I've been currently working at a LTC facility since mid-January 2016. We are quite short-staffed. My boyfriend and I are wanting to go to Cancun in July. I plan on putting in my vacation request this week. My facility has been known to be stingy on accepting time-off requests... and I'm kind of worried. What if I've already paid for my vacation, and they decline my request?
Ours is 6 months before you can ask for time. And summer is usually not when you are going to get it as we have signed up for summer in Feb. If this was something you had planned prior to your employment, you should have asked when you accepted the job. Rule of thumb, never ever book something without already securing the time off.
Where I work, if you don't have the time saved in your "bank" when you put the request in, you don't get the time off. And it doesn't matter if you will have the time saved up by the time of the vacation.
Unless someone else has this time off already, how is 3 months in advance considered a "late" request?
Our schedules are not set and thus are posted well in advance to allow for personal planning. The requests for time off must be in to management well before the schedule comes out. Thus, you may end up with a submission requirement of 3+ months, much longer in summer & holiday seasons. If you don't make the deadline, you must find your own coverage.
Never commit to a vacation until you have written authorization for the time off, not just a verbal OK! I would be very surprised if you got the time off in the summer being new and with many others with seniority wanting the same time off. If you pay money for a vacation and then don't get the time off, that's on you for failing to plan ahead by getting approval first.
If you don't think you'll get your vacation time off, you could ask some of the other nurses if they would switch up some of their shifts with you. Since its summer and the facility is stingy with allowing days off it might work out for everyone. You could each pick up extra shifts while the other is off. You'd also be able to pick up a little OT money just before or after your vacation, so it might even end up being cheaper.
Specializes in Float Pool - A Little Bit of Everything.
Hi,
I am a PRN employee, but all my FT and PT counterparts in LTC/SNF put in vacation requests, and they are almost always denied. They don't approve more than 6 weeks out, so they never know if it will get denied until right before the days requested. I am told it is standard operating procedure in this setting. In the hospitals I worked in, myself and my coworkers rarely had an issue with PTO.
And on an unfortunate note, my coworkers in LTC cannot roll over their vacation at the end of the year and the company does not buy it back, so they almost always lose it.
Talk to them right away and see what they say. I echo what others are saying, always get it approved before you purchase anything. Your lucky as were told no vacations after April until November!!
Let me share my experience I had when it came to a vacation request for it changed my life.*
I worked 14 years at the same hospital. I had perfect attendance, never called in, not once. I did leave early one day when I got a phone call from a school nurse and had to pick up my injured son many years back.*
I worked ICU with maxed out sick time "450hrs" and maxed out vacation time "250hrs." I would lose money every week I went to work , it was like blowing away in the wind.*
I put in a 2 week vacation request 5 month in advance and the new ICU unit Manager making a name for herself, let's call her. Miss Queenbee. Well Miss Queenbee told me, "No" the moment I put the vacation request in her hand. She stating the hospital plans on opening a open heart unit that month in the ICU and no vacations where being given for the 2 summer month. This did not happen.*
This was not acceptable to me, but I was prepared because I already made out my termination of employment notice to start on the same date preparing for this very answer.* I went to my locker grabbed it and handed this to her 5 minutes later and discussed the content of the letter in her office.*
Three weeks later I received a hand written unsigned note in my locker, stating my vacation request was approved, but it was unsigned. This was strange, and rightly so for when the month came I was to go on vacation I was still on the master schedule to work. I confronted Miss Queenbee and she said; "don't pay attention to that, I don't want the other nurses to know you have off." I didn't trust her, but ok, what was I to do? The last working day before my vacation I brought in a cake worked and said my goodbyes to my co-workers and end of shift.* I was going on vacation.*
While on vacation the following week and out of state I was called by the charge nurse and asked; "When will I be in? Your 30 minutes late." I informed the charge nurse I was on vacation and out of state. I was written up as a "NoShow." I didn't pick up any more phone calls from the hospital and had a great vacation, seminar and family event. *
When I came back and went to work my badge didn't open the door, then in the unit I found out I was crossed off the master schedule and told I was fired for having 6 shifts of no shows. *
The following morning I went to HR and calmly gave a copy of the Notice of my employment*termination I submitted five months earlier to Miss Queenbee along with the unsigned note put in my locker. They didn't take this seriously until I shared I had another thing in my possession, a recorded 2 minute conversation with Miss Queenbee on my cell phone when I handed in my termination of employment 5 month back and played it. I stated I would be seeking legal counsel and walked out.*
I was called the following day by the CNO and told; Miss Queenbee was dismissed and no longer worked for this company and if I wanted my job It was their for me. I thanked her but kindly decline to come back to a working relationship with this for profit company. The same day I went to the University where I attained my BSN and was welcome with open arms as a alumni to*continue my education and I started in 2 days the MSN-FNP program. *
A week later I received my vacation pay and more amazing was the 450 hours of sick time pay which had no cash value, but was paid it.* I was very happy and did not seek council.*
I was now in a MSN-FNP program at the University and went into Travel Nursing working in state while In school and clinicals. Today I am no longer at the bed side. At times I miss it but then I think of Miss Queenbee and that feeling goes away real quick.*
Hope my experience empowers you to always cover yourself and be prepared.* The CNO 'Chief Nursing Officer' this same person years earlier made a statement I'll never forget to a group of us nurses on a another unrelated issue. She said; "Nurses are nothing more then part of the room charge."* I never forgot that, never! And don't you or any other nurse working in a hospital. If a nurse doesn't believe that Statement, I would have to say; "they are delusional, for I lived it." **
You've only been there 4 months and expect a short staffed facility to grant a vacation 6 months after you started? Many companies you are expected to work 12 months full time to be eligible to request vacation. You are also asking with relatively short notice
This is ridiculous.
Only in America do we frown upon people who want time off to enjoy their lives.
OP, I would have told them upfront upon accepting the job that you had something plan but what's done is done. That is water under the bridge now. I would go through the proper channels to see about getting time off approved but prepared to have it unpaid.
Put in your vacation request and don't pay for your vacation until your time off is approved.
Hi everyone,
I've been currently working at a LTC facility since mid-January 2016. We are quite short-staffed. My boyfriend and I are wanting to go to Cancun in July. I plan on putting in my vacation request this week. My facility has been known to be stingy on accepting time-off requests... and I'm kind of worried. What if I've already paid for my vacation, and they decline my request?
You've only been there 4 months and expect a short staffed facility to grant a vacation 6 months after you started? Many companies you are expected to work 12 months full time to be eligible to request vacation. You are also asking with relatively short notice
Holy cow, I never knew that. Is that really common? That's a long time to wait to be able to request vacation! I thought as long as you give sufficient notice, you were good. They say 3 months in advance is considered sufficient.
Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
This is ridiculous.
Only in America do we frown upon people who want time off to enjoy their lives.
OP, I would have told them upfront upon accepting the job that you had something plan but what's done is done. That is water under the bridge now. I would go through the proper channels to see about getting time off approved but prepared to have it unpaid.
If the OP had these plans made at the time of hire then this should have been negotiated at the time of hire not after 4 months working in a short staffed facility. OP's statement sounds like this was a recent spontaneous plan not a plan for months.
BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN
1,823 Posts
Ours is 6 months before you can ask for time. And summer is usually not when you are going to get it as we have signed up for summer in Feb. If this was something you had planned prior to your employment, you should have asked when you accepted the job. Rule of thumb, never ever book something without already securing the time off.