RE: time off- christmas

[Brenda Chance]

I have really been watching this over the last 2 days and would just like to say that I don’t think nursing is a lousy profession.  It is a profession that requires commitment, caring, and sacrifice.  We all knew this when we started in nursing school.  The place where I work has a totally different approach for Christmas.  Employees can request preferences for their holiday, ie 1st choice Christmas, 2nd choice Thanksgiving, 3rd choice New years, etc.  This has worked out well for us.  Christmas here is a fun time.  We have sing-a-longs with me playing the piano and we encourage our staff to have fun while they work.  We do allow vacation time during the holidays but if we are unable to fulfill this vacation, so far, we have had no one walk out.    I think that your policy about holidays will depend on how your employees are treated year round.  If everyone is given fair treatment, if the facility has a positive outlook with positive things being done for employees year round, then I have usually found that employees don’t get up in arms about working a holiday.  I have worked places, though, where the morale was horrible and employees did walk out.   I have worked many holidays and just realize that this is part of the package.  I have chosen this profession and therefore understand that sometimes I will not be able to be with my family on certain days so we schedule our holidays for an alternate day.     Brenda W. Chance, RN, RAC-C MDS Coordinator     CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. -----Original Message----- From: m silberg [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 6:03 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: time off- christmas   Bingo.... this is what the problem is with our lousy profession. After all, we are only human and do enjoy spending at least a fair share of holidays an d a vacation with our families. Nathan wrote: I wonder how many nurses and CNAs end up quitting a job just to get a vacation. With the upcoming nursing shortage, this will probably become more common. Around November/December and again in the summer I bet resignations go up. Nurses quit, take a vacation and then get another job. With there being little benefit to staying with one employer, why not do it this way?   Nathan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Faye Jones" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 8:52 AM Subject: RE: time off- christmas       The unfairness r/t seniority if no checks in place is the reason ourpolicies changed r/t vacation from Memorial to Labor Day and over theChristmas holidays.  I had worked here 2 years and could not get asummer vacation.  People with seniority would request practically thewhole summer off as much as a year in advance and with staffing quotasthat left the rest of us out in the cold.  Needless to say, I with mymany years of working and a "big" mouth stirred the pot and won.  Afterall, we have 4 seasons here Getting ready for winter, having winter,recovering from winter and a short summer and I don't care how longanyone has worked anywhere, every one is entitled to a little prime timeoff. Ditto for Christmas although I usually volunteer to work Christmasas I have no children living at home anymore. -----Original Message-----From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf OfConnie L. FrankSent: Monday, January 26, 2004 11:23 AMTo: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]'Subject: RE: time off- christmas We're union. They have off by when the request was turned in andseniority.In the past, administration discouraged staff from requesting off afterDec15 but now even the top staff take off the 2 weeks. There are MANYdisgruntled employees as a result of this. You can encourage staff totaketurns and consider the feelings of others, however when so many feel itisowed them as they gain seniority, some will never see a holiday off.....Some CNAs and Licensed staff just move to departments that don't have towork holidays, like housekeeping, laundry and maintenance. It's the onlywaythey can get the time off....and you are losing some extremely competentpeople from the nursing dept. -----Original Message-----From: Holly McGran [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 8:06 AMTo: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: RE: time off- christmas We do the same - we have had that in our personnel policy for many years-people will get use to it.Holly QI in CT     -----Original Message-----From: Eva Scott [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2004 9:32 AMTo:   [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject:      time off- christmas Hi, all-I know this is not mds, but I was to check with other facilities about      this:    We are re-doing our employee handbook.  At present we do not allow      vacation time to be taken from 12/20-1/2.    We allow 2 christmas holidays and New years holiday to be used during      thistime and regular days off.    This is so we have enough staff and the same longevity staff don't      alwaystake the 2 weeks of christmas off.    We are trying to be fair to staff and cover resident needs. However, some are now grumbling and want to change. How do you all handle the Christmas holiday and vacations etc.??      /----------------------------------------------------------The Case Mix Discussion Group is a free service of the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators      "Committed to the Assessment Professional"Be sure to visit the AANAC website. Accurate answers to your         questions posted to NAC News and FAQs.    For more info visit us at http://www.aanac.org-----------------------------------------------------------//----------------------------------------------------------The Case Mix Discussion Group is a free service of the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators      "Committed to the Assessment Professional"Be sure to visit the AANAC website. Accurate answers to your         questions posted to NAC News and FAQs.    For more info visit us at http://www.aanac.org-----------------------------------------------------------/ /----------------------------------------------------------The Case Mix Discussion Group is a free service of the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators      "Committed to the Assessment Professional"Be sure to visit the AANAC website. Accurate answers to your         questions posted to NAC News and FAQs.    For more info visit us at http://www.aanac.org-----------------------------------------------------------/     /----------------------------------------------------------The Case Mix Discussion Group is a free service of the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators      "Committed to the Assessment Professional"Be sure to visit the AANAC website. Accurate answers to your         questions posted to NAC News and FAQs.    For more info visit us at http://www.aanac.org-----------------------------------------------------------/   -- -----------------------------------------------------Click here for Free Video!!http://www.gohip.com/free_video/