horrible icy weather, should i call in?

[onewithbooks]

hello all enaers!

 

i need some advice on this one. our area is currently suffering from an ice storm. its supposed to last all day today and tomorrow. my shift to work is the 1pm to 10 pm. I live 45 min from work, and I work at a university. I also take courses at a local community college that is about 20 min away. The community college had enough common sense to cancel day classes, but the university has not made that decision.

 

Here is the problem: This storm is not supposed to let up. Should I try and go