Working weekends

Editorial Team / Admin · Aug 31, 2020

@Loveishope1970, is this the same situation as your other post? If so, this info would likely affect the responses you’re getting there.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Aug 31, 2020

I think this is a continuation of your previous threads. The fact that you are assigned to weekends, does not matter. You deserve your PTO. I will repeat my for .. for what it's worth advice "check with your state labor board about using/ losing PTO." I realize you are very emotional right now. And that's okay. Just don't lose sight of the main problem that you are not allowed to use your PTO.

In the meantime, how about honoring your son on the time you DO manage to get off?

JKL33 · Aug 31, 2020

Please clarify: Are you working in a formal agreement that has you working all weekends (or usually they say something like 50 out of 52 weekends per year)?

How did this come to be, that there is someone working 'opposite' you who didn't want to work weekends? What kind of setting is this?

More info needed.

Loveishope1970 · Sep 1, 2020

I work in a small rural hospital as a charge nurse on night shift. There is an RN on the opposite rotation of me who did not want to work weekends so I said I would work weekends because I felt it would help with my child in school. Now we are not in school and homeschooling due to covid. Actually I have just accepted the fact that my child is going to be held back a year or two because the work isn't getting done. I just don't have enough time. Anyways, I didn't mind working weekends because I thought I would be able to take pto if I needed a weekend off. I am not on a weekend contract. I do not get paid extra, just the regular weekend pay. The hospital does not have a weekend contract plan. I have asked to go back to my previous schedule but was told no because the other nurse does not want to work weekends. I have a new manager, I have never had problems using pto until now. I don't know what to do. Quit? I always work extra. I have been working 110-120 hours every pay period since May.

LibraNurse27, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2020

Does your hospital have a policy that everyone has to work every other weekend? It doesn't seem fair that someone can just refuse to work weekends, even if you agreed to work all of that person's weekends. And I don't think they should be able to force you to keep working every weekend. I would look into it with HR and union if you have one. See what the scheduling requirements are. For example where I work permanent staff have to work every other weekend, and per diems have to work 2 weekend days per month.

JKL33 · Sep 1, 2020

Well it sounds like a case of an employee doing more than his/her fair share to help meet the needs of the unit and then being given little consideration in return.

Probably shouldn't listen to me because I find these situations intolerable and go out of my way not to participate in such lopsided relationships.

There are a couple of ways you could try handling this. One option would be to start with the details of the position you signed. It probably says that you are required to work every other weekend or something like that. If it does, you could let your manager know that you'll need to revert back to the requirements of the position you signed and are no longer available to work weekends above and beyond what is required by the position you signed.

If your finances allow, you also can stop picking up extra shifts or cut down the number of extra hours you work. That may also benefit you in freeing up some time to work with your child.

You could look for a different position.

If you want something to change, though, and are unhappy with this feeling that you are giving others more consideration than what you are being given in return, there are only a few ways to change that and they all involve putting your foot down in one way or another. I know that is really hard for some people but in reality it's no more difficult than the discontent and dissatisfaction that arises when an agreeable person is taken advantage of. You'll have to make a change or accept the little consideration that others are willing to give you. You know?

I hope you think it through and find a way to improve the balance in your relationship with your employer ~

HiddencatBSN, BSN · Sep 1, 2020

No weekend differential plus PTO being denied plus your manager not being willing to work with you sounds like a bad environment and I would be considering exit strategies. Are there openings within your hospital on other units? I would start with looking in to a transfer first and then see what the local job market looks like.

Hopefully this isn’t hospital-wide culture- it sounds like you’re being taken advantage of in a major way.

Sour Lemon · Sep 1, 2020

I wouldn't combine the PTO and weekend issues. It sounds like you worked weekends because you wanted to- not as some sort of favor to others.

I did the same at my last position. Another nurse and I worked out a schedule good for both of us. I worked every weekend, and she worked no weekends. I'm not sure it would have been fair for me to flip the schedule back at my whim when we created it, and agreed to it, together.

A few things to consider:

If you decide to work required weekends only, that doesn't mean they'll give you the specific weekend off that you requested.

And, what will you do when school starts back up and your current schedule is better for you again? Will the other nurse be expected to flip again?

What's the worst that will happen if you call in? I know you're not "allowed" to, but maybe you should just do it anyway and take the hit.

Nunya, BSN · Sep 1, 2020

So this is a word of warning to everyone tempted to do a similar trade...make sure you have a point in time when you reevaluate and can change back if working every weekend doesn't continue to work for your life....

JKL33 · Sep 1, 2020

6 hours ago, Sour Lemon said:

I'm not sure it would have been fair for me to flip the schedule back at my whim when we created it, and agreed to it, together.

I think it's important not to get into these situations under the expectations that they are permanent if they are not formal.

I respect/understand your view and sort of agree with it. So I generally would not enter into this kind of agreement without the understanding "I can make it work for right now but reserve the right to reevaluate as needed in the future." If my coworker couldn't agree to that, then no deal. I'd agree to switches on a one-at-a-time basis so that I was not obligated to make the next switch if I didn't want to.

I do think there is an advantage-taking aspect in the situation, though, even though the OP agreed to this for personal reasons. The background here is that when the agreement was made it was with the belief that the usual workplace policies for accommodating schedules would be followed (e.g. the granting of PTO, in this instance).

All this time the employer has been able to retain the services of employee B without a bunch of angst because employee A was willing to do something for her own personal reasons. My guess is that they have been able to cover a whole lot of night shifts with their agreement. And because it worked for both of them, those shifts (night shift, nonetheless) have probably been covered more consistently than they otherwise would have been. The OP's motivation for agreeing doesn't actually have anything to do with that; it's just a material fact (if I'm correct). Now employee A has made a relatively small request that has been denied after they, together, have been carrying the night shift without difficulty? And she has been working a bunch of extra hours (which also helped the employer even if she did it for her own reasons)? Pfff. No.

That's how I weight these things. They don't want to give her one weekend off? Well...do they care anything about the benefit (already received) of having employee A and employee B having covered all these night shifts without angst for who knows how long, or not?! If they don't care, they can go ahead and be stupid....and they will predictably elicit the exact feelings that the OP is expressing.

??‍♀️

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Sep 1, 2020

I signed a contract to be a weekend nurse. I get extra $ on top of normal differentials. I can take 8 days of PTO (4 weekends) without penalty. I have not had a problem with keeping to that so I am not sure what the penalty is. I guess I could check. (I do have intermittent FMLA for my kids, both of which have chronic illness).

LOVE working the weekends