I called in to work,(last Friday - 0800) explaining that my Father had just passed away(O145)...and that I would not be able to come in to work (I did have the next three days off)and as his funeral would be out of state , so I would be using my PTO/ Vacation (four days) to make a week (7 days total off)...funeral would be on either day 4 or 5 depending on when it was arranged....
I was stunned to hear my direct supervisor tell me that I would have to come in and work my next regular scheduled days, as someone else had requested some time off ( the exact days I would need) in order to have a "gargage sale", so I could NOT have the time off to attend my Father's funeral. Worse I think was the remark "well he's not going anyplace now is he, so you do not NEED those days."
According to the good old employee handbook, three days is the time off allowed for an immediate family member's death...
When I went up the chain of command to explain and make the request (with the filled out PTO sheet in hand), I was told to take the time, paper was signed by CNO (Chief Nursing Officer). I made two copies of that paper, one I placed in my immediate supervisor's inbox and I kept a copy for myself.
I then went ahead and left for the funeral trip...
NEVER did I expect a telephone call to my cell phone (this call came within five minutes of Dad's start of his service by the way) from my direct supervisor teling me that if I was NOT at work within 15 minutes I would be terminated! I told her that was not possible and that she needed to read the approved PTO paper for the time off granted, and if she had any other or further concerns to speak with the CNO.
When I returned back, I found I was in fact terminated. The reason given was No Call No Show --not able to be contact by supervisor for explaination of reason not at work...
This termination paper was signed by my direct supervisor and the CNO...
Excuse me? Somehow the PTO approved paper was NOT in my file, but good old me had MY copy....oh so NOW my job is safe and sound after I can find the copy?
No, I am NOT returning to that place, and I would like to think that the NEXT time someone's family member passes, that those still there are treated with far more compassion and sympathy than I was.
Thank you all for reading this. That in itself is enough.
Call your local lawyers association and ask to about Labor lawyers. Show one of them your letter signed by the CNO for the time off and then the termination letter also signed by the CNO. Lawyers love cases in which they know they are going to win.
Don't just do unemployment, sue the pants off those ******, for wrongful termination AND the emotional distress caused by the wrongful termination.
Can't say I would file a lawsuit. Being a party to litigation is often a soul-sucking, mind-numbing, stress-ravaging energy drain that usually drags on for years.
This would only happen in the nursing profession. Unbelievable. I guess the key point here is....can you find your copy of the signed PTO request? If you have it in hand...I would push this. Not that you want your job back but they should be forced to admit that your treatment was inhumane. I would file for unemployment for unfair termination. Make your management go before the judge and TRY to explain what they did. Ask for back wages of the time you should have been working. And definitely get all of your PTO that you have banked. Then...after they're forced to give you your job back...tell them you changed your mind and you've decided it's not a good place to work. I've never sued anyone before but it seems you have a case of emotional distress...I would be tempted to do it out of being treated so poorly.
This is so blatantly wrong and it seems any kind of manager would know that this was against the law. Is there more to the story?
Sorry to hear about the loss of your father. May he rest in peace xx
You have been treated appallingly. Don't you get sick pay or compassionate leave? A collegue of mine's father recently passed away suddenly, and she had a few days off compassionate leave, then was off sick for a few weeks. All on full pay. That is standard for the NHS employees in the UK.
I'd recommend filing for unemployment, saying you were wrongly terminated. If you can prove they did not adhere to their own policies and then fired you - the unemployment judge will love approving you for unemployment and wacking the facility with unemployment costs. (I have seen this happen with a friend and a relative.)
Unemployment isn't much, but it would help give you a little time to find the job you really want. Another thing is - it would force HR and your supervisor to show up and answer the allegations of wrongful termination in an unemployment hearing. So they'd have to explain to a unemployment judge just why they did this inhumane thing that violated their own policies. That should make them squirm.
This is a great idea!!
To the OP, I am so sorry for your loss, I am disgusted with the way they treated you. Karma will come back for them, and I hope when they need time off someone shows them the same "courtesy" that they showed you. I would go ahead and do what the above poster said, make them pay for what they did!
I was just thinking. Every once-in-a-while a newspaper runs a rotten boss contest. Write all this down and submit it when you see one running. Perhaps that scumbag boss of yours will enjoy reading about thereselves.
Honestly, I might file a suit or report the facility to your state human relations commission. This is just unbelievable. I am sure in the afterlife, there is a special "hot seat" waiting for those who treat others like this. I sadly agree that it is not a surprise that this happened in nursing. I will never get the attitude that some people in supervisory positions have that they must champion the facility's interest (or what they believe it to be) at any cost. The death of one of your parents is such a stressful and sad event. To have someone in a caring position treat you like this is ridiculous. How shameful. I wish I could meet your former boss, so I (and all the other decent human beings on earth) could express how appalled it makes me to see nurses act like this. Sadly, I am sure she feels justified and has some cronies at her side who support her actions. She is the one who should be terminated for being such a poor excuse for a nurse and human being. Maybe the other employee can have a garage sale to raise $ so this sack of waste can get a personality transplant. My sympathies to you on the loss of your dad and having to endure all of this. You obviously made the right choice attending to your family during this time.
You deserve a terrific new job, these people are jerks, at my hospital when my mother passed away I was told take whatever time was needed. I took 7 days 3 bereavement and 4 pto, I can't believe these people You are better off.
I am sorry to hear about your loss. I will also say that there is something else better for you. Sometimes doors are closed to open bigger and better opportunity. Good luck in your search.
A collegue of mine's father recently passed away suddenly, and she had a few days off compassionate leave, then was off sick for a few weeks. All on full pay. That is standard for the NHS employees in the UK.
Simpleplan
120 Posts
It's situations like this that reassure me unions are needed. Even though sometimes I think they do more harm than good.