I am a full time paramedic, my shift runs from 7am to 7pm, 3 days a week. My shift isn't over until I get back to the station and can pass off the keys and account for narcotics. I am permitted to get early relief as long as i do the work and get the approvials from managemet.

I made arrangements to have my night shift relief come in early. I don't have anyone to watch my son after 4pm and knew this would be an issue so I made these arrangements 2 weeks ago. They were acknowleged and approaved by management. Thisafternoon my early relief texts me and tells me he will not be able to come in early as we previously arranged.

a few weeks ago I made arrangements with a different night shifter to come in early so I could attend a fund raiser. She confirmed she could do this and I got a babysitter and had my wife meet me at work. This woman overslept and didn't come in until 7.

Both of the above individuals have asked me to come in early multiple times and I have always followed through.

My question for the group: if I make arrangements to get early relief and then get the arrangements approaved by the bosses, are they still doing me a favor or have they taken a professional responsibility. Do you think I should suck it up and not help them out? Or is this something that I should make an issue about? I haven't involved the white shirts but I'm really irritated. I made these arrangements 2 weeks before the event and sent out reminders just to be screwed last minute.

It's tough to shitt where you eat. Unless there is a multitude of people that will cover for you when you need it, burning these bridges may make your work environment unpleasant. At a minimum, you will have reduced your pool of people available to cover for you by at least two (they may have friends that take their side). On the other hand, if you know there are others who will be responsible, then the situation changes and you can escalate as you see fit.

At a minimum, I would hope that neither one has the gall to ever ask you to cover for them again.

Personally, if the other person agrees and you get approval, I feel like it's the other persons responsibility now. I would contact the manager and ask them what to do....I hope they feel the same way.

I would do the same. After all, you can easily just go back to the garage or whatever you call it, hand in your stuff and use FMLA as your reason to leave early.

 

I would bring the issue up to these people and say wtf. I did for you and you screwed me. I would also do it politely. If not, I would say that I would come in for them and then screw them.

I don't think it is an issue for work to sort out, but that would be the last thing I ever did for either of them.

My personal view on arrangements like this is that it is a clear sign of weak management. This would be clearly indicated if mgmnt came to you about the lapse in coverage. IF mgmnt went to the individuals on the approved roster as failure to show, THEN I would recant my statements. But the latter is hardly ever the case when company's make schedule changes the responsibility of the employees.

My question for the group: if I make arrangements to get early relief and then get the arrangements approaved by the bosses, are they still doing me a favor or have they taken a professional responsibility.

 

If your boss approved it they owe him the explanation not you. In fact they took the loser way out by going through you after it gained his approval.

 

As for not helping them out again, wait a few days and see what you think. Can't decide that when you are angry.

Personal Responsibility and lack of leadership is why this happened. You are entirely within your rights to walk out the door per the arraingments you made, acceptance of those arraingements as well as the documentation provided, and nobody can say or do anything to limit you.

 

That being said, I know you and others here would not do that because we feel our own personal responsibility to our careers. But both of those coworkers let you and your org down, and you leadership should be taking steps to either cover for you by finding another sub or filling your place themselves. They should also be insuring this type of issue NEVER happened again. I dont know if I could ever trust those folks in a stress situation if they can not follow through on simple responsibilities.

get the arrangements approaved by the bosses,

 

at that point IMO it is no longer your problem...

 

if you COULD stay then the right thing to do would be to stay.. but you are IMO not obligated to do so..

 

just my opinion of course..

at that point IMO it is no longer your problem...

 

if you COULD stay then the right thing to do would be to stay.. but you are IMO not obligated to do so..

 

just my opinion of course..

 

I agree 100%

I'm with the rest of the guys here, if you made arrangements and had them approved by management, then this is a temporary change of schedule, a schedule non the less. Your co-worker agreed and was confirmed to work during this time you had to leave early.

 

What do you do? tricky situation. I for one do not help others who screw me over. I would not make a big stink about it with management, as they either care or they don't and not much will change that.

 

The way i see it, personal favor would be calling a co-worker last minute to fill in for you, professional responsibility is being scheduled to fill in for you. Big and noticeable difference between the two.

 

I'm usually the quiet guy at work and people try and take advantage of this all the time. Little do they know i always get the last laugh, on my terms. You need to walk a fine line between being sneaky and professional. When people try and get the best of me, i smile and act like i don't care... revenge is a dish best served cold.

 

Unfortunately your job carries great responsibility, if you walked out this guy would have been in a **** storm of trouble, but at the same time if a medic was needed then some person who needs medical attention suffers. So you covered for someone who sucks at life, to help others, a true catch 22.

If this is a situation that you short your hours and they gain hours for doing this and management was involved it would be adjusting the schedule and unfortunately me as a manager from the sounds of how relief work, would have to keep you to cover until there was a relief person. Also I would also have to take into account that I now had someone scheduled to come in and they didn't at the new time and would have to address that issue also.

 

Now if this were only the hours are being changed and no pay changes, basically you doing it for them and them doing it for you would be between each of you and the company is being made aware of the changes just as a courtesy, then it's on you and your co workers to sort out.

 

All the people who work for me are salary so when they trade no payroll is involved and it done on the honor system between them and I am only made aware of changes so I know who to call if someone isn't there when they are supposed to be.

