What is it with nurses showing up late!

WookieeRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 25, 2015

I just don't understand how people don't feel embarrassed or ashamed at being chronically late. Don't they care that people will most likely consider them unreliable? Does people thinking that about me only bother people like me who are anal-retentive about time? Many of the chronically late employees I've had to deal with literally just stroll in and do not care whatsoever.

In the summers I used to manage a swimming pool and made it very clear that I have a 3 strikes rule (first warning: verbal, second warning: written, third warning: termination). If you were more than 10 minutes late I just sent you home, and it counted against you anyway. I am no joke. On opening weekend it wasn't unusual for me to lose 4-5 lifeguards on staff, but it was an excellent example. All the other staff was on time (baring emergencies, etc) for the rest of the summer. Sometimes you just have to make an example. It was a very popular pool so I always had staffing waiting on the sidelines, so staffing wasn't an issue. Although, even if it was, I would rather have sat up on that stand myself than depend on someone unreliable who can't even show up to a shift on time.

Ok, sorry, sorry rant over. Not being on-time is a huge pet peeve of mine (I'm talking grating teeth, fist clenched, steaming mad pet peeve).

QuarterLife88, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 25, 2015

Being tardy is my #1 pet peeve. It's rude and disrespectful. It says, "my time is more important than yours, and I don't give a crap what you might have going on in life."

45 minutes late?! With no phone call to the unit profusely apologizing with reasonable explanation for the tardiness? I would have killed.

I don't care what the reason, chronic tardiness (in general, not necessarily in the OP's case) makes you a jerk, sorry.

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2015

Might I add that the facility where I worked with the tardy CNA had no time clock ... Whereas where I work now there is a time clock where you have to scan your badge's barcode AND then your index finger to clock in. Two minutes past the hour you are due at work and you're locked out and considered late.

Altra, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2015

Employees who have difficulty getting to work on time, for whatever reason, will gravitate toward jobs where technologically efficient timekeeping is not in place, or where the culture makes disciplinary enforcement lax.

allnurses Guide · Mar 27, 2015

Ok so it happened again last night - this time with a different employee a "senior RN" who I was warned by my co-worker would be late. Shift change is at 11 pm and he strolled in at 11:30 I gave him 10 minutes to prepare himself and when he didn't ask for report I asked rather curtly "Are you ready to take report?" He said "No I'm not ready yet!" I said "Well it's after 11 and I am ready to go home." He gave me a strange look and said "What crawled up your shorts?" I said "You did - I am never late for work and no one has to wait for me I expect the same consideration!" He grumbled and said something about giving notice in the AM which I ignored then I gave report and left. I called my supervisor on the way home and told her what had happened!" My husband was lived when I got home after 12:30 knowing that I am only ten minutes from home. Maybe this will change things maybe not. I am only doing this job to prove I can work the floors as I have been away from the bedside for 9 years and needed floor experience to get back into acute care - I have been starting IV's like a pro and well as Foley's and other things - I guess some of it's like riding a bicycle.......

Peace

Hppy

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 27, 2015

Document, document, document. Chronic tardiness is not appreciated by most managers/supervisors. I would not given him ANY time to get ready if he is late. Tell him, report begins "NOW" and if he wants time to "get ready" to get his butt in early. What a jerk. Maybe you will get lucky and he will give notice.

calivianya, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2015

I am a chronic late person, but even I'd be ashamed about 45 minutes. I average 1 minute late at least a few times a month; the latest I've ever been at my current job is 4 minutes and that's only happened once. We all still get to the floor at the same time because huddle usually lasts 10-15 minutes, so I have never held a day nurse up. I would be totally ashamed about actually making someone else leave late.

KeepItRealRN, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2015

For you people who work at facilities with chronically late replacements, doesn't your facility have an attendance policy? And hell I would be charging for all of those minutes I am leaving late because of the late comer. If you did that wouldn't management want to know why all the OT? Are theses late comers fudging their time and putting down on their time sheet that they were there on time. If so in most places that is automatic termination.

allnurses Guide · Mar 27, 2015

I don't know whatthey had before because they

were just taken over by a corporate entity 6 weeks ago 2 weeks before I came on board. They have a time clock that takes your fingerprint so you can't cheat and I have been paid every penny of overtime I have put in. I was raised by a dad with a strong work ethic taught to show up on time and work hard for my employer while on the clock. That's what I do. I also don't buy into cultural considerations as an excuse - You are in America now so get with the program. I can understand an occasional late or even smeone who has special considerations/accommodations as long as someone can take my report so I can go off. But I can't just up and leave the floor unmanned I don't think the BON will take "But my relief didn't show up on time" as an excuse for abandoning my patients,

Hppy

TexMex22 · Mar 28, 2015

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/regarding-chronic-tardiness-974433.html
Most recent thread. People are late for a lot of reasons, cultural considerations, ADHD and not being able to read conventional clocks. I am not kidding. Check out that thread.

Oh please! I just can't go through this again. Unreal.

Mostly folks who are chronically late are rude & thoughtless.

WookieeRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 28, 2015

Mostly folks who are chronically late are rude & thoughtless.

I agree, but according to others we aren't thinking about what other people are going through (or what causes them to be late). I don't care, just show up on time and there won't be a problem. There are NO EXCUSES for chronic lateness.

buttercup99 · Mar 29, 2015

Anywhere I've worked, the team leader sends staff home on time and stays until the floor is staffed. But 45 minutes? Really?! You would hope management would deal with this. Nobody wants to stay another hour when you're dying to get home.

Definitely put in for the overtime. It is hard when you're new and you don't want to make waves by tattling on someone but ..an hour...?

So my advice would be to not complain about them, per se, but to put in for the overtime. Once that happens enough, management will get pressure from their boss to stop paying 2 people for the same block of time.

Nobody can (or should) complain about you applying to be paid for hours worked.