Hump Day Vents

kikibaby

Out of 7 employees, 3 are out for stuff with their kids.  It's snowing pretty hard here, so I have a feeling they're total fakey mcfakersons.  I wish I had pretended I had kids when I started working here so that I could take BS days off with the excuse "Oh, my baby is sick".   Anybody else feel like people with kids get a lot more lenience at work in taking time off?

tidetravel

Could they be out because schools were cancelled and they had to stay home w/ the kids?

J&K10910

My FI's company doesn't allow people to take time off work if their kids are sick.  So they have to lie and say they're sick.  Then again, this is the same company that told an employee if she left work to go to the hospital because she was pregnant, having contractions, and bleeding, she'd lose her job.  She miscarried the baby in the bathroom. 

kdcwedding

I think so. I get angry when people get lenience for a lot of things. I don't take smoke breaks, but other people do and take an hour lunch and that's ok? My hump day vent is that next monday is my third unpaid day off, and tons of people have been working without pay anyway. I REFUSE to do this. No way. I don't care if that makes me look bad.

kikibaby

Schools are open today, but their kids aren't school-age anyway. (all in the 2-5 age range)

kschwedic

Where I work, employees with children are alotted a few more hours a year to take off for school-related activities.  Anything else has to come out of the regular annual/sick leave that we get each month.  One girl I work with isn't able to take her lunch until 3:30 because that's when she has to pick them up from school.  A lot of people are off for their kids, but they don't take off for any other reason.

jennylee753

Yeah I hear you on that. Plus people that smoke - they barely work. They are too busy smoking.

kdcwedding

J&K, that is possibly the most horrific thing I have ever read. I would have said "Fine, fire me" and walked out. Wow...just wow.

cmhershey

Holy crap J&K!  My vent is that I'm so sick of the rain.  Its been raining off and on since Saturday here.  And its that cold, windy rain that makes you not want to be out and about at all.  Yuk.

sucrets4

Yes, and a friend of mine would always complain about a former coworker.  Said coworker was a pita, though.  Her kids would call her and whine in the middle of the day.  We're teachers.Oh, and she also didn't believe in homework and told her kid's teachers that her kids wouldn't do any because it infringed on family time.My vent:Dear pre-k teacher, I'm sorry you didn't know that yesterday was Tuesday and that you only come to my class on M-W-F.  However, I'm kinda pissed that you called the office to ask if *I* was out and didn't have a sub, because they called my MS principal and it resulted in her worrying and calling my house looking for me.  I was at work, where I was supposed to me.kthanks-sucrets

J&K10910

Ditto on the smokers!  When I worked at a restaurant, the smokers were always allowed to go outside for a smoke break as long as they were caught up with their tables or didn't have any.  When they put me in the smoking section one night, and I was half dying because I have asthma, and I wanted to go outside for some fresh air for a minute and didn't have any tables, they didn't let me.  WTF?  I was pissed (and about 5 minutes away from an asthma attack) and I went anyway.  I got written up.

sucrets4

supposed to *be

J&K10910

Yeah, if I were her, I also would have left.  Then, if they had fired me, I would have slapped them with a wrongful termination suit so fast their heads would spin for a month.

vicmo5

I hate to ruin the mood here, but I'm having an awesome day! Nay, an awesome week! Because my least favorite co-worker is on vacation.  It's pretty much a vacation for me despite the fact I have extra work to do.

MeaghanandMichael

wtf J7K, that just suucks. My vent is that I am reallly freakin' tired this week for absolutely no reason. Well, I am fighting a cold, but I am also getting tons of rest and taking care of myself.

kdcwedding

Mandy, I will agree with you that when you have kids, they should be your priority. But I also think some places do give a little too much preferential treatment to parents. I can't complain, as I have been able to work from home for personal matters, as others have been able to for kid issues. But if I wasn't given the same accomodations, then I would be annoyed. When you choose to have kids, you need to alter how you manage things, work shouldn't adjust to you.

kschwedic

Sucrets--don't tell me the pre-k teacher is an idiot.  I have to spend two hours observing her Nov. 3.

