VA Manager not allowing annual leave

Sanuk · Aug 21, 2011

That's unacceptable. Have you considered taking it up the chain, to the director or CNO? You have PTO or leave for a reason, and it's not to sit in a bank unused. I am one who takes two vacations per year minimum and would not tolerate being told I wasn't able to use the time I had earned.

I would not accept his/her ruling on this and would escalate the issue.

diva rn, BSN, RN · Aug 21, 2011

I agree...that's unacceptable...it's your time...you have earned it..requesting it one year in advance is unreasonable..I would go to HR and ask to see the VA hospital's policies related to vacation...there should be blanket policies and your unit would have to adhere to them.....your manager is on a power trip!

roser13, ASN, RN · Aug 21, 2011

Seriously? Are you in the US? I only ask because you used the term "annual leave" and traditionally we talk about vacation days or PTO, etc.

Absolutely unacceptable. Go as high as you have to in order to get this remedied. How long have you/your co-workers accepted this?

kmarie724 · Aug 21, 2011

I agree, that's ridiculous. There has only been one time I wasn't granted a PTO request and that was because one nurse was on medical leave and another had already asked for the same weekend off before I turned in my request. I really needed the weekend off because it was my sister's wedding and when i told our staffing coordinator this, this she was very helpful with giving me suggestions of who to ask to cover my shifts and even sent out a group e-mail on my behalf to everyone asking if anyone would be interested in working.

I would complain to someone higher up. Asked for a day or two off a month in advance is perfectly reasonable.

JoMark06 · Aug 21, 2011

Leave time is scheduled a year in advance at VAs. That is the policy and it is supported by the union. However, changes can be made as long as requests are put in before the next schedule is published. If your nurse manager is refusing requests, you need to talk to the union. When you approach your union rep, have your ducks in a row...this means documentation...make sure every request is email and take copies of your requests and the reply you get from your manager to the union rep. The union can't help if there isn't a paper trail to follow. If the union rep isn't addressing this situation, you then need to talk to the assistant nurse exec who covers the inpatient areas. If this doesn't work, continue up your chain of command to the nurse exec and then the director of the VA. Follow your chain of command and document, document document!

From a fellow VA nurse who has been there, done that!

tyvin, BSN, RN · Aug 21, 2011

You need to light a fire under your union reps butt! I have dealt with lazy union reps and I always make sure they are doing what they are being paid to do. It's unacceptable and that should be enough for the union to step in and help all of you. If your union rep isn't taking action go up the chain of command at the union.

miss81, BSN, RN · Aug 21, 2011

Funny, "Annual leave" always seemed to be a Canadian term to me! We have to submit A/L for Summer in the Winter and vice versa. We have a list for each unit and an RN progresses "up the list" each year. First person on the list gets first pick of holidays and second person gets second pick (and so on and so forth). Each year you move up a spot on the list and the first person drops to the bottom. But then again we get 3 weeks as a new nurse and 4 as an experienced RN. (not including sick leabe).

BTW, I agree about lighting a fire under your union but where I come from the Reps are volunteers, not paid!

elthia · Aug 21, 2011

I used to work for a VA. Make sure,you have a paper trail, and make sure you have copies of the emails with you along with your union rep when you talk to your nurse manager. No paper trail, no proof, and that's how the nurse manager gets away with it.

MombearNurse · Aug 21, 2011

Seriously? Are you in the US? I only ask because you used the term "annual leave" and traditionally we talk about vacation days or PTO, etc.

The term "leave" is used in the military and since she is working at the VA it makes sense that they would call it leave instead of vacation. I also agree that this "policy" is unacceptable. Definitely check the vacation policy at HR!

Trekfan · Aug 22, 2011

I work at a VA hospital & on my floor our current manager gives us a very hard time when we want to take annual leave. Mind you, we will ask for a day or two way in advance (a month or two) and have plenty of saved up leave time yet he will not allow it. He will only let us do a change of shift. We get two weeks of vacation a year which we have to request one year ahead of time. Things come up, we do not always know that far in advance what days we really need off. We have the union here but they are not much help at all. I was just curious if any of you out there have similar problems where you are at and what has been done to correct this situation. :cry:

Wow thats nuts to have to ask a year ahead of time ? Is this olney in your unit ? I can ask my contacts at the va I work with The next time I talk to them how the time off works . what state are you in ?

JoMark06 · Aug 22, 2011

For all of you who have never worked at a VA hospital...this is policy and it is acceptable to the Union within the VA system. An Annual Leave calendar for the following year is put out toward the end of the current year (exact date depends on if it is for RNs or LPN/PCTs). RNs get 5 wks of annual leave per year, LPNs/PCTs get 2-3 weeks. Only one RN and one LPN/PCT can be off per shift per week. (so 1 RN and 1 LPN/PCT per shift per week). You sign up for the whole week even if you do not intend to take the whole week off. Seniority is based on years of service within the VA/Federal system. A nurse with more seniority can bump other nurses off the wks they have selected. Anyway, unless you are in the federal system, this is a pretty complex system and a lot of civilian nurses find it unfair and hard to understand. Anyway, as the year progresses, you can change leave weeks by switching with someone else, you can drop a week or request a week that hasn't been taken. All of this has to be done in advance of the schedule coming out. The schedule is usually out for a period of 4-6 wks. Nurse managers typically approve these changes without issue but it seems the OP is having difficulty. The only way she can move forward is to approach the union with proof in hand (copies of her requests well in advance of any schedule being posted, copies of the leave calendar, copies of her manager's denial of the request, etc.). And it would help her case greatly if she has co-workers on her same ward that are having the same issues.