A
female
age
30-35,
anonymous
writes:(Not a relationship question, but I need some advice on a work issue.)Ok here goes. I’ve been at this company (hospital) for 10 months now. I work night shift, have rotating weekends, and work most-if not all- holidays. The job itself is good, I just have a major issue with my supervisor. No one is able to respect him as he routinely sleeps on the job, barely works or supports us in any way even when we’re busy, and takes excessive paid time off. Excessive in the sense that he takes at least one week off EVERY month, but he does does all the scheduling so he’s able to adjust it in a way where it minimizes his use of paid leave with his regular days off. He’s apparently been doing this for a long time, as he’s been employed there for about 19 years. There is no secondary supervisor on our shift. Normally I wouldn’t really care, as we usually do much better without him there anyway, however he recently told me I needed to come in on my one weekend off and work overtime because I was needed due to “short staffing.” It didn’t come off as a request but was more of a demand. I agree (as I’ve always done in the past, I will be there to help my coworkers whenever I’m needed) but it turns out, he just needed me there to cover so he could take his monthly vacation. I haven’t taken a single day of paid leave since I’ve been there, come in whenever I’m needed, and barely get two days off in a row each month. I feel myself physically and mentally breaking down and unable to cope with his tactics and my workload. I want to complain to my higher ups but many people and other supervisors have tried, some have taken pictures of him sleeping on the job (getting overtime for it even!) and nothing is ever done. I’ve tried looking up our company’s policy on PTO but there’s nothing stating a maximum amount or any other restrictions. Should I present a case to my director and if so how do I go about it? Getting a new job is out of the question, as leaving in under a year would look bad on my resume. Please advise. Thank you agony aunts/uncles!
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female
reader, Honeypie + ♥, writes (5 July 2018):
 Your paid time off should be in your contract. In many places you do not get paid time until you have been there 6-12 months (depending on country and place you work) - but all that SHOULD be in your contract.
If you need time off, put in the paperwork with your supervisor for approval. Make sure you do it AHEAD of scheduling and not dump it on him last minute.
As for his work ethics (which are appalling) it's not your job to police him. I too agree that they KNOW higher ups how he runs the place and allow it. Who knows they might even have made an agreement for him to do what he is doing. YOU DON'T KNOW! Perhaps that is why nothing has been done about him sleeping on the job.
You got two more months until you have been there one year. And if you still feel like you "dislike" the place and supervisor so much - look for a job elsewhere. Right now, you should be focusing on getting as MUCH experience in your job as possible.
From all the questions we get here at DC about work environments it seems hospitals in general are pretty BAD, so maybe look into a private practice or something smaller when you in the future look to change jobs? Or to add on to whatever degree you have, so YOU have a bigger set of choices when looking for jobs.
A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (4 July 2018): First, submit your request of time OFF for vacation. Wait for the answer. Do not question his. I understand you are being taken advantage. So work there for a year is fine, make sure you take your PTO before quitting a move to another job.
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A
reader, anonymous, writes (4 July 2018): Post script"
Regardless of the rules about PTO; your supervisor has the discretion and authority to approve your paid time-off. You didn't mention you've applied for it, and he denied it.
Going over his head first sends a bad message about yourself to upper-management. I'm the Director of Operations for a large company. I have a little knowledge about how a business works. Hospitals are corporate businesses.
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A
reader, anonymous, writes (4 July 2018): You're a new employee, and most jobs don't offer PTO until you've been there a year. There are exceptions. If he has been there 19 years, and has been promoted to supervisor; but excuse me, that's the perks.
You're the newcomer, and already complaining?
If you need time-off, first talk to someone in Human Resources to determine your time-accrual and when you may use it.
The boss has paid his dues and he gets to take his time-off. Oh BTW, if they haven't done anything about him sleeping on the job; that's about politics.
Just FYI, your reporting the boss isn't going to bid well for you in the long-run. The other supervisors don't like when employees file complaints about them; but will play sympathetic to your face. They are also taking notes and passing it on to other supervisors behind your back. They never submitted those pictures, that was all for show.
There are already security-cameras everywhere; and if upper-management has a problem, they'll deal with it in their own time and in their own way.
If you need time-off, paid or otherwise; simply ask. Rather than collecting negative-opinions, forming lynch-mobs, and complaining. You've proven yourself to be dependable, hardworking, and a very reliable employee. Your boss has a boss to review his performance, and do his evaluations.
Being new, you don't know the inter-workings and political-connections behind the scenes. You're naively trusting others to be on your side.
So why are you so afraid to just ask him for time-off? If you're busy trying to get him fired, I guess I can see why you might be cautious about asking. You just could get him fired; and replaced by somebody worse.
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