Thread spinoff: denied time off and vacation approval notice

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Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.

Spinoff on another calling out thread: I have 2 coworkers who planned trips for the summer. They requested to switch days so that they would be covering each other's vacations, essentially. Management refused the switch and now they will be calling out those days as they've spent money on non refundable arrangements etc. Hard to understand the reasoning for management's refusal and now we will be working short. Would you call out in their situation?

Also curious how far ahead of time you know if your time off is approved? I've put in months in advance and we aren't notified of approval(as in, seeing the time off on the calendar) until 4-6 weeks before the time off. This isn't really enough time to make flight arrangements, etc. Emails asking about approval are generally ignored.

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Specializes in CVICU.

I wouldn't just call off, I'd be looking for a new job and have one lined up for when I got back from vacation. Then I would put in my notice effective before vacation starts and have a good time. Unless your place is the only one to work, life is too short to put up with that BS.

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Wow. So they would have been able to cover each other? Unless it would cause OT, why would it be a problem?

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Specializes in PACU.
I wouldn't just call off, I'd be looking for a new job and have one lined up for when I got back from vacation. Then I would put in my notice effective before vacation starts and have a good time. Unless your place is the only one to work, life is too short to put up with that BS.

I agree. I really don't codone calling out but when you found your own coverage like OP mentioned, then management says no AFTER you've booked, etc it kind of says a lot about the management.

I could see initially if it caused OT but paying out OT seems a lot better than running your staff short.

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Absurd. If I were them, I'd make sure that the staffing office knew I'd be available to be called in, but only at the Premium Pay, Bonus Rate, etc. :)

Make 'em pay for this stupidity.

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Specializes in CVICU.

The manager in the OP is a complet @$$hat. Why would anyone put up with that. Again, Is it the only place to work? Do they pay huge $$ and that is the reason people stay? Vacation time is an earned benefit and nurses have the right to use it. If these nurses don't go on their vacations they may regret it for the rest of their lives.

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Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.
Wow. So they would have been able to cover each other? Unless it would cause OT, why would it be a problem?

Excellent question. I really don't get it. It would have been win-win for everyone. It almost seems spiteful to me.

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Specializes in CVICU.
Excellent question. I really don't get it. It would have been win-win for everyone. It almost seems spiteful to me.

If there is no OT and this is the reason, then I would definately be getting a new job and time it so that I was between jobs during my vacation. If you indeed have a manager that is this immature then you should run as well.

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Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.
The manager in the OP is a complet @$$hat. Why would anyone put up with that. Again, Is it the only place to work? Do they pay huge $$ and that is the reason people stay? Vacation time is an earned benefit and nurses have the right to use it. If these nurses don't go on their vacations they may regret it for the rest of their lives.

You might not have seen my other thread, but this is the same manager who made a long-time nurse cry in front of a patient when we had just started bedside report. Sometimes it's so bad, I know it seems fictional. Sadly, it isn't.

They are chopping down our allowable accrued time off and people are starting to lose hours because they can't get time off. In the case of my coworkers, they both work weekend track, which is different. They get a higher base rate, but only 5 days of PTO a year. Which is why the switch would have helped them, neither would have to use their PTO.

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Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.
I agree. I really don't codone calling out but when you found your own coverage like OP mentioned, then management says no AFTER you've booked, etc it kind of says a lot about the management.

I could see initially if it caused OT but paying out OT seems a lot better than running your staff short.

No overtime. They both work weekend track.

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Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.
If there is no OT and this is the reason, then I would definately be getting a new job and time it so that I was between jobs during my vacation. If you indeed have a manager that is this immature then you should run as well.

I'm working on it.

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Specializes in CVICU.

They are chopping down our allowable accrued time off and people are starting to lose hours because they can't get time off.

I'm guessing you are working at one of the "for profits". I'm going to cut your manager just a wee bit of slack when I say this. I knew a nurse who was a happy go lucky person who became a manager at a "for profit". I do believe that managers at for profits go through a certain amount of hazing and brain washing. After a short time in the job she became almost clinically insane, made decisions and behaved in a way that made no sense to a normal person. Hopefuly this is the case with your manager and that she is just simply a mean spirtited person.

Good luck on your job search. Nothing you find can be worse than what you have now.

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