Call secrets of the OR- Wanna trade? Or how to get last minute days off

Unfortunately we are bound by the schedule guidelines when it comes time to take a day off.

I have been with the company for 19 years, 11 months, 3 days. With longevity comes a healthy PTO accrual. I make an embarrassing amount each pay period, 52 pay checks a year. Fine. It can ride. Until they put a cap on that that works out to about 3 months of PTO.

I work, or don’t work, to keep myself under the cap. Because if you are over the cap you no longer accrue PTO and I am not working for free. I will take my benefits please.

But what if the schedule just started and you need to take a little day off. This might be because of a sudden doctor’s appointment, or a pageant day at the little one’s school, or just needing a mental day, No judgement here.

Because you are within the bound of the schedule, you have to trade days with someone to get the day that you need off. Or call in sick. Again, no judgement but that also comes with a trade-off that counts against you, somehow.

You trade.

It is very much Khajit has wares if you have coin. This is a reference to The Entertainment System. AKA TES. AKA Nintendo platform. It is very much a gaming in-joke that has been used by a lot of people. Even people who don’t play computer games.

If you need a giggle google the phrase and look at images. All those cats hard at work.

However, you suddenly need next Thursday off and you’ve been told it is within the current schedule.

You start asking people to trade.

You start begging people to trade.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

It works best if there is a workaholic in the department. Or someone who wants to work extra to buy something, or save for vacation, or all sorts of things. I used to pick up shifts to earn race money. Running races, that is.

Not every department has a workaholic.

This is when you can turn in the favor coins you have earned. You earn these by doing favors for your coworkers.

In the rare occasion, you can even trade with your boss. If they need coverage on the Friday and no one has agreed to work it, you can offer to work the Friday, if you get Tuesday off.

This is a not very well known rule of healthcare. Someone will have your back and trade with you. They might complain. But it magically happens.