Tardiness...

Scarlette · Dec 17, 2001

Sounds like you need a time clock that uses your badge to clock in and clock out (to avoid having others clock in their late friends). How frustrating it must be for everyone who shows up on time while the slackers come in whenever they feel like it and still get paid for sleeping in.

Jenny P · Dec 17, 2001

Wow! I can't imagine how everyone is getting away with being tardy all of the time! We have one nurse who used to come in up to 10 minutes late until the peer pressure got to be too much for her. Why are you all tolerating that type of behavior?

The thing that I'm dealing with right now is that after being in one hospital and one unit for 22 years, they are installing time clocks for the first time ever here. I think it is so appalling that we are not trusted; especially when the nurses here have always been so conscientious about work here. From what I understand, some of the OTHER departments in the hospital have been lax at reporting to work on time and this is what is being done to correct the problem.

SharonH, RN · Dec 17, 2001

Well first of all let me make a confession: I am the one who is always late. Almost always, anywhere from 5-15 mins late. I admit and recognize that this is major character flaw but I make up for it by being ready to work when I get there and being a hard worker. That is so much more than can be said for manyof my co-workers who arrive on time and then ass around for 15-20 mins before they finally decide to get report.

Okay now that I have admitted my shameful secret I wil say that it is completely unfair the way this is handled at your facility. If you are late you should be docked(I always am) no matter what shift. And the behavior should be addressed. And I would start keeping notes because there is no way someone is going to punish me for doing one thing while letting another co-worker go scot-free. Uh-uh no way.

Crawsu · Dec 17, 2001

I wish we would get a timeclock! As things stand now, management has a "snitch" book. Those that come in late are

expected to sign in the book, if they don't, other nurses are encouraged to write them in the book. Problem is, nurses that don't care for one another use the book. ie.."So and so was five minutes late" etc...Back and forth, talk about team building! If we had a timeclock there would be no sniping back and forth. It would solve a lot of problems if you ask me. If you are always on time or early then what's the problem? :rolleyes:

hoolahan, ASN, RN · Dec 17, 2001

Where I worked for most of my career, we punched a clock. WE did not have to punch in and out for breaks though.

If you are not late, then the clock is OK. I was aghast at first, but I adjusted. Only think is, and I was always an early bird, is that one time you are a we bit late, zing! Or what used to make me laugh is the l;ine of people standing by the clock waiting for the second it hit 3:30 or 7:30 am to leave. I didn't care if I was docked 5 or 10 min pay if it meant I could beat the traffic that much sooner!

I handled one late nurse like this, she came in late every single day, and I had a 45 minute ride home and was nursing a baby...it was a looooong ride! I finally got pi$$ed and said look, if you arrive at 3:10, you get a 20 min report, if you arrive 3:15, a 15 min report, 3:25, a five min report, if you aren't here at 3:25, you can get your 5 min report from the charge nurse, cause I will be gone! She was NEVER late to work again!! The enitire unit was happy I blew my fuse! It was only b/c I was nursing, shortly after that I took a leave for 6 months to work agency closer to home until we switched to the bottle, a woman can only do so much!!

It sounds like everyone is aware of the problem, they just choose to ignore it. Why not ask the supervisor when she calls, to repaet that call at 7:30 am?? Sounds like she wants to know this stuff, so drop a line ans see if she bites. "Gee, I wish the day shift super called for report like this, maybe we would get out on time more often."

thisnurse · Dec 17, 2001

*hangs head in shame*

i am like sharon. but i try REALLY hard not to be late because i know that someone is waiting for me to come in so they can go home.

so i am not habitually late. maybe a few minutes here and there. sometimes i am even early!

we have a time clock. im glad. its just less hassle. you cant be accused of being late. the clock is your proof.

and im with you...i see lots of nurses waiting for that clock to go from 7:29 to 7:30. ive always thought that was ridiculous. doc me. im not standing in the hall.i have things to do.

but what REALLY ticks me off is when i am waiting for report and the nurse reporting off is chatting at the desk or goofing around. ive had to wait until 7:45 for report from a nurse like that. if you arent finished with your charting then just give me report then finish it. when i get report late like that then i am already behind before i begin.

Trauma Columnist · Dec 17, 2001

We have time clock on telephone where we have to use SSN to clock in and out. Tardiness is handled by administration. I can't stand lateness (one of my character flaws), and frankly if I work with "always late folks", well they need to be written up.

jschut, BSN, RN · Dec 17, 2001

Here's one...

I worked in LTC and saw (with my own two eyes!) CNA's who would leave and go uptown or out to lunch (Sometimes nurses, too!) and THEN come back and clock out for lunch! Think anything was ever said to them? Nope! They were all friends with the Assistant DON....

Makes for an interesting workplace, believe me.

WriteStuff · Dec 17, 2001

Our facility just installed a new "swipe your name tag" system.

We're considered "late" if we clock in six minutes after the shift starts (at 2:00pm), and docked pay accordingly.

It's not a big problem where I work, but I'm flabbergasted at the way your place is "handling" it. Do you have a Policy and Procedure in place? If you do, it sounds like administration is ignoring it bigtime.

It might not be your responsibility to address the problem, but it's obvious how it afffects you, and others as well,......not to mention the patients/residents who are waiting to be taken care of.

Enright · Dec 17, 2001

I really hated latecomers when I did shift work. One job, I was the night charge and we did face-to-face shift change (no overlap). The day nurse was always 15-30 minutes late. The manager told me she'd rather pay me overtime than "upset the applecart". I actually quit over this. It bothered me too much to not be able to do anything about it.

I have always had to commute a fair distance, generally further than all of my co-workers. It always made me laugh when I would drive 50 miles through snow and make it on time only to see someone who lives a few blocks away straggle in late. It is inconsiderate and rude.

Stargazer · Dec 17, 2001

I am one of those chronically late people, too. However...I never was while working in a hospital. The reason? Sign-up for pt assignments was first-come, first-serve. Having an extra 20 minutes of piddling-around time at home was NOT worth getting stuck with a miserable assignment for the next 12 hours. Thanks to this system, NO ONE on my unit arrived late, ever. If you didn't show up at least 30 - 45 minutes before your shift, you were hosed.

Any system that could make ME get to work not only on-time, but early, can't be all bad. I highly recommend it. :)