My inbox 12/04/2013

This showed up in my inbox…

Dear Steve,
I find myself thinking today, “What would Pharmacist Steve do?”  I am a veteran hospital pharmacist with over 20 years in my present position.  I am not a problem employee.  I have always had excellent performance reviews and even a few commendations in my employee file.  I have never been written up for anything but today I am facing that possibility.  Our hospital attendance policy is no-fault and punitive.  No fault because it doesn’t matter why you call off work.  Punitive because you rack up points for call-offs in addition to losing vacation days.  Well, I had to call off 3 times this year.  I am not proud of that but stuff happens.  I do work with sick people in a place full of very bad germs.  No one is doubting that I was really sick but it doesn’t matter if you have a doctor’s excuse or if you spend the day on a sunny beach.  Points are points.  I am in trouble only because I was not lucky enough to be sick on Monday through Friday between the hours of 9-5.  Weekend call-offs are double points, holiday call-offs are triple points, call-offs on a holiday week are double points, etc.  Yes, that means if you are sick on Labor Day and the day after you get triple points for the holiday and double points for the day after.   Don’t call off before or after a scheduled vacation either because that will be extra points.  Believe me, if I could tell my body, “No!  You cannot puke your guts out today, stuff it until Monday!” I would.  So I find myself wondering,  “What would Steve do? or JP do?  Do I  sign the paper and then try to forget it?  Do I fight it?  Do I tell HR that they are idiots because formal write ups are supposed to correct bad behavior and you can’t correct getting sick?  Isn’t pharmacy great?

Can you guess who made up these rules ?… how about the bureaucrats that work 9-5 M-F… the ones who would not get any bonus points.. because they don’t work the time frame where bonus points are in play..

Can you imagine… people working in a hospital… normally around people that are “sick” for various reasons… getting “sick” themselves.

Could this be called “age discrimination” .. because it is common knowledge that the older you get.. the more likely you are going to come down with something and call in..

Unfortunately, I don’t think there are any laws against bureaucrats doing something idiotic … if there was… most of Congress… would be in jail..

2 Responses

  1. I worked for a hospital that also used the point system. You got points for calling in sick and points for coming to work sick and having to be sent home. A colleague working overnights. got points for going into labor while working and having to call someone in cause the baby couldnt wait a couple more hours til day shift came In. We were told same thing…no excuses, missing for any reason caused you to get points. Not only are pharmacists not allowed food or bathroom breaks but cant be sick either nor their family or daycare providers

  2. What a screwy way to handle sick days. People cannot decide when they will be sick. So, the double points and etc for weekends is ridiculous. Of course, this is nothing new for big corporations. They can come up with the most ridiculous things.

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