Vacation Requests Constantly Denied: A Rant

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Specializes in Float Pool-Med-Surg, Telemetry, IMCU.

Hi All,

What do you do when every single vacation request you make is denied? I am not unreasonable; I never request off during the holidays but I do try to take a handful of days off in the summer (not weeks on end, a day off here and there; like maybe 4 days total all summer). So far every day off I have requested has been denied!

Basically we can only be assured of getting days off four months out of the year (October, February, March, and April) because the rest of that time either conflicts with holidays or prime time vacation. I try to take any longer vacations during that time but occasionally I need a day off in the summer! Everyone on my unit has this same issue; the scheduler will sit on requests for months and then after many emails will FINALLY get back and 9/10 the day is denied. It doesn't matter if it's for your own dang wedding!

I am trying to get a group together to approach our manager about this. It's ridiculous and really impacting my job satisfaction. They expect us to stay overtime and be "team players" but there is zero reciprocity.

So frustrated.... :banghead:

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

The way it works in my department for prime time (the week before Memorial Day through the week after Labor Day plus Christmas/New Year) is that we are divided into 5 different groups. Each year, we rotate which group gets to put in their requests first. Those who request a full week at a time are granted or denied first; those who ask about a day here or there have to wait until everyone has taken their turn requesting a full week to find out if they will be granted or denied. Find out for sure what the policy is. Your policy may state that full weeks are granted before single days are considered or some other method of determining time off.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

That is not right! We do first come first serve Jan 2-the week before Memorial Day. We have a certain day we have to send emails at 5pm and the manager goes by the time stamp on email, then by seniority if a bunch of them arrive at the same time. Memorial Day to December 23 goes by seniority and we are assigned a time to call the manager and give our requests. Works pretty well. Then if there are hours left they are opened up and go again by seniority. The only weeks we can't take vacation are over Christmas and New Years.

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Same issue here. It is so hard to get time off. I get it for holidays. But when you can grant staff a week off

During the summer, it's ridiculous. What I do is put in my request, email the manager and scheduler, then a week after that I go see the manager and typically they approve or deny it then and there or the next day.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

Hugs...that stinks like GI bleed. Good providence with your uprising!

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I heard someone ranting about this at work today how its impossible to take vacation time in the summer.

Maybe someone could fill me in on this, but why dont people love taking vacation in february ?

I feel like its the perfect month for a vacation. All the hustle of the holidays is done, (and this could just be because I live up north) but it has the crappiest weather of the year.

Id love to take my vacation in february every year and go somewhere warm.

I guess its just harder for the people with kids, which is why so many probably want to take their vacations around easter and summer though

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I heard someone ranting about this at work today how its impossible to take vacation time in the summer.

Maybe someone could fill me in on this, but why dont people love taking vacation in february ?

I feel like its the perfect month for a vacation. All the hustle of the holidays is done, (and this could just be because I live up north) but it has the crappiest weather of the year.

Id love to take my vacation in february every year and go somewhere warm.

I guess its just harder for the people with kids, which is why so many probably want to take their vacations around easter and summer though

i have 3 children, we cannot pull them out of school for vacation. If we were childless it would it be nearly as big a problem to take the less desired times to vacation.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I hope you get some support from your manager.

But if the problems continue ... can your group organize itself and offer to work together to cover for each other by switching shifts?

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I heard someone ranting about this at work today how its impossible to take vacation time in the summer.

Maybe someone could fill me in on this, but why dont people love taking vacation in february ?

I feel like its the perfect month for a vacation. All the hustle of the holidays is done, (and this could just be because I live up north) but it has the crappiest weather of the year.

Id love to take my vacation in february every year and go somewhere warm.

I guess its just harder for the people with kids, which is why so many probably want to take their vacations around easter and summer though

Not everyone has the means to travel, and thus prefer vacations when the weather is tolerable where they live.

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

Kids can make vacations really difficult as you are slave to the school schedule. My most common vacation times for my family are mid-January (cruising usually, it's warm in the Caribbean), Early May (Spring in the mountains is nice) and early December (after Thanksgiving, before Christmas obviously, and it's usually cruising).

Another great vacation time is September, after labor day, to beach locations, prices drop quite a bit and crowds are down substantially.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
I guess its just harder for the people with kids, which is why so many probably want to take their vacations around easter and summer though

This is exactly what I was going to say. And why does it have to be so hard to take off? Obviously not everyone can take off at the same time, but summer is 2.5 months long, and most people don't have 3 weeks of PTO saved up that they're trying to take off all together. My husband and daughter and in-laws are going to the far East this summer; I had to request off 3 days. If they hadn't approved it I would be conveniently getting "sick..." I don't like lying AT ALL, but I have nobody to watch my other kids. We don't use paid daycare (plus it would be day AND night care, since I work overnight), my parents are still working, our friends just can't help with our other four kids for 3 days and 3 nights, and they are too young to stay alone--two are baby and toddler.

That's just my example.

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Specializes in CCU, CVICU, Cath Lab, MICU, Endoscopy..

First sounds like you maybe experiencing poor management. If the institution you work for doesn't recognize that mandatory overtime puts the patient at risk then maybe you should run. ANA opposes mandatory overtime. Depending on which state you reside check your practice act. Second any boss that doesn't want to take vacation time is no good. With our careers we must have a balance and vacation allows for that. Third perhaps your team could start planning work schedule a few weeks in advance then that gives your manager enough time to find a prn nurse to cover you. My institution we put in our schedule 6wks in advance which gives them enough time to find a prn nurse or overtime volunteer.

Good luck I understand I once had such a manager thank goodness no more! Everyone was always grumpy and unhappy bad 12 hrs!

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