time cards in regard to in and out times, she is in violation of federal law. Every hospital were I have worked would terminated any manager or payroll person for making changes in someone's time card.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Well, here's an old saying: Two people can keep a secret if one of them is dead. Your acquaintance who told you that her manager does this must want her manager in trouble. Otherwise, why would she share this? She has just outed the manager. Maybe without any malice, without thinking of the possible consequences, maybe with malice and hoping the boss gets in trouble. Is the boss doing this to not have to discipline her staff and be hated by them or what?

If the boss needs you so quickly that you can't clock in, that's a different story. You're on time but you're responding to an emergency at your boss' behest. You should be paid for being on time.

Believe me, people you think are your friends are probably NOT going to stand up for you if they are being called onto the carpet. Most "friends" will rat you out in a heartbeat to save their own skin or to get in good with the boss. It's just human nature, I suppose. Betrayal happens all the time.

Now you are burdened with what to do with this knowledge. What are you going to do, OP?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
It's never ok to not follow policy. It would be better to keep your opinion to yourself and not say anything to anyone and knowing about it and not saying anything literally makes you an accessory.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you've done anything wrong but from this minute on put it out of your head and just look the other way.

I'm not sure she's an accessory. She does not truly know if this is happening if she hasn't seen it. Her "friend" who told her about it could just be a borderline or a psychopath, seeking attention, trying to mess with her head, what? I do agree she should never discuss this again with anyone.

Am I my brother's keeper? Just a thought.

:confused::chuckle:p:banghead::saint::yeah::cry::smokin::D:saint::saint:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Medical.

I'm stunned that you guys have to clock in. Is this common practice?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Well, here's an old saying: Two people can keep a secret if one of them is dead. Your acquaintance who told you that her manager does this must want her manager in trouble. Otherwise, why would she share this? She has just outed the manager. Maybe without any malice, without thinking of the possible consequences, maybe with malice and hoping the boss gets in trouble. Is the boss doing this to not have to discipline her staff and be hated by them or what?

If the boss needs you so quickly that you can't clock in, that's a different story. You're on time but you're responding to an emergency at your boss' behest. You should be paid for being on time.

Believe me, people you think are your friends are probably NOT going to stand up for you if they are being called onto the carpet. Most "friends" will rat you out in a heartbeat to save their own skin or to get in good with the boss. It's just human nature, I suppose. Betrayal happens all the time.

Now you are burdened with what to do with this knowledge. What are you going to do, OP?

Since I don't work at the facility discussed in the original post I do not feel that I am carrying a burden what so ever. PS just to show you how you are making assumptions. Both the person who told me this story and the manager are MALES and I have never set foot in the place.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I'm stunned that you guys have to clock in. Is this common practice?

Yup. And annoying.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Medical.

Nobody where I work clocks on, including the support staff. It doesn't seem very respecting-you-as-professionals (is there a word for that?), but I can see the advantages for admin.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment