working holidays

allnurses Guide · Dec 15, 2017

If there are no policies in place about working the holidays, then it is on the individual to put in for the holiday or holidays off that they want to not work. Perhaps your manager didn't realize he or she put you on for all of those but I agree it sounds unfair.

smf0903 · Dec 15, 2017

We have a four-year rotating schedule, so we know four years out which days we're working on holidays. We have day before/day of/day after New Year's, Christmas, and Thanksgiving and also Memorial Day, July 4, and Labor Day. So one year you may work Day before New Year's, July 4, Thanksgiving, and day after Christmas. Next year would maybe be New Year's Day, Labor Day, day before Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. But no one gets stuck working all the holidays on the day.

Purple_roses · Dec 15, 2017

Did you specifically ask off for any of the holidays? Some people like working the holidays, so if you didn't request to have any of them off, they may have just assumed you wanted to work it. I actually had this schedule as well for this holiday season even though I did request one of them off, and in a nut shell, I told them I would not be doing that and had it switched.

Sour Lemon · Dec 15, 2017

Just wondering what everyone's experience is about working the holidays as a full time staff nurse. I worked Thanksgiving this year and am also scheduled for Christmas, New Years Eve and New Years Day. I believe this is excessive. I understand working holidays and I know we all have to, and I don't usually mind, but 3 major holidays in a row is a bit much. I've been at my job almost 2 years now, so I'm not even the "youngest" so to speak on my shift. I also worked Christmas Eve and New Years last year. My hospital doesn't have a specific policy about full time employee holiday requirements, just one on per diem employees. So that's why I'm asking for a little bit of advice on here, to see what others are expected to work and if I am justified in thinking that expecting a person to work 3 holidays in a row is excessive.

In most cases, I agree that it's unjust ...but as the others have asked, did you make your wishes known? If everyone else requested off, you didn't, and there's no holiday policy, you're going to get scheduled.

peachypurple · Dec 16, 2017

I requested Christmas off, it was denied and I was scheduled anyway. I didn't request thanksgiving or New Years, so I'm not upset about working those. I'm mainly upset that the one holiday I requested off I get scheduled, making it 3 holidays in a row that I've worked.

caliotter3 · Dec 16, 2017

My experience has been that I am asked to fill in on night shifts that start at 11 pm the night before a holiday and if the holiday is a paid one, I am not paid for working 7 hours into the holiday. Of course this ruins the holiday for me. I have stopped accepting such requests because it peeves me that I am not needed at other times, only when it inconveniences another person to work their assigned shifts on holidays.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 17, 2017

One of my jobs had a rotating schedule: we were broken up into 2 groups and the major/minor holidays evenly split between us. One year, group A would work specific holidays while group B worked the rest; the next year, we'd switch holidays. The advantage here is that we always knew what holidays we were on the hook on. Also, no one would be stuck working all the major holidays unless they chose to.

My current job: for most of the year, you work whatever holidays fall on your schedule. If the holiday fell on your day off, you didn't have to work it. If it was during a scheduled shift, you had to work it or find your own replacement.

But for November and December, we're required to put our preferences in for the winter holidays we'd like off and those holidays we'd be willing to work. Most staff would get their #1 and even #2 requested holidays off. Seniority plays a small part in it: those with 20+ years usually (but not always) got whatever they wanted.

Also, depending on staffing needs, we may end up being scheduled to work a holiday that would normally fall off a day off...this doesn't usually happen because there's enough people volunteering for the holiday with its OT pay. And if we didn't get the holidays we wanted, then it was up to us to find our own replacement.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Dec 17, 2017

Everywhere I have worked, FT and PT staff have worked alternate holidays.

Either we work Thanksgiving AND New Year's, OR Christmas. Where I am now, Christmas Eve and Day are "Christmas" -- we work both or off both. That way every other year, we're free to actually make out-of-town plans.

I don't mind working holidays, and my kids have gotten the "count our blessings" speech if they complain about me working. But I would be completely unwilling to work BOTH Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Cat365 · Dec 18, 2017

We have a set pattern we work every other holiday during the year. With Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve added.

So one year you work thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, & New Year's Day. The next year Christmas Day and New Years Eve. It's fair and it works.

The only thing that is bad is you can never travel on Christmas or New Years because you have to work either the day or the Eve. You cannot request vacation and good luck finding someone who wants to work both your day and their day.

Crush · Dec 18, 2017

Usually it is alternating holidays most places. Maybe ask for the rational for scheduling you to work all those holidays. Like the others have said, it all depends on your facilities policy or lack thereof.

pixierose, BSN, RN · Dec 18, 2017

I hear you.

I'm working the same schedule. We put in our holiday choices, only for mine to be completely ignored.

I've worked every holiday on our Hospital schedule (and I'm PT) since I've been off orientation - July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Xmas eve now, etc. -NM asked our 6 preferences for the holidays season.

Somehow, I received no preference.

I just got another job, start at the end of January. Bonus? I don't work holidays.

So, I hear you. Employers should just go the alternating holidays route; seems easier and fairer.