When You Request I Switch Shifts with You

I had a co-worker who'd ask me to switch days every week. And if that weren't chaotic enough, sometimes she'd ask me to switch them back. I was already irritated about the situation, but when I asked her to switch one day with me and she said no, that was it.

It's truly astonishing the number of people who ask for people to work with them with no intention of EVER reciprocating. And it's not just nursing. My husband is a police officer and my best friend's husband is a firefighter and it happens in their departments too. And then they are completely shocked when pretty soon no one wants to "exchange" with them anymore.

If you're going to ask for a switch, take the time to look at the schedule and so who might be available to switch with you, then approach them directly. The blanket emails to everyone on the staff make you look lazy, and I won't even consider the switch unless it improves MY schedule.

Once burned, twice shy! I ask people to switch with me on occasion...I am always available to reciprocate. If you don't, I won't ever do it again.

Ugh, when people want to switch but are picky about which day of mine they'll pick up? Nope, won't do it.

Or when people act like they're doing YOU a favor by letting you work for them? Oh H to the no.

*quid pro quo*

We are professional coworkers. If you can't be troubled to ever inconvenience yourself by helping another out you will quickly find yourself without friendly coworkers when you are in need.

The only issue that I have when people are asking me to reciprocate is the amount of notice they give me. I recently asked a co-worker to work one of my weekend days for me on a schedule that has not even been posted yet, actually wont be posted until the end of May. I have no problem changing with her in the future, but I make plans for my family based on my weekends off, so I do need her to give me some notice and not just say on Monday, hey can you work Saturday for me.

Seriously?? Six days isn't enough time???? Sorry but unless you have tickets for something that is plenty of time. Most people don't know they need a change further in advance than that. They did YOU a favor. You owe them a bit of inconvenience to yourself as your favor inconvenienced them first. It is a good lesson to teach your kids that sometimes plans change in order to do right by others. Six days is plenty of time.

Nope, normally 6 days is not enough time. If I dont already have plan, sure I will do it with short notice, do it all the time when I pick up extra shifts to cover a call off. But if I have already made plans with my family or girl scout troop, you better believe I will not change them. Our schedule comes out 4 weeks in advance, many of our changes happen before the schedule is even posted. Now if its during the week and you say to me hey if I work your Wednesday will you work my Thursday, my answer is usually yes. It can also depend on the reason. If someone comes up to me and says, hey the specialist called and was able to move Joeys appointment to this week, I am more likely to pick to up the shift then if it was oh Joeys appointment is this week and I forgot to request the day off so now I need someone to cover it for me. Now if they did request the day off and didnt get it, im more willing to trade.

My mom always put her nursing job ahead of her family and I refuse to make my kids feel like that.

And how am I inconveniencing them by asking them 2 months in advance for a schedule change? Maybe our unit is just more willing to work together but none of the nurses seem to have an issue trading shifts. In June I am working one weekend to cover for a coworkers daughters wedding, someone is working for me the next weekend so I can go to a wedding. If there is a time when I have needed a change with less than 10 days notice, I usually approach it with Hey, if you will work Wednesday for me I will work your Saturday. I do not know many who dont like an extra weekend day off.

We have people all the time that ask if one can come in and cover them from 3-7 and don't ask if the person wants to covered the same way too. I know it's 4 hours but that should be reciprocated so the asked can get to leave work one shift early to do stuff if they wanted to. There are also others who need people to work for them but never have a convenient time to work for you, ever. That irritates me...a lot.