Kevin's Watch

They definitely should Wayfriend

Yeah, that's pretty accurate. My work requires a minimum notice of 60 minutes before your start time if you're calling in sick. As the first person in, I literally can't call in because there's no one there. Fortunately I don't get sick very often (hope I didn't jinx myself there), and there have only been about two occasions in the past five years when I realllly needed the option to call in. I dragged myself in both times, and my request to leave early was denied both times. But it's a new regime now, and we'll see if anything has changed. We're super understaffed right now, so the new boss hasn't been thrilled when people have called out, but I hope to get enough reputation before it's necessary because I don't ask unless it's really serious. (First time I was denied was the day after I was in a hit-and-run and I thought I was bleeding internally, second time I had a fever of 104 and kept getting dizzy spells. That boss was, as Ali would say, a Doink.)

Yeah, I barely ever take off sick myself. Only once this year IIRc, although that was for 2 days.

We just have to notify somebody before 10am. And we're very flexible about people needing to leave early and stuff.

Legally allowed up to 10 paid sick days a year. (Although for some reason, the law couches it as 30 days every 3 years, so after 3 years it re-sets again.)

As for how I feel, well, it's Friday. Only 1 more week and then I've taken 7 days leave, which factoring in weekends and a public holiday, will give me 12 consecutive days off.

Then I still have 11 days left that I have to take before the end of the year or else forfeit them, so I'll take those over December / Jan.

(We get 15 legally mandated days of paid leave a year, and after 3 years the company gives an extra 6 days bonus leave, so I get 21 days, plus the 12 public holidays. (Excepting any that happen to fall on a Saturday.))

--A

Sorus that is fucked up ... and stupid .. not letting you go home, when you would have observable symptoms like dizziness and fever .. what a dumbass .. Ali is way too kind.

You are a liability being sick at work .. its counter productive to make someone come in and force them to stay their entire shift .. plus the likelihood that MORE staff will come down sick is higher when making sick people show up.

If someone came in sick .. Id send them home. Some might kick up a stink but I dont care .. I dont want that shit myself .. I hate being sick. If youre sick .. get the fuck out of my work place .. and stay out till you are at least non contagious .. FFS ..

This sort of shit grinds my gears

Not sure Ive quite sworn enough .. so fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck

Skyweir wrote:
You are a liability being sick at work .. its counter productive to make someone come in and force them to stay their entire shift .. plus the likelihood that MORE staff will come down sick is higher when making sick people show up.

I was driving a forklift that day, so yeah. HUGE liability. Bossman had a total apoplectic meltdown the instant I asked to go home. Zero to screamy in a split second. "Are you saying you can't do your job?!?! Are you telling me you can't do your job?!?!"

It didn't seem like yes would do any wonders for my health. I told him not to call an ambulance if I passed out because I couldn't afford it. I think he actually looked at me then and realized I was dead serious, and he calmed down a bit, but he didn't change his mind.

I think the only thing that got me through that day was white-hot fury and willing him to spontaneously combust. (Didn't happen. Conclusive evidence that I have no mutant superpowers.)

I realized a while later that that was right about the time he realized he'd gotten his crazy GF pregnant, and thinking he was going to be saddled with my whole workload was probably the proverbial last straw that day, but still. Not cool.

Good grief sorry Sorus. My last workplace was bad but not THAT bad. They would just call me when I was sick.

"Hey Sam where is the XYZ file"

Me: "Huh?? Awwww [brain swimming eyes drooping] I think in the P:drive under Financials or something"

"What should we tell John Doe company about payments"

Me: "Tell them I'm deliriously sick and they can wait a heaven for sake day"

etc

I tell myself that my experiences will be useful to me as a writer, but when I attempt to use fictionalized versions of work stuff I almost inevitably have to tone it down to make it believable. Truth is truly stranger than fiction.

Saw Wicked at the theatre last night. Third time I've seen it, and honestly not the best performance of it I've seen, but it's always good. Had an excellent Glinda, which is pretty important.

Oh, nice. I wouldn't mind seeing Wicked again. Only seen it once.

I have yet to see it. Read the book, and enjoyed that.

Feels like it's Monday.

On the plus side, only have to get through this week, then nearly 2 weeks off.

Roll on the weekend.

--A

I'd give an eye for two weeks off. Though not one of mine.

Move out here and get a job where employees have some rights too...

--A

Oh I wish you would Sorus .. move to SA or anywhere you will get better working conditions.

Wednesday...only 3 days 'til I'm on leave, but they're going to be busy ones...

--A

Technically we have rights here; they just don't seem to care. And that's fascinating to me. Even if they don't care about me, they should care about the legal ramifications and whatnot. Every now and then someone gets fed up enough to make a complaint - the company gets fined, people get fired, and for a week or so, they're in a flurry of pretending to care. And then it goes back to normal. Short memories? Lack of basic self-preservation?

Stupidity cannot be ruled out.

Of course, the answer is to keep making complaints until it becomes more cost effective to treat people properly than to ignore it and pay the occasional fine.

One and a half days 'til leave, and most stuff that had to be done is done. Counting down...

--A

The joys of impending leave .. I remember that well

mmm .. thats kinda different Sors from actually having rights and fair work standards and conditions that are upheld.

SA is looking a lot better option

Avatar wrote:Stupidity cannot be ruled out.

There's a saying I'm rather fond of - "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."


Unfortunately, at least a couple of my coworkers are stupid and malicious. Should I flip a coin?