 

Harry

 

 

 

 

My question for the group: if I make arrangements to get early relief and then get the arrangements approaved by the bosses, are they still doing me a favor or have they taken a professional responsibility. Do you think I should suck it up and not help them out? Or is this something that I should make an issue about? I haven't involved the white shirts but I'm really irritated. I made these arrangements 2 weeks before the event and sent out reminders just to be screwed last minute.

 

Obviously you are a man of integrity. Someone asks you to cover, you agree and do so. You ask someone to return the favor, they indicate in the affirmative and then F you at the last minute.

 

Unfortunately, you were scheduled for those hours. If "your" coverage doesn't show for the work that you were scheduled for (regardless of whether the arrangement was approved by mgmt or not), it's my opinion that you need to cover your schedule. It sucks - but it's THE WAY to make sure your job remains secure. At the end of the day, if you left early and had no coverage (ie the coverage didn't show) it reflects poorly on you, not on the coverage. If it comes down to a pissing match, mgmt will simply say "that's the schedule, no one is allowed to cover for anyone, anymore, ever" - it's a typical mgmt move to F everyone because of one or two "dicks" in the pool.

 

That said - I would be sure to NEVER cover for those 2 again - if I wanted to be really really vindictive, I would agree to cover for them and then text them at the last minute and tell them you had a family emergency - sorry. (that way they can't accuse you of attempting to F them purposely).

Ron,

 

Put them on the **** list if they screw you over. That's what I do. When i swap with someone I show up on time. Simple as that.

Updates!! What happened?? Please tell me the guy who screwed you over got torn a new one....

My personal view on arrangements like this is that it is a clear sign of weak management. This would be clearly indicated if mgmnt came to you about the lapse in coverage. IF mgmnt went to the individuals on the approved roster as failure to show, THEN I would recant my statements. But the latter is hardly ever the case when company's make schedule changes the responsibility of the employees.

 

The thread's title is Personal favor vs professional responsibility. Management should define what the schedule change is and manage this situation.

 

What is the policy if no one comes in to relieve the OP? Can OP go home when the shift is over to has to stay to ensure coverage?

I had a "hypothetical" conversation with on of the managers, his advise was that future arrangements need to be entered onto the schedule. If it's on the schedule then the person is late and it counts as a lateness toward the decipline process. If it's not on the schedule then it's a favor and doesn't matter as long as they arrive by 7.

This isn't much of an issue for me personally as I don't usually ask for early relief, in factthe two examples are the only two I can think of for over a year.

I had a chat with the guy who screwed me, calmly (I don't tear new asses) and let him know he screwed me. He put me in a difficult position regarding childcare and I don't appreciate it. He apologised, promised it won't happen again and followed up by telling me why he couldn't come it. He is married. His girlfriend (not wife) had his child on the day in question.

He is married. His girlfriend (not wife) had his child on the day in question.

 

dam..... well i gues he got screwed over alot mroe than you that day ahahahaha

Does not sound like the type of person I would want covering for me anyway.

I think the guy is a huge POS. I wouldn't even go near that guy.

When he told me that was the reason he bailed I was speechless. In hind sight I have to giggle at the situation. Perhaps he will need coverage for childcare in the future.

When he told me that was the reason he bailed I was speechless. In hind sight I have to giggle at the situation. Perhaps he will need coverage for childcare in the future.

 

I'm sure it will be interesting with him filling out the health insurance and tax forms and looking over his shoulder to avoid having wifey wonder why the number of dependents is one higher than she though.

On the other hand, if he's bullshitting you, it's a brilliant ploy. You would never call him on it, and you might feel sympathy for him.

His girlfriend (not wife) had his child on the day in question.

I think that story alone is well worth the hassle.....

I am a full time paramedic, my shift runs from 7am to 7pm, 3 days a week. My shift isn't over until I get back to the station and can pass off the keys and account for narcotics. I am permitted to get early relief as long as i do the work and get the approvials from managemet.

I made arrangements to have my night shift relief come in early. I don't have anyone to watch my son after 4pm and knew this would be an issue so I made these arrangements 2 weeks ago. They were acknowleged and approaved by management. Thisafternoon my early relief texts me and tells me he will not be able to come in early as we previously arranged.

a few weeks ago I made arrangements with a different night shifter to come in early so I could attend a fund raiser. She confirmed she could do this and I got a babysitter and had my wife meet me at work. This woman overslept and didn't come in until 7.

Both of the above individuals have asked me to come in early multiple times and I have always followed through.

My question for the group: if I make arrangements to get early relief and then get the arrangements approaved by the bosses, are they still doing me a favor or have they taken a professional responsibility. Do you think I should suck it up and not help them out? Or is this something that I should make an issue about? I haven't involved the white shirts but I'm really irritated. I made these arrangements 2 weeks before the event and sent out reminders just to be screwed last minute.

 

Depends on your individual Employer's rules. For US, it's the ultimate responsibility of the person originally Scheduled. If i do a tour swap with someone and they bang out sick, or have an energency, I Carry the weight, not them.

Whhooo, Wait a minute, lemme get this straight, His kid was with his girlfriend and he is married?? Is he separated or going through a divorce and this girlfriend is possibly the new step mother, or is she just someone he is cheating on his wife with.

 

Not that I care, and it's his situation, but If it's just someone he is cheating with, I DO NOT see that to be in the best interest of the child and really not what the child should be learning is acceptable behavior.

 

Harry