LesPaul

Wow, J&K, that's awful.  We are allowed to use our sick days for family members too - kids or elderly.  I definitely think some people do take advantage of the kid excuse - I work with someone who does.  I have tried to not be one of those people, but have had to miss work on occasion when they were younger.  However, I meet my deadlines, come in early/stay late, and work at home to make up for it.

tidetravel

OMG JK - that's awful.  I'm pretty sure that someone would have been fired for that.  And it wouldn't have been me.

kikibaby

I agree that kids are more important than work, which is why I will probably be a SAHM (my current salary would barely cover day care costs).But, if you DO work, you have made a commitment.  It hurts the people you work with when you take time off for your kids all. the. time.  Seriously, my one co-workers takes off at least 2-3 days a month for "sick kids".  There's nothing chronically wrong with them.  It just seems like it's probably not real most of the time to me.  It also seems like no coincidence that on a snowy, crappy day, every person with young children is out with "sick kids".

freckled*bride

a rather large handfull of the people I work with smoke. So they take at least 1 break/hour to go smoke for 5 or 10 minutes...I never take a break...but I often go home the 1/2 hour early instead. Somedays I'd like to tell my boss (who is my dad) that I'm going home at 3 because if 1/2 the staff get 8 -10 minute breaks a day to smoke, then everyone should get those breaks too!

J&K10910

Tide, I couldn't agree more.  When FI told me, my jaw hit the floor and I had tears in my eyes for this poor woman.  I can't imagine staying like she did, though FI says she's kind of passive and quiet, plus I assumed she was terrified.  They're so lucky she didn't hemorrhage or something.  Oh it makes me sick.  I hate his bosses SO much.  They're awful people.

BarefootContessa

The smoking thing is a pet peeve of mine as well. I work in an office where our receptionist is smoker. She takes at least two (usually three) 15 minute breaks a day in addition to her lunch hour. I wouldn't care but I have to cover her desk while she is gone and if she doesn't go at the EXACT time that she feels she needs to go she gets reallllly crappy. I feel like a.) You should notice that no one else around you is taking 15 minute breaks during the day. b.) The fact that you do get to take those breaks is a luxury and you shouldn't treat people like crap just because they are five minutes late to replace you-- HELLO it is work and that is why we are here!My BF is also a smoker. He does not smoke at ALL during his work day, unless he leaves for lunch. It is possible.

tidetravel

JK - I've had the displeasure of knowing people like that.  I just trust in karma and know that they'll get their turn, someday.  Part of me just wishes that I could be there to witness it.

J&K10910

Amen to that, Tide.  Amen.  I could write a book on problems I have with those people.  Especially lately.  I do hope they get theirs.

LesPaul

oh, the smokers.  I used to work with a guy who bragged all the time about coming in at 4am every day.  But took 10 smoke breaks (yes, we counted) before lunch!  So subtract the 3+ hours a day he was outside smoking, he didn't work any more than the rest of us.

Stackeye210

I hate when parents say their kid is sick when they really aren't - I feel like it's bad karma and will come back twice as bad.......and it's not fair to put the kid at risk for their wanting to be home from work for no good reason.  BUT - this is coming from me, who has a sister who told her old job that her son (my nephew) has epilepsy.  SERIOUSLY?  He's perfectly healthy.  Who does that?  I think she has mental issues.  Actually, I know she does.  And KARMA as I am convinced it is, she is trying to have another baby and can't get pregnant. 

mandysmear

Who are we to biitch about work ethic, smoke breaks and sick days?  We're on the knot while working. Our receptionist takes smoke breaks.  One in the morning, one in the afternoon in addition to her lunch.  No one says boo.  Instead of a smoke break, I waste time on here.  My old boss encouraged us to get up and walk around for 5-15 minutes at a time.

freckled*bride

The other thing I hate about the smokers - is that they take their last puff as they're walking through the door to come back in. Then come breathe on you. Umm, hello. You smell like an ashtray. Come back after you have a breath mint, or 12.

freckled*bride

good point, Mandy...but I can still biitch about their ashtray scent, okay?

kikibaby

I'm only on here when I don't have anything else to do.  My work is answering phones, and working on files that are assigned to me.  If i'm caught up on files and the phone isn't ringing... I have nothing to do.