Tech Call outs

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sp84

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Call outs, How do you guys deal with them?
I just got promoted to PIC at CVS this week, and i have a tech who called out on me for an entire week do to "personal problems". I called around other stores, sent a mass email, contacted my DM but still haven't been able to find any coverage. I mean how can I do more then 180 prescriptions by myself? It is crazy!! Any suggestions?
 
sp84 said:
Call outs, How do you guys deal with them?
I just got promoted to PIC at CVS this week, and i have a tech who called out on me for an entire week do to "personal problems". I called around other stores, sent a mass email, contacted my DM but still haven't been able to find any coverage. I mean how can I do more then 180 prescriptions by myself? It is crazy!! Any suggestions?
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An entire week? Unless they have damn good personal reasons or you trust them entirely, hire a new tech. If you let one get away with it, the rest will follow their lead.
 
180 alone is easy

just tell every1 2 hour wait time 🙂
 
Is this for a legitimate reason such as a death in the family? There might be a good reason so you should try and find out.

If it is not legit then first you have to know your companies' policy concerning absences from work. Then you determine if a violation of the policy has occurred. They you start at step one of your company's progressive discipline policy. Always involve store management who in turn will seek HR guidance.

Remember to CYA. Have a witness with you whenever you speak to the employee and document everything. The bottom line is knowing the company's policies inside and out and involve your store manager. Keep in mind CVS has an anonymous hotline that employees can call. I happen to personally know a store manager at CVS. It has happened many times that an employee will be about to get in trouble or is in trouble and calls the hotline with some anonymous "tip" on the person who is writing them up.

CYA is all I got to say. (sounds like a cool rap song.)
 
Well he did have an excuse, still not good enough for not show up for an entire week and a total of 40 hours. He definitely will get written up (if not fired), seeing how decides not to show up to work yesterday with out any phone calls, doesnt answer any of our phone calls for 2 days. Whatever the case is, he'll be dealth with once he returns. Question is what can i do to get help? The DM seems to be useless and her answer always is "i don't have anyone" and I can't seem to get anyone else from other stores. We are going to end up doing 1400 scripts with only 75 tech hrs.

Its my first week as PIC and already frustrating.
 
sp84 said:
Well he did have an excuse, still not good enough for not show up for an entire week and a total of 40 hours. He definitely will get written up (if not fired), seeing how decides not to show up to work yesterday with out any phone calls, doesnt answer any of our phone calls for 2 days. Whatever the case is, he'll be dealth with once he returns. Question is what can i do to get help? The DM seems to be useless and her answer always is "i don't have anyone" and I can't seem to get anyone else from other stores. We are going to end up doing 1400 scripts with only 75 tech hrs.

Its my first week as PIC and already frustrating.
Click to expand...

That's rough. Have you been in the district for long as a staffer, or are you completely new to the place?

Most DMs that I've worked with don't give you much in the way of help until you're completely out of tech help. If you have a good working relationship with any other techs in your district, calling them directly wouldn't hurt.
 
techs are what they are

as retail pharmacists one has to understand it

they make 8 bucks an hour yet have to put up with a lot of the same crap...you can only find certain types of people for that kind of spot
 
I feel like there is a correlation between work satisfaction and call outs. I worked at one hospital where there was always at least one sick tech out a day. The hospital I work at now,techs are happier. And they seem to feel more responsibility to their coworkers and thus rarely call out.
 
sp84 said:
Well he did have an excuse, still not good enough for not show up for an entire week and a total of 40 hours. He definitely will get written up (if not fired), seeing how decides not to show up to work yesterday with out any phone calls, doesnt answer any of our phone calls for 2 days. Whatever the case is, he'll be dealth with once he returns. Question is what can i do to get help? The DM seems to be useless and her answer always is "i don't have anyone" and I can't seem to get anyone else from other stores. We are going to end up doing 1400 scripts with only 75 tech hrs.

Its my first week as PIC and already frustrating.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the wonderful world of being in charge!!!
 
Hire another tech. Give the new tech the hours. Give the old tech whatever hours may be left. Problem solved. 😉
 
the problem lies in that it takes time to hire a tech, get the drug and background check, plus actually train the tech. you just cant expect to bring in a body off the street and know whats going on
 
jachen84 said:
the problem lies in that it takes time to hire a tech, get the drug and background check, plus actually train the tech. you just cant expect to bring in a body off the street and know whats going on
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Yeah. I hear ya...

