I Don't Think We're Sick Anymore.
Around the first week of April, I had one last day of mandatory training for my job, even though I have actually been behind the wheel since the middle of February. I'd known it was coming; they call it the 'breakfast meeting,' since they serve breakfast there, but what I wasn't expecting was for it to have a start time of 6:30am. Now, this probably doesn't come as a surprise to other people who have jobs in an office environment,but I don't have an office job. I have a night job that can sometimes go until 3:00am. Fortunately for me, they have DOT regulations that got me home from work by 11:00pm the night before.
DOT does not, however, hold any sway over the functioning of the body. It was right around this point that I realized my two-week-long cold had re-manifested as a sinus infection. Now, that sucks, but it's not nearly as bad as A's realization that he had a vicious case of stomach flu/food poisoning. There was not much sleeping to be had that week, between the violent regurgitation of former solids and the necessary clean up. As a precaution, I threw out anything he ate or prepared that week, then sanitized every surface I could reach, hoping against hope that my immune system would stay strong.
So, I showed up to my meeting, bleary-eyed, with a very stubborn sinus headache, and was greeted with the news that I would not be getting two days off over the weekend to recuperate. No, indeed. No one would be allowed those days off. If you call in sick on a day you've been mandated to work, then you get an abscence occurrence, AND an insubordination memo. Basically, it's two strikes in one.
So finally, the big wigs sat there in front of us trying to make friendly. When it came time to ask any questions or express any concerns about the training process, I waited for everyone to finish and I raised my hand.
You see, new employees go through a period of 'probation' where you're not allowed to screw up, be late, miss work, or get into an accident. Obviously, most of these things do happen anyway. The scary part is this: during probabtion, the company can fire you at any time for any reason. Now, if ONE of the forbidden events happens, they simply extend your probabtionary period -- which means they have a longer period of time in which they can fire you for no reason if they want to. If two or more events take place, well, it's sort of up to their discretion as to what happens. If you make it through the probabtionary period, then you're protected by the union. Now, I'd already cracked a mirror, which in probabtion is considered an accident, but when your mirror overhangs the curb as far as ours do, it's an inevitability. Calling in sick on a day I'd been mandated to work would have given me two more marks on my record.
When I was called on, I politely explained that I could work through having a cold, and a sinus infection, and that I understood having to work through my grandmother's funeral, but I didn't think I could still come to work when I had the stomach flu. Therefore, I thought it would be better if, given the circumstances of probationary employees, they at least made an effort to get me my days off every week.
The lady in employee relations turned slightly purple as she opened her mouth to rip me a new one. The gentleman in charge of dispatch looked ashamed and embarrased on her behalf. She continued to read me the riot act about how all employees are mandated to work at times, and how probationary employees are not excluded from that.
I explained that there were several instances in which probationary employees are not included in the normal rotation of assigned work, and not given the protection of the union's attendance policy, and, though I understood her point, I still believed that I had a valid issue. She harumphed and hollered. The gentleman in dispatch rubbed his brow and said quietly that if there was an emergency, obviously something could be worked out.
I let the issue drop, but when I called in for my assigned work that weekend, I found that I had been given none. I didn't ask a second time, I simply enjoyed my days off.
---
A was so sick he ended up being out of work for a week. I don't ever remember being or seeing anyone so miserable as he was, and he ended up getting a urinary tract infection on top of it, I think because he was so dehydrated. He actually went to the doctor twice. Willingly. Normally I have to threaten and beg to get him to go. So that really says something.
I, fortuately, dodged the stomach flu bullet. I'm still taking meds for the sinus infection, but it should be gone soon. And I got my days off again this weekend! Tomorrow I have to go 'vote' for what work I'll be doing this summer. Seeing as I'm at the bottom of the seniority list, it will probably suck, but I'm just hoping they let me stay working nights.
DOT does not, however, hold any sway over the functioning of the body. It was right around this point that I realized my two-week-long cold had re-manifested as a sinus infection. Now, that sucks, but it's not nearly as bad as A's realization that he had a vicious case of stomach flu/food poisoning. There was not much sleeping to be had that week, between the violent regurgitation of former solids and the necessary clean up. As a precaution, I threw out anything he ate or prepared that week, then sanitized every surface I could reach, hoping against hope that my immune system would stay strong.
So, I showed up to my meeting, bleary-eyed, with a very stubborn sinus headache, and was greeted with the news that I would not be getting two days off over the weekend to recuperate. No, indeed. No one would be allowed those days off. If you call in sick on a day you've been mandated to work, then you get an abscence occurrence, AND an insubordination memo. Basically, it's two strikes in one.
So finally, the big wigs sat there in front of us trying to make friendly. When it came time to ask any questions or express any concerns about the training process, I waited for everyone to finish and I raised my hand.
You see, new employees go through a period of 'probation' where you're not allowed to screw up, be late, miss work, or get into an accident. Obviously, most of these things do happen anyway. The scary part is this: during probabtion, the company can fire you at any time for any reason. Now, if ONE of the forbidden events happens, they simply extend your probabtionary period -- which means they have a longer period of time in which they can fire you for no reason if they want to. If two or more events take place, well, it's sort of up to their discretion as to what happens. If you make it through the probabtionary period, then you're protected by the union. Now, I'd already cracked a mirror, which in probabtion is considered an accident, but when your mirror overhangs the curb as far as ours do, it's an inevitability. Calling in sick on a day I'd been mandated to work would have given me two more marks on my record.
When I was called on, I politely explained that I could work through having a cold, and a sinus infection, and that I understood having to work through my grandmother's funeral, but I didn't think I could still come to work when I had the stomach flu. Therefore, I thought it would be better if, given the circumstances of probationary employees, they at least made an effort to get me my days off every week.
The lady in employee relations turned slightly purple as she opened her mouth to rip me a new one. The gentleman in charge of dispatch looked ashamed and embarrased on her behalf. She continued to read me the riot act about how all employees are mandated to work at times, and how probationary employees are not excluded from that.
I explained that there were several instances in which probationary employees are not included in the normal rotation of assigned work, and not given the protection of the union's attendance policy, and, though I understood her point, I still believed that I had a valid issue. She harumphed and hollered. The gentleman in dispatch rubbed his brow and said quietly that if there was an emergency, obviously something could be worked out.
I let the issue drop, but when I called in for my assigned work that weekend, I found that I had been given none. I didn't ask a second time, I simply enjoyed my days off.
---
A was so sick he ended up being out of work for a week. I don't ever remember being or seeing anyone so miserable as he was, and he ended up getting a urinary tract infection on top of it, I think because he was so dehydrated. He actually went to the doctor twice. Willingly. Normally I have to threaten and beg to get him to go. So that really says something.
I, fortuately, dodged the stomach flu bullet. I'm still taking meds for the sinus infection, but it should be gone soon. And I got my days off again this weekend! Tomorrow I have to go 'vote' for what work I'll be doing this summer. Seeing as I'm at the bottom of the seniority list, it will probably suck, but I'm just hoping they let me stay working nights.