So we had a major ice storm last weekend, 2 inches of ice by morning, and 1st time in 20-odd years I can't get out of the driveway, roads are impassable in this rural area.
Apparently, 20 miles away at work it's just raining...for the time being. House says, well, nobody else has called to say they can't come in. If we need to, we'll send somebody to get you.
Well that didn't happen because there was so much ice on the roads out here that people died on the same highway they wanted me to drive to work on.
And oh, did I mention that you can't use PTO for calling due to weather emergencies (hell, the President deemed my area a disaster area), so I'm out a day's pay that I can't be compensated for...
What other "profession" has such inhumane expectations...hell no I'm not risking my very life for my employer, they already get enough of it sucked away every shift.
Specializes in ICU,PCU,ER, TELE,SNIFF, STEP DOWN PCT.
Um, unless I'm mistaken the "P" in PTO is supposed to stand for "personal". Shouldn't that mean that if the weather poses a personal barrier for you to arrive to work in one piece you should be allowed to use it to compensate for your lost day off? What a stupid policy! IMHO, the only time PTO shouldn't be allowed to be used is to compensate someone who's been suspended for cause.
True, but we are not allowed to take PTO from right before Christmas and almost through all of Jan, it is a stupid policy too, but that is the rule, and they have it listed in the employee handbook where I am, rules are rules weither we like them or not. Those that break the rules ( even unfair to the rest of us) are punished, even if loss of money.
We do not make the rules, wea are to obey them, we also have no bad weather call out no pay here do we like it, no, but that is how it is.
As said, the "same folks" call in time and time. They have to stop it somehow.
I too will not risk my life to come into work. If the hospital wants to send someone way the heck out into the country to see what my hour long drive is like, they are welcome to come. I will give them hot chocolate. But I am not getting in a vehicle with them. If it is too unsafe for me to drive, it is too unsafe for me to ride. As others have said, I will deal with the consequences later, although I find it hard to believe they will fire me over this when they are so needful of nurses.
I don't like the idea of risking my life to get to work. I am lucky enough to have an office type job, so if I don't show up tomorrow, I can always make it up later in the week. I do, however watch the weather and if I don't think I am going to make it in the morning, I'll go in the afternoon or night before. My facility has an apartment that we can stay in if we need to...I also have an air mattress in my car and can crash in my office if I need to. Almost everyone where I work drives 15-50 miles, so they try to accomodate us if we need to stay...they aren't very forgiving if people can't make it though.
I had a long drive on a back road many years ago when I was in the military. One time I drove home after there had been a heavy snow, and went down the part where there was a long downhill winding road that had a steep dropoff on one side. I was so glad to make it to the bottom of that hill. My landlady told me that they occasionally found people at the bottom of the ravine who had run off the road. After that I figured out a way not to have to drive in the bad weather. One of my friends who lived in the dorms, offered to let me sleep in her bed while she worked day shift. I took her up on the offer and just didn't drive to or from home unless I felt safe. However, one day I drove when the roads were icy to take my sick toddler to the medical clinic. I was sliding all over the road, but for my kid I went. Now the worst weather I face are bad rain storms. Sometimes you can't pass on the roads and highways due to floods. But I prefer this to ice and snow anyday.
when I 've dealt with the ice and snow, we had an emergency policy that once was implemented by administration;
(when a bad storm was predicted)
-everyone was required to plan to spend 2 nights in the hospital. Those with child care issues, the rehab building was turned into a child care center and sleep area. We rotated shifts 12's and 8's.
When we were hired we learned this in orientation, so you either made child care plans or brought them with you. Pets were your responsibility.
For emergencys (wake up and there is a sheet of ice and you can't make it in an emergency is called)... the staff has to stay, work short until the roads are passable. This is bad when you're stuck in the hospital... you are not allowed to leave unless advised by the "command center". I've spent 36 hrs. once stuck at work, rotating shifts trippled. BUT NO ONE was asked to risk their life and drive... the current staff was not released and sleep rotations were initiated.
It at least was a back up plan that didn't include me being a hood ornament on the side of some iced road.
at the facility where i work, the same people would call in for bad weather. other staff, who lived further away from the facility could make it to work. they would say they were "attempting" to try to make it in and not to send anyone to pick them up. they would then call in every 2-3 hours to let the manager know they still couldn't make it in yet (while they were able to use pto time). when this happened several times we got sick of it, after all we were able to get to work, had to work short handed and our co workers were able to stay home and collect pto. the facility then decided to change the policy - no show for bad weather no pay. it was amazing how the offenders were magically able to get to work when the weather was bad. i'm not talking about when a state of emergency is declared that is a different story. i'm talking about small to moderate snow.
i can see your point in getting tired of it happening. but i also think that a lot of it may have to do with how ones car handles in the weather, how well they can drive in it, etc. if i don't feel comfortable driving in bad weather i will call in. if they want to come and pick me up, fine, they can. although, i lived an hour away so they didn't want to do that either. no job is worth risking my life over. my family needs me more than my employer does and they will always come first, as well as my safety. thankfully, i no longer work that far from home now and can make it to work in about 10-15 minutes.
In an area noted for flooding (that's our biggest natural threat), I chose to live 5 miles from work on a route that has never flooded, in a housing area that has never flooded. It could have been a shorter commute, but first priority was neighborhood (great schools, low crime, etc). Sure, some choose to commute to DC from Richmond or from Connecticut to Manhattan. Question is, what burden should an individual's free choice of location of residence impose on an employer? None, I think.
Specializes in med-surg 5 years geriatrics 12 years.
Hey, I live where the ice hit too !!! Had it happen last year too. Was told to come or they would come get me...told them that I had 2 four wheel drive trucks and I couldn't make it but they were welcome to try.....decided not to come chauffer me. Later when my supervisor jumped me about it...told her I would try harder if they paid for my wrecked truck, my increased car insurance bill, and $$$ if I had died on the way in. Heard about my " attitude " but no further problems. You just need to take care of yourself and know that management will let you scarifice yourself if you're willing.
Medic04
129 Posts
True, but we are not allowed to take PTO from right before Christmas and almost through all of Jan, it is a stupid policy too, but that is the rule, and they have it listed in the employee handbook where I am, rules are rules weither we like them or not. Those that break the rules ( even unfair to the rest of us) are punished, even if loss of money.
We do not make the rules, wea are to obey them, we also have no bad weather call out no pay here do we like it, no, but that is how it is.
As said, the "same folks" call in time and time. They have to stop it somehow.