Sometimes you can get around that, though, by getting techs from other stores to work or hiring someone who worked for your company elsewhere in the past.
 
if you have another tech that wants to help out dump the overtime hours on them. The DM will sure scramble to fix the problem when one of your workers is getting 20 hours of overtime in one pay period
 
its amazing how these chains avoid ot hours like the plague when paying 1.5x is nothing compared to risking potentially losing even 1 customer or making a costly dispensing error, but such is the norm
 
sp84 said:
Call outs, How do you guys deal with them?
I just got promoted to PIC at CVS this week, and i have a tech who called out on me for an entire week do to "personal problems". I called around other stores, sent a mass email, contacted my DM but still haven't been able to find any coverage. I mean how can I do more then 180 prescriptions by myself? It is crazy!! Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

It doesn't look like you contacted:

A. Tech trainer
B. Intern coordinator
C. Your other techs (I assume this one was done - but yeah, worse comes to worse, give 'em OT, or if they're interns, check if you have any summer internship hours to use instead of store hours [though they might be all gone in anticipation of the next one])
 
I like the idea of the intern coordinator. I know several retail interns that are getting like 8 hrs/week that would love more. Especially with finals being over in about 1 week.
 
What was the reason for the guy calling out? I don't call out unless I have a death in the family. If I'm sick, I'll go in, and let the pharmacist decide whether I should be working or not that day. Like today, I had pretty much flu like symptoms and still went into the store (at one point felt pretty damn nauseous and dizzy).

Although, I am planning on taking the entire month of July off since that's the month when I don't have IPE or IPPE. Prolly will spend the month traveling.
 
Sparda29 said:
What was the reason for the guy calling out? I don't call out unless I have a death in the family. If I'm sick, I'll go in, and let the pharmacist decide whether I should be working or not that day. Like today, I had pretty much flu like symptoms and still went into the store (at one point felt pretty damn nauseous and dizzy).

Although, I am planning on taking the entire month of July off since that's the month when I don't have IPE or IPPE. Prolly will spend the month traveling.
Click to expand...

It is pretty stupid to go to work when you really are sick. You stay home and don't take the risk of getting your co-workers/patients sick.
 
From a Lead Tech at CVS to a new PIC, get a good rapport or relations going with surrounding stores. I handle all the scheduling for my store and typically am the poor bas+ard left to pick up hours when other techs call in. If I don't want them, its typically my responisibility to find some one. I usually never have an issue though because I know the lead techs at three other stores and we commonly trade techs when needed.
 
jachen84 said:
the problem lies in that it takes time to hire a tech, get the drug and background check, plus actually train the tech. you just cant expect to bring in a body off the street and know whats going on
Click to expand...


I agree. You don't want to bring anyone in and expect it to fix the problem.

Is there a Pharmacy Tech school around your area? Maybe the Tech school can supply your store with Tech intern(s) that may turn out to be potential good techs in the future. Just a thought.
 
medicalcpa said:
OK, you lost me. What does this mean?
Click to expand...

It's British Hip Hop slang. That's all I'll say.

PharmDstudent said:
It's garbled slang. The guy is posting nothing but garbage...
Click to expand...


If you're new to the lessons, you'd better catch up or we'll get our blix and punch a hole in your bubbles, you no good moot. 🙂Respek!
 
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atticus27 said:
It's British Hip Hop slang. That's all I'll say.




If you're new to the lessons, you'd better catch up or we'll get our blix and punch a hole in your bubbles, you no good moot. 🙂Respek!
Click to expand...

I just wanna say I'm glad you're on here to rile people up. Keep up the good work.
 
atticus27 said:
Ain't dat a bit racialist? And would you mind staying on the topic please. Thank you much.
Click to expand...
Don't EVEN go there with me! 😡


Go and play your game somewhere else... I'm serious! You don't tell a girl who lives in a city of color that she's racist. You don't EVEN begin to know! 😡😡
 
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PharmDstudent said:
Don't EVEN go there with me! 😡


Go and play your game somewhere else... I'm serious! You don't tell a girl who lives in a city of color that she's racist. You don't EVEN begin to know! 😡😡
Click to expand...


serious?? you cant take a joke!?
 
type b pharmD said:
serious?? you cant take a joke!?
Click to expand...
That's a personal attack where I live. It hurts people that are targeted- intentionally.

Whenever someone is accused being a racist, it can have serious consequences. Ever heard of an HBCU? :idea: Could you imagine being kicked out of school over it? (This is a network of students... remember. 😉)
 
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npage148 said:
if you have another tech that wants to help out dump the overtime hours on them. The DM will sure scramble to fix the problem when one of your workers is getting 20 hours of overtime in one pay period
Click to expand...

That is really brilliant! Thank you.
 
You should ask the front end manager for help. He or She may be able to quickly train one of the front end cashiers on HIPAA and have that person help you for the week.
Or maybe even a front end manager can work back in the pharmacy. I believe all the managers at CVS are HIPAA certified.
 
npage148 said:
You just go after what hurts. They could care less that the wait is 2 hours and you're backed up. Call them and they will just shrug and say I'm trying. Destroy their payroll budget and problems get fixed.
Click to expand...


Well when your Triple S scores start going down the DM starts to clamp down and pay more attention.
 
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