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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To hand my notice in at work

226 replies

Notwavingimdrowning · 26/10/2018 08:50

I work in the nhs and although things are difficult at work at present ( lots of changes by the powers that be, lots of politics and no communication) I love my job. My problem is that I have just been given my Christmas rota and while I expected to be working some of Christmas or new year, I didn’t expect to be working all of it and other staff be off for all of Christmas and new year. In previous years we have worked short shifts and everyone was fairly treated and most were very happy with their off duty, me included. This year, I have been given night shift for 5 of the nights over Christmas. So, three nights in a row, a sleep day Xmas eve, then two more night shifts, Xmas day and Boxing Day, as well as long days New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. I have been and spoken to my manager who agreed that it was very unfair and has now taken one night shift (Boxing Day night) from me. My January rota is also just night shifts, literally every weekend, Friday, Saturday, Sunday nights, not a single day shift at all. I really don’t mind nights and weekends, it’s part of the job, however I do mind every weekend and all night shifts and have spoken to her about this before.
Again I have been to see her and she said that she couldn’t please everyone and that somebody had to have the short straw, I’m guessing that the somebody is me.
I am seriously considering just handing my notice in. I know it sounds like I’m having a temper tantrum ! I don’t expect to have everything changed for me and I know that somebody else will then be allocated my shifts, which makes me feel utter crap towards my colleagues, but it’s the attitude from my manager and unfairness that is the problem. I cannot afford to just give up work really without another job to go to, but my husband will support my decision 100% and I will easily pick up bank shifts so won’t be penniless. I’m not trying to hold them to ransom, I really don’t expect anything to change and do not kid myself that I am irreplaceable, I’m just so unhappy 😞

OP posts:
Mugglemom · 26/10/2018 11:45

YANBU, that's a shit schedule.

The thing is, there are enough people employed that somebody does not need to have drawn the short straw. You don't have to please everybody, but you do need to make a schedule that's fair to everybody and giving some people all of the holidays off and expecting others to work them all is patently unfair.

I've worked for Disney World and cruise lines, which both staff through holidays (and the cruise ship was constant, 7 days a week), and I've never minded working long, hard hours over the holidays. But I do mind having a shit schedule unnecessarily or when others do not.

HisBetterHalf · 26/10/2018 12:52

whats the criteria for selecting who has to work those shifts? Everyone should be treated equally surely if shifts is part of the role?

FaithInfinity · 26/10/2018 13:01

HisBetterHalf most places I’ve worked (over 10 years of nursing) they do one Christmas shift and one NY but say if you’d worked Christmas Day you’d get NYD late. I was pissed off one year when I got a Christmas Day late and NYE night shift! They usually take what someone has done the year before into account. However it’s at a manager’s discretion. No-one was happy in my old job when we got crap shifts and the manager’s pet got one shift between Christmas and New Year only!

PawneeParksDept · 26/10/2018 13:05

As a Band 5, you should be able to find another position quite easily.

My experience is that in a Ward set up people agree to help each other out on the basis of need at Christmas/NY no one does both and it's divided fairly

It seems that your Band 7 or Schedule Manager has "played favourites"

If this is quite plain, eg those with the best deal have strong friendships with him/her, you totally have cause for a grievance if there is a clique

But fresh start elsewhere too, I would

Tiredmum100 · 26/10/2018 13:11

That is very very unfair. I'm a band 5 too. In our work place there is no way you'd get away without doing any of the key shifts, but no way would you be down to work it all either. There should be no short straw. It should be fair. I really hope it changes for you!

Monr0e · 26/10/2018 14:04

I agree this is massively unfair

At our trust you are expected to work one or the other and they take previous years into consideration so if you worked CD last year you would expect to have it off next year.

Can you follow up your conversation with an email? Just asking for confirmation of why you are being expected to work both while x amount of staff are not working either and what is their rationale for this?
That way you have something on writing if you decide to take it further.

I wouldn't hesitate to leave over this. It shows how little regard management have for you which will only lead you to resent working there. Good luck.

Notmorewashing · 26/10/2018 17:53

I would go to Hr before resigning. What they are doing is shit management. Shifts need to be shared out

Allthewaves · 26/10/2018 18:00

Call union. Write email to manager stating issues with shifts and lack of balance - I'm thinking terms of constructive dismissal but I'm not an expert

FishesThatFly · 26/10/2018 18:15

@Pennypinkhair - what are your thoughts after reading PP?

Careful what you say to colleagues as they won't want you to rock the boat as they'll get your shifts!

Original poster
Notwavingimdrowning · 26/10/2018 19:06

Thank you everyone and sorry I haven’t replied sooner, I’ve been busy all day. My manager is off until Monday so I’m going to try to have another chat with her on Monday morning, but if nothing changes then I will leave. I end up with every weekend usually and have spoken to her about it before but nothing changes. Someone commented that perhaps I’m too nice, I think it’s maybe that I am really quite flexible and have always swapped, or come in and covered shifts at short notice. My rota for this month is exactly the same really ( they run from the middle of the month to the middle of the following month) and I’ve ended up with 5 weekends in a row. I don’t have young children, but I do have grandchildren that we only see at the weekend as they live 2 hours away and are at school and nursery during the week. She is aware of this and that my husband also works during the week so is only off at weekends. I will also ring HR and recruitment to ask about internal transfers. I really do appreciate all the replies.

