I work 7am-5pm at a family practice with a pretty big organization. It's been a year since I've been here. I'm always having to stay 30min-1hr late and sometimes my lunch gets shortened (or no lunch). I work 9 hour days, granted I get 1 hour lunch, but sometimes I end up working 10 hour days (sometimes no lunch) for 5 days of the week. If the providers don't come looking for me at 5pm, I check the schedule to make sure nothing would possibly be needed and if all is good I leave. But that's only to come into work the next day with my boss telling me about provider's complaint that they came looking for me at 5:20pm or so and I wasn't there. The provider's know I'm scheduled only until 5pm. I was asked to wait everyday until all patients are checked out – it has been until 6-7pm. I have asked to get my hours switched to accommodate for the evening patients, but it will leave the morning patients waiting until I come in. I've asked to be on the same schedule as providers, 10 hr days 4 days a week …but of course they don't have the staffing for the one day I'm not there. They don't want their staff to go into overtime, but …I am.
I'm always willing to give up my lunch to help, or stay late, but I feel like my time is not being respected. I feel like management is not treating me fairly. We are not a trauma clinic; everything we do is routine and based on appointments. I get management's reason – if we can squeeze them in our department's schedule the day of their doctor's visit, it will save the patient's time so they don't have to come back. So am I wrong for wanting to leave at my scheduled time?
This is taking a toll on me. Staying 5-10 minutes later is not a big deal, but when it's 30min-1hr every. single. day? What would you do? What would you say?