ok i dont really know where to start so i will try to make this short and sweet. i was terminated after nine years on the job on thursday due to "excessive absenteeism". mind you i have not called off work since october of 2007.
when all of this started i was pulled into the managers office and given a paper to sign that basically said that if i called in again i was terminated. she just happened to skip the offical protocol and i was never given a verbal or written warning.
i signed it and went on about my business. i asked her SEVERAL times for a copy and was never given one. that is just how she is, will tell you what you want to hear and then never give you what you asked for.
in january (i had been off for a while due to surgery) i was called into her office again. she and her "asst" basically bereated me and accused me of refusing to discharge a patient, among other things. she used the "f" word several times screaming in my face telling me she wished she could fire me then, and that all of my co-workers hated me. i ended up in the hospital for chest pain and svt that night. i was to work the next day and i used my "personal" (safe) day for that.
after that i reported her to our hr department and had written about 14 pages in response to her one. i had had enough of her and a few others bullying ways, constant comments about me personally, heavy assignments, etc.
after that i just put it all behind me. went to work my two days and shut my mouth. after a while things seemed to be going ok......
about a month ago she told me she wanted me to do our facilitys program which had to do with extra education and things to get a pay raise, and also to be on the unit leadership committee and pain resource nurse. i really felt that things were looking up and getting better. she also wanted me to take the pccn exam also. when she approached me with this i asked her about the absenteeism issues and if they would hold me back from doing the ladder program (you cannot be in any disiplinary probation to do it). she flat at looked at me and told me NO that that was over with and i was out of that. about two weeks ago i asked her for copies of those dates that i had missed. she said again that I DIDNT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IT.
well, this week i got very sick very suddenly. tonsils the size of golf balls, fever of 102. would you go to work? this was wednesday that i called off.
on thursday at 3pm i got a call from her and she said sorry to tell you this but i have to terminate you. heres the number to hr if you have any questions.
i point blank asked her why she told me i had nothing to worry about and she FLAT OUT DENIED
Agree. I also think that in this day w/so many nurses vying for the few choice jobs out there, that good attendance is a plus. If you have a job you like & people you enjoy working with, and you want to be there for a long time, absenteeism goes against you- no matter how good or how skilled or experienced one is.
I found this out yesterday. I got "let go" due to absenteeism during my probationary period. I've never been fired or let go in all of my years of working. I fell apart. I got along with everyone, was praised up and down about what an excellent nurse I was...and never received a verbal or written warning. I worked in a small department and everyone has been sick and gone over the past six weeks...and missed for our kids too. I walked into work yesterday and was immediately called to HR where my manager and the director of nursing were sitting with the head of HR and got the words, "there's no easy way to tell you this" and then that was it. I was just in SHOCK! I couldn't talk, I couldn't breathe. Then I got escorted out by my manager and she's saying, "you're an excellent nurse, I'm so sorry"...and then she offers to drive me home (30min away in another town). It was just awful and I don't know what to say to a new employer...I'm scared. There are VERY few nursing jobs around here now...only ONE FT one within a 40mile radius!!! I am taking responsibility for being gone I should have drug my behind into work and got sent home, but those two days I had a fever of 101 and there was no way I could safely drive. Anyway, I found out last night that the others got a lecture that my "letting go" is to serve as an example to the others who've been calling in sick on a regular basis (and I mean a REGULAR basis) and that my job will not be posted and two other nursing jobs were taken down due to "budget issues". So I cannot help but wonder if I was screwed or what. I had the flu and it was BAD...got it from the others that I was working with...that's what happens when people come to work sick I might add. My son was sick and I had to stay home with him twice...my husband stayed home with him a couple of times too...I have no one else to watch him. My 79yr old grandmother, but she's been sick too...ugh!
I truly loved this job...this was just sickening. I only let down my team on one day (a busy workday)...otherwise my other days I was sick or home with my son the days were low census...and again NO VERBAL OR WRITTEN WARNINGS...is that legal even if it is within the probationary period? What happened to rules? Yes, I broke the rules, but don't they have to follow them too or are you fair game to them during the prob time?
I'm just feeling confused and angry. I was lucky enough to have an interview today, but I'm terrified they will find out I was fired (even though HR said, "don't worry, we will only give your hire and end day").
I found this out yesterday. I got "let go" due to absenteeism during my probationary period. I've never been fired or let go in all of my years of working. I fell apart. I got along with everyone, was praised up and down about what an excellent nurse I was...and never received a verbal or written warning. I worked in a small department and everyone has been sick and gone over the past six weeks...and missed for our kids too. I walked into work yesterday and was immediately called to HR where my manager and the director of nursing were sitting with the head of HR and got the words, "there's no easy way to tell you this" and then that was it. I was just in SHOCK! I couldn't talk, I couldn't breathe. Then I got escorted out by my manager and she's saying, "you're an excellent nurse, I'm so sorry"...and then she offers to drive me home (30min away in another town). It was just awful and I don't know what to say to a new employer...I'm scared. There are VERY few nursing jobs around here now...only ONE FT one within a 40mile radius!!! I am taking responsibility for being gone I should have drug my behind into work and got sent home, but those two days I had a fever of 101 and there was no way I could safely drive. Anyway, I found out last night that the others got a lecture that my "letting go" is to serve as an example to the others who've been calling in sick on a regular basis (and I mean a REGULAR basis) and that my job will not be posted and two other nursing jobs were taken down due to "budget issues". So I cannot help but wonder if I was screwed or what. I had the flu and it was BAD...got it from the others that I was working with...that's what happens when people come to work sick I might add. My son was sick and I had to stay home with him twice...my husband stayed home with him a couple of times too...I have no one else to watch him. My 79yr old grandmother, but she's been sick too...ugh!