OP posts:
FishesThatFly · 26/10/2018 20:09

Very best of luck OP. They will be loosing a good nurse but it sounds like you have done more than your fair share over the years.

Enjoy being with your family

ilovesooty · 26/10/2018 20:13

It seems a shame. I'd seriously consider consulting my union and raising a formal grievance.

Gynaegirl · 26/10/2018 20:18

Give notice and leave. There's a huge shortage of nurses, you'll easily find another job. Agency work is an option in the short term Good luck!

Potterurotter · 26/10/2018 20:22

Totally stick your foot down and tell manager it’s on. Otherwise my alternative would be handing notice in and then off sick over Xmas if stuck with that crap. And I never go sick but the sheer shittiness and unfairness of having an arsehole for a manager who treats staff unfairly and won’t compromise has taught me in the past that bending over backwards and working nights just pleases management more

Charmlight · 26/10/2018 20:29

How old are you OP? Is it time for a change?
Working acute wards in your fifties I think, is very hard going - there were few doing this when I was in the acute.
Community Nursing is not a walk in the park by any means, but there are fewer weekends to work, they are generally rostered for the year and you can do swaps.
Depending on the Trust, you may be limited to covering 0800 - 1830 or thereabouts, so much more civilised.
Your limited time frame means that you would need firm answers/changes on Monday or your notice period would extend over Christmas as you know - the way round this would be to go off sick with stress in a few weeks time. That is what people do when taken advantage of.

Tweakanddashi · 26/10/2018 20:32

Looking on the bright side, if you resign now you can have the whole of Christmas off, do some bank in January to make up the money and then have loads of wards fighting for you as an experienced band 5. This could be really good for you. X

Ohapples · 26/10/2018 20:40

YANBU bad shifts should be spreed equally. If your work Christmas you shouldn’t have to work new year too. You could leave, do bank and agency for a couple of months

Original poster
Notwavingimdrowning · 26/10/2018 20:55

I spoke to a good friend today who works on another ward and have just had a very interesting phone call from her manager, so I definitely have some options ! I feel so much better. Ideally I would like to sort things on my own ward and not just to benefit myself. I work on an elderly acute medical ward and it can be very tough at times but I love it. I also work some shifts in a hospice and know that I could get regular shifts there too. Hopefully things will be sorted but I will have my notice with me if not.

OP posts:
Santaclarita · 26/10/2018 21:02

Just quit. I wouldn't even bother speaking to her. You can get another job somewhere else very easily. And why do you need to give almost 2 months notice? One should be enough.

m0therofdragons · 26/10/2018 21:06

As a nurse I'd resign and go on bank. That's genuinely crappy op. I'm normally a deal with it kind of person but nope, that's not on!

fifig87 · 26/10/2018 21:22

I'm glad you have options Op. Seems very unfair. My bf is a nurse and he has offered to work the week of nights over Christmas but this suits him to be off new years then for his kids. Like you he often covers shifts and does overtime to bank extra days off but unlike you he is appreciated for it and if he needs certain times off they will do their best to give it to him.

Hope it all works out for you!

WaterOffaDucksCrack · 26/10/2018 21:42

It is unfair and tbh it's fair enough you want to leave. Talk to them first though to see if it can be resolved and if it can't give plenty of notice. The care home I manage splits shifts as equally as possible and we try to take into account preferences. Always get some who don't want to work any of it though (or weekends/bank hols etc). Plus our shifts are half days around thr holidays.

Leave her up a creek for Christmas, she deserves it. Sorry but I hate this attitude. It is not the managers who will suffer most but the patients. When I took over my current home some carers try and cause problems for management but still expected loads of favours from them - leaving early here, annual leave approved immediately there etc. Calling in sick on a weekends as they thought it would ruin our weekends out of spite because they're wierdly bitter about our contracted hours being Monday-Friday! All that happened was our effectiveness slowed down as by being called in on our days off I ended up working every day. We couldn't have days off in the week due to needing to do our own jobs. Thankfully we now have decent staff!

PoppySeedBun18 · 26/10/2018 21:49

It’s true what they say - there is no ‘care’ in Healthcare. I worked for the NHS and had to come off front line duties briefly after an injury and worked as a temp PA for a senior manager for a few months. Seriously the way they spoke about their front line staff was unbelievable at times. Do what you need to do for you, because management certainly won’t.

Havaina · 26/10/2018 21:52

Sounds positive OP, let us know how your conversation goes on Monday!

C0untDucku1a · 26/10/2018 21:53

If you can get work elsewhere, do it.

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