Snow excuse for skiving off work

8 January, 2010 | By Gabriel Fleming

In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s a bit cold outside. The weather is so bad that many nurses are struggling to get to work, and Beyond the Bedpan is sympathetic to their plight. If only managers felt the same way.

The apocalypse is upon us! Or maybe it’s just a few inches of snow. In any event, the Big Freeze has has reduced the country to a shivering wreck - offices half empty; streets turned into ice rinks; public transport in meltdown. And a poor woman in Scotland has apparently not returned home since leaving to do the Christmas shopping on December 23rd (she’s safe, but her husband is hungry).

It is, in short, the end of the world. Or at least you would think so by the hysterical media coverage this week, when even an attempted coup to bring down the prime minister failed to dislodge it from the top of news agenda.

The freak weather is obviously adding to nurses’ workloads as patients come skidding in with all manner of bruises and fractures, and they patiently explain to the anxious multitudes that a few sneezes does not mean swine flu.

But what about nurses themselves? While many professions are building snowmen before retreating indoors for hot cocoa, nurses have been tersely reminded that they should “make every effort” to get into work despite the weather. If they don’t, they can expect to have the time treated as annual leave, or made up at a later date.

Beyond the Bedpan understands what a vital service nurses provide, but why should they suffer if they are genuinely unable to get to work?

At best, the RCN advises that they might use time already owed to them, or take it as unpaid leave. How kind.

So if you are looking at a treacherous descent through jagged ice to get to work, with the cold freezing your eyelids shut and polar bears trying to eat you, the official line is: tough luck, get on with it.

Has your trust been unfair in its treatment of snowbound nurses? Or maybe you struggled in heroically, only to find that other members of staff were not as dedicated? Please let us know if the comments box below.

Readers' comments (30)

Anonymous | 9-Jan-2010 9:39 am
I have to say that Derbyshire County Community Services management have been extremely understanding and sympathetic towards us- we are asked to get to our normal place of work if we can- or else our nearest surgery/ clinic on foot. Failing that, if we really can't get, or if it's too dangerous to venture out, we do not have to take it as time owing or holidays- it's an act of God and that's that. My staff have made heroic afforts to get to work this last couple of weeks and have swapped days off etc to ensure the patients get the treatment they need. Thankyou one and all.
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Anonymous | 9-Jan-2010 1:40 pm
I sympathise with those who are unable to get to work. And I am seriously kidding. I suggest they enjoy the time off to the fullest extent possible and not to feel guilty. It is a problem many face and is not one of their making. Of course there are always going to be a few who stretch everything to the limit and beyond, nothing new there, and they should be dealt with on an individual basis, not have a blancket policy penalising everyone for the laziness of a few
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Anonymous | 9-Jan-2010 4:03 pm
Can I just say has the NHS gone mad. Im a district nurse and over the last week have walked miles and miles to see patients as I was unable to get there by car. I wasnt thanked by my managers, which is not unusual, I was infact greated with an email stating if you carnt get into work then you lose a days pay or if you get in for half your shift you get a full days pay. I just could not beleive it, we as district nurses never close our doors we take referrals at any time of the day or night. I have been to work today and one patient said how come I get a district nurse everyday but the dustbin man carnt empty my rubbish. I rest my case!!!!!!
Keep up the great work xx

