Thread spinoff: denied time off and vacation approval notice

Nurses General Nursing

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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.

I don't understand why the switch would be denied if there was no overtime as a result of it.

When I worked scheduled shifts, I used to put in for vacations six months in advance due to limitations on how many could take vacation at the same time. I usually heard back within a few weeks.

Now, as a per diem, I don't have to ask for time off. I just tell them when I can and cannot work. The downside, no PTO- no work, no pay.

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Specializes in PACU.
No overtime. They both work weekend track.

Then it's completely absurd! I agree, this seems excessively spiteful on management's part.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

There is no way in hades I'd change travel plans when I've (probably) already spent thousands of dollars on airfare.

I wonder what would happen if these two RNs just showed up to work as they agreed? I mean amongst each other/as denied by manager?

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I put in for vacation in December for mid-June. It was approved the month I made the request. I cant imagine management that doesn't give you that courtesy!

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Specializes in Acute Care Pediatrics.

I don't understand why management would care if you covered a shift. That's stupid. So glad my facility isn't that bass ackwards.

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Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

This actually happened to me several years ago. I had made plans to switch with someone a couple of months in advance. Where I used to work, we had our summer schedules finalized by February. Other months were just 4-6 weeks out. Anyway, yeah. My manager didn't approve our time off despite the fact that we would be covering for each other and I was going to be on the other side of the country with someone I hadn't seen in over 5 years. I ended up calling out. And so did the woman I switched with. We were never confronted about it, but it sounds like my work environment was quite a bit healthier than yours. Best of luck.

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We don't really know if our time has been approved until days before the month starts. Typically if you find covereage you don't have issues, but with the limited staff we have, finding coverage on your own is pretty tough.

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It happened ALL THE TIME at my old place. BS politics, climate of fear, Teflon manager, yadda yadda.

I quit. Now I have a job with summers and holidays off.

I took a huge pay cut when I left. The money was not worth my stress. (My husband may disagree, but he's not me.)

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

I have a coworker who requested a sat in August off for her wedding. The request was placed over a year prior. They denied her " because it's her weekend to work". We also have black out days which we can't take vacation or pto.

just an hour ago, management posted a "bonus" program this weekend offering OT plus gift cards for each 4 hrs picked up. Too bad I'm already working 12s sat and Sunday.

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As long as both nurses are capable of performing the same tasks (such as if they worked different units but had the same skill set such as Tele, ICU, etc requiring more than med surg) then there should have been no issue approving the time off. In this case, management is having a power trip and from your previous post about this manager I wouldn't put it past her.

As far as finding out if time off has been approved, if there is a way to make a copy on paper of your request I would do that. Then, after a couple of weeks if they have not responded with an answer, I would approach the manager (during my "off" hours) and inquire about the time off and ask them to sign the paper copy for your records. I would let them know that I need to know in order to make travel arrangements. I had to do this one time as we had a calendar schedule for the month released also. I had to book Christmas flight tickets and had worked the previous year so it was my year to have off if I wanted it but you never know with a new manager. I got the time off signed and made my arrangements. This way, if they tried to go back on it later, I had the signed form. It might not go far if they really want to be jerks, but I never had trouble finding a job either and haven't ever been fired.

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I didn't realize there was such drama in nursing. Geez. :unsure:

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I have a coworker who requested a sat in August off for her wedding. The request was placed over a year prior. They denied her " because it's her weekend to work".

That is complete bull poo. I hope she quit and had the best wedding ever.

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