I truly loved this job...this was just sickening. I only let down my team on one day (a busy workday)...otherwise my other days I was sick or home with my son the days were low census...and again NO VERBAL OR WRITTEN WARNINGS...is that legal even if it is within the probationary period? What happened to rules? Yes, I broke the rules, but don't they have to follow them too or are you fair game to them during the prob time?
I'm just feeling confused and angry. I was lucky enough to have an interview today, but I'm terrified they will find out I was fired (even though HR said, "don't worry, we will only give your hire and end day").
this sounds like they needed to let someone go, therefore they "made up" the absent excuse.....file for unemployment.....see what reason they give....
this sounds like they needed to let someone go, therefore they "made up" the absent excuse.....file for unemployment.....see what reason they give....
My understanding is that I don't qualify for benefits because I didn't work there long enough and their "reason" would be considered my fault. I looked it up online.
My understanding is that I don't qualify for benefits because I didn't work there long enough and their "reason" would be considered my fault. I looked it up online.
i dont know anything about the length of employment though it would be reasonable to have one, my point on the reason is, it was manufactured.....and if it could be proven, you might have a case
Usually they look back over a year..It may actually be that you could claim on your past employment....File /get denied/appeal. Look at the due process clauses in your employee handbook. Unfortunately, most employers are "at will" which means you can be terminated at any time. Nurse Heidi story illustrates exactly why we need strong unions in this country.
I got "let go" due to absenteeism during my probationary period. I've never been fired or let go in all of my years of working. I fell apart. I got along with everyone, was praised up and down about what an excellent nurse I was...and never received a verbal or written warning. I worked in a small department and everyone has been sick and gone over the past six weeks...and missed for our kids too. I walked into work yesterday and was immediately called to HR where my manager and the director of nursing were sitting with the head of HR and got the words, "there's no easy way to tell you this" and then that was it. I was just in SHOCK! I couldn't talk, I couldn't breathe. Then I got escorted out by my manager and she's saying, "you're an excellent nurse, I'm so sorry"...and then she offers to drive me home (30min away in another town). It was just awful and I don't know what to say to a new employer...I'm scared. There are VERY few nursing jobs around here now...only ONE FT one within a 40mile radius!!! I am taking responsibility for being gone I should have drug my behind into work and got sent home, but those two days I had a fever of 101 and there was no way I could safely drive. Anyway, I found out last night that the others got a lecture that my "letting go" is to serve as an example to the others who've been calling in sick on a regular basis (and I mean a REGULAR basis) and that my job will not be posted and two other nursing jobs were taken down due to "budget issues". So I cannot help but wonder if I was screwed or what. I had the flu and it was BAD...got it from the others that I was working with...that's what happens when people come to work sick I might add. My son was sick and I had to stay home with him twice...my husband stayed home with him a couple of times too...I have no one else to watch him. My 79yr old grandmother, but she's been sick too...ugh! 
NurseSnarky
120 Posts
I found this out yesterday.
I got "let go" due to absenteeism during my probationary period. I've never been fired or let go in all of my years of working. I fell apart. I got along with everyone, was praised up and down about what an excellent nurse I was...and never received a verbal or written warning. I worked in a small department and everyone has been sick and gone over the past six weeks...and missed for our kids too. I walked into work yesterday and was immediately called to HR where my manager and the director of nursing were sitting with the head of HR and got the words, "there's no easy way to tell you this" and then that was it. I was just in SHOCK! I couldn't talk, I couldn't breathe. Then I got escorted out by my manager and she's saying, "you're an excellent nurse, I'm so sorry"...and then she offers to drive me home (30min away in another town). It was just awful and I don't know what to say to a new employer...I'm scared. There are VERY few nursing jobs around here now...only ONE FT one within a 40mile radius!!! I am taking responsibility for being gone I should have drug my behind into work and got sent home, but those two days I had a fever of 101 and there was no way I could safely drive. Anyway, I found out last night that the others got a lecture that my "letting go" is to serve as an example to the others who've been calling in sick on a regular basis (and I mean a REGULAR basis) and that my job will not be posted and two other nursing jobs were taken down due to "budget issues". So I cannot help but wonder if I was screwed or what. I had the flu and it was BAD...got it from the others that I was working with...that's what happens when people come to work sick I might add. My son was sick and I had to stay home with him twice...my husband stayed home with him a couple of times too...I have no one else to watch him. My 79yr old grandmother, but she's been sick too...ugh!
I truly loved this job...this was just sickening. I only let down my team on one day (a busy workday)...otherwise my other days I was sick or home with my son the days were low census...and again NO VERBAL OR WRITTEN WARNINGS...is that legal even if it is within the probationary period? What happened to rules? Yes, I broke the rules, but don't they have to follow them too or are you fair game to them during the prob time?
I'm just feeling confused and angry. I was lucky enough to have an interview today, but I'm terrified they will find out I was fired (even though HR said, "don't worry, we will only give your hire and end day").