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lizzie nicholson | 9-Jan-2010 5:38 pm
Hi, I live in a small village in S.W. Scotland I don't drive so rely on the bus. We had heavy snow last Wednesday and I waited for the bus in -9 temp. The bus never came so I walked the mile back home slipping and sliding. I was frozen to the core when I got back, even though I had 3 layers on, hat, gloves and hiking boots. I phoned the hospital and was made to feel like a skiver, as if I was exagerrating the conditions. I was told the hospital would send someone out to get me + they would be in touch. I waited and waited; in the end I phoned twice and each time was told they would get back to me, nobody did. Near lunchtime a colleague phoned to say, the boss said they wouldn't be coming for me. I knew I'd have to take this as annual leave, even though I sat around waiting, dressed to go to work and had to stay near the phone (no signal on mobile). Most of the staff live in or near the town so don't know the conditions out in the country. I certainly wouldn't want to give up a days holiday because of weather conditions, so why would I lie? It's shortened my only remaining week in March. I feel everyone is being tarred with the same brush. In 20 years, that is the 1st time I've not made it to work due to the weather.
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Anonymous | 9-Jan-2010 6:01 pm
As usual nurses are defecated on from a great height.
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Mertha Nyamande RMN | 9-Jan-2010 6:04 pm
some managers dont really care about their staff and its obvious to them that nurses not turning up even in such extreme conditions is not acceptable to them because it means their budgets are compromised. they forget that not everyone drives and if they can make it to their friends for tea, so should staff make it to work. they also forget that the staff earn a lot less to afford reliable cars to get them to work safely in such weather conditions. not everyone owns a 4x4. Natural disasters happen and must accept this as a fact and make contingencies. provide a bus or some sort of transport for your staff to come in. its inconvinience to the purse, but its also inconvinient and unsafe for staff.
if you can, then get in and help out. thats what leaders do, lead by example, not just point fingers, push blame and make threats not to pay your staff.
This is nursing: having a heart is a requirement
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tracey scothern | 9-Jan-2010 6:15 pm
well said we go beyond our duty of care, we work well beyond our hours of work and what thanks do we get, ohhhh I no what they tell us we are no longer going to get regular user allowance and that our milage rate will be cut in half and we only have one lease company we can use so the rates will be high as there is no competion. Thats our thankyou of the NHS
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Joanna Saunders | 9-Jan-2010 8:36 pm
I sympathise with all of you. When I lived in England, I made a number of trips in bad conditions, one took 2.5 hrs when it normally took 20 mins. Luckily my colleagues and immediate manager did appreciate it. I now live near Christchurch in NZ. When there is severe weather forcast, management send round info and the 4wd club offer assistance to bring staff into work and to get them home. Sensible arrangement. Thankfully I have not needed to call on them yet. Jo
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Anonymous | 10-Jan-2010 0:40 am
anon 9 1 10 4.03 pm It's great that you can get to your patients on foot in the snow and ice but the dustbin men can hardly carry everyones rubbish to the dumping ground!!
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cheryl felix | 10-Jan-2010 5:07 am
As we all are aware, nurses are just commodities, not people. Treated like rubbish, a 'necessary evil', spoken to like dirt by doctors, patients, relatives.....expected to break their necks getting into work while managers lord it at home in front of the fire. Oh, how I long to get out of this 'profession' - I wish I'd listened to my dad years ago.....
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Anonymous | 10-Jan-2010 8:39 am
I have mixed feelings about this situation. On the one hand my line manager (community team) has been great. She ensured a plan was in place and that staff safety was paramount. She has also been present every day which is a testament to her as a role model. Patient visits are prioritised and only essential visits undertaken, when necessary due to rurality a 4x4 is available through the trust to ferry the nurse and bring her back. If staff made the effort to get to a base (near to them) even if they were late, as soon as all essential work was complete they were encouraged to go home, clearly with contacts as necessary. As far as I am aware no-one will lose out.
However, the PCT itself does have the condescending nature that many have I believe - emails telling us we must take AL or unpaid leave, and constant guilt tripping messages about our patients! Yet I know for a fact many of these individuals will be sitting comfy and safe at home with their blackberry's churning out this tosh, I certainly haven't seen any of them 'rallying the troops' which may have been a good gesture in difficult times - still they have to stay safe don't they?
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Anonymous | 10-Jan-2010 2:35 pm
Nurse/Midwives risking their lives on treacherous roads. Consultants 'put up' in the local hotel ! Thanks.

Visitors car park cleared first staff car park last! Thanks.

No undercover parking for night staff who risk being snowed in ! Thanks.

