D.C. hospital fires 11 nurses, 5 staffers for snowstorm absences

Washington Post ^ | 2/27/2010 | Theresa Vargas

[EDINVA]

I would imagine employees are supposed to have an emergency plan. They can’t just close the hospital because workers can’t get in. I’ve seen hospital employees stay at the hospital for days during an emergency. This storm wasn’t unexpected.

[JoeProBono]

[buccaneer81]

I am sure that these people who lost their jobs are the employees that were walking a fine line anyway and this was a perfect time to cull the herd.

Spot on.

[blackbart.223]

"I am sure that these people who lost their jobs are the employees that were walking a fine line anyway and this was a perfect time to cull the herd.

That could be. But the point I was making is government "workers" are never held to the same standard. And we are the ones paying them. I hope you understand.

[TASMANIANRED]

I’m betting there is more than meets the eye.

[Rembrandt]

“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that there is WAY more to the story.”

Yes, like for example the politics of the people fired and/or whether these 16 people were union members, outspoken or not, or whether they had chosen not to join the union. Did these 16 vote for Pres? And if so, for which candidate did they vote?

[BenKenobi]

Exactly! Just an excuse to cut costs. Terrible, terrible outcome.

[Earthdweller]

I've worked over in a few hospital during a storm...trust me, they didn't even want to pay me for it and they don't appreciate it..they just expect it. The hospitals treat their employees like dirt.

It's not surprising that big government crooks see an open opportunity to make fodder of it. The administrative aholes need to get an earful. It's things like this that are ruining this country. Treat the employees with a flippin' little respect. We don't need nurses joining unions.

[Eagle Eye]

May the decision makers on this receive a tenfold payback.

[Kirkwood]

Should have called in sick. Sick of the snow.

[Beowulf9]

“I have driven in all type of weather to get in, to find someone who lives 3 blocks away from me stay home. Sick people deserve the best. My hospital will put us up in either available rooms, or local hotel rooms, but for every person who calls in, someone gets to stay and work a double. Imagine your mothers open heart surgery being delayed because someone stays home. Perhaps the trains were not running, however most of the staff showed up anyway. I have left for work at 2am and drove 30 miles at 10 miles an hour...but the patients come first.”

Sounds a lot like the horse in Animal Farm.

[ConorMacNessa]

I agree that patients come first. What do you suggest that the employee do if he or she is snowed in? In my subdivision we had three feet of snow on the ground and no snowplows in sight. I missed two days of work because we could not get out of the subdivision. I stayed home and lost wages for the days I missed. What should I have done? There was no getting out of my neighborhood.

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[Earthdweller]

"Should have called in sick. Sick of the snow."

It does not matter what you "call in" for in health care.

Most of the hospitals have draconian policies that can get you fired for going on funeral leave and staying home with a sick child...forget about getting sick yourself. They don't care what you were absent for, if you have x amount of absences (most times it's three or four) within a six month period...you are gone...I kid you not.

[linn37]

This is why FMLA junkies are funny. The newest member of our team has one for anxiety attacks. They stick it to the hospital in the most amusing ways. Myself I keep my call offs to a minimum just in case I really need to call off for real reasons.

[Integrityrocks]

OK I can’t help myself.

THREE lousy feet of snow and your life is put on hold?

Get the shovel out.

We had 46 feet in 3.5 months last winter (at sea level) and no work or school was missed. (Alaska)

You guys need to buck up.

[Earthdweller]

"Myself I keep my call offs to a minimum just in case I really need to call off for real reasons."

Playing with your chances, been there done that. Life can get messy when you least expect it. Word of advice...don't let your family get too big, you can't go on family medical leave for a child with a bad case of the flu...notice that a veteran nurse is getting fired with this bunch.

[Dasaji]

We don’t need nurses joining unions.

Nursing Unions are probably the ONLY unions I agree with - otherwise there’d be 12:1 patient ratios since a hospital is a “business.”

[Earthdweller]

"Nursing Unions are probably the ONLY unions I agree with - otherwise there’d be 12:1 patient ratios since a hospital is a “business.” "

Unions are nothing but one foot in the work camp.

Will someone please knock some sense into these people before another entire group of people eats the union dust? It would be really nice to have some admin types fired for incompetence for once.

[linn37]

Where I work its five missed days you get a letter of concern,the 6th day its warning letter,the 7th day its warning letter ,8th day you are terminated. This is on a rolling calendar so what they do is they wait for a day to drop off before they call off again. Its a game. For a sick child I have seen people get FMLAS for that all it takes is a sympathetic doc to get one. Maybe this woman was on the cusp and thought she could make it in and couldn't and bam they grabbed the chance to boot her out.

[Mamzelle]

Does the WaPo ever tell the whole truth?