Oh you would like me to work extra hours - NO THANKS !
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Anonymous | 10-Jan-2010 3:31 pm
My stepfather has been told that any time missed due to heavy snow is to be taken as time-owing or annual leave. He doesn't work for the NHS. On a recent night shift a nurse walked out at 2am because it was coming down heavily - I pointed out that this was probably the least safe time to attempt driving but she said that her husband was coming to pick her up in his 4x4 (so why not 7.30am?). If people behaved sensibly then I would be sympathetic, but I will make every effort to get in because if I don't then who will? Do we just leave the patients to fend for themselves or leave the nurses who are stuck in work to soldier on?
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Anonymous | 11-Jan-2010 1:07 pm
I will not risk my own wellbeing to get into work, and nor should anyone else. End of story.
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Anonymous | 11-Jan-2010 4:06 pm
I work in the community, 16 miles+ from where I live. twice now I have reported to my local surgery to help with District nurse visits and both times walked to several visits in 10inch deep snow. the District nurse managers who I reported to were very grateful and couldn't thank me enough. Had I not turned in to them, I would have had to take it as unpaid leave or annual leave with my own manager! the second time I couldn't get to my own work, they didn't have snow there at the same time and I got the distinct impression they didn't believe me! I had to take photos just in case they asked for proof! so much for being independent and autonomous practitioners eh?
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Polly Driscoll | 12-Jan-2010 4:56 pm
I live out on the Pennines ans when we got a foot of snow last Tuesday I could not get to work. I have had to take annual leave. I have since worked, it took me 2 hours to get there in treacherous conditions. It hasn't stopped snowing yet, if I can get to work I will try. I have a 4x4 and everyone thinks you can get anywhere in these, let me tell you you cannot and slipping on ice is just as likely.I hope everyone cuts a little slack to those of us who do live out in the sticks, but there will always be someone who doesn't believe you or has a negative opinion. Unfortunately I haven't met with this yet!
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Anonymous | 13-Jan-2010 1:09 am
I work as part of a community team and i fully understand the implications on patients and colleagues when a nurse can,t make it to work because of the severe weather conditions. I live in a mountainous area on a road that has become virtually impassible even in a 4x4. i have missed 3 days of work so far and couldn,t feel worse about it if i tried. I could walk the four mile to the nearest village and get into town via taxi but as i,m community based how am i suppose to visit the patients. The trust don,t supple a vechicle for such cases and i,m certainly not paying taxi fares to do my job bearing in mind that a single visit could be 40mile in a round trip..
Yet i am made to feel so guilty by other staff members, that i,m almost at the point of giving up a job that i love. when i phone to say i couldn,t make it in i get told stupid things like (well there,s no snow here) so if that,s not a sign that i,m not believed i don,t know what is. Do people not the brains to know that snow falls heavier and lies longer in the hills, oh and that unlike all those town people OUR ROADS ARE NOT TREATED!!!!!
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Anonymous | 15-Jan-2010 3:50 am
This current situation with the weather just shows how the NHS treat their employees in general. We just see it more clearly because its more obvious how they try and manipulate the workforce... Flexibility only works one way in my trust ... their way! Nursing is the only profession I know of where the code of conduct in a nut shell is "you're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't"! The Nursing Unions are just NHS Puppets when do they ever stick up for us? Why are we surprised when they use our own caring nature against us... nothing surprises me anymore... the NHS are without a doubt the most uncaring company I have ever worked for and after 15 years how do I escape it! Working in Tesco stacking shelves looks more and more attractive every day!
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Anonymous | 15-Jan-2010 5:22 am
My manager has been great. She asked me if I wanted to work from home (thank heavens I work in Clinical Governance) and told me to do the best I could, but she didnt want anyone getting killed to show their face in the office. She and other managers then went and worked the wards. It was true they couldnt do muchm, but at least they did what they could to relieve as much a burden as possible. She said if those of us who could stay home did, it would make the roads better for those who had to travel. That said, the trust sent out their own transport to get nurses and other staff... and lunches were handed out to those who worked late waiting for others to arrive. Not all NHS trusts are uncaring and unresponsive. If we want praise, we have to be open to praise them too. They have responsbilities to patients- and we know from experience there are those who will take any excuse to get time off- like those who take 5 "5 minute" fag breaks that really last 15 minutes each and leave the rest of us wishing we still smoked. My managers are great and I am grateful to work there.
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Anonymous | 16-Jan-2010 12:38 pm
I live 10 miles from the base where I work as a community nurse and I felt really guilty when on two occasions I was unable to get to work because of heavy snow. There was no public transportation available and walking to work via unlit roads with no pavements was an unsafe option. My colleagues all of whom live within our catchment area were supportive of my decision and as previous nurses have commented I also contacted my local District nurse team (based less than a mile from where I live) and went to help them, this was much appreciated and helped to lessen my guilt.
However it now appears that I will be seen as being absent from work as my local D/N team is part of another PCT.
I qualified as a nurse in May 09 and am continually dismayed as to how unsupported nurses are by the very Trusts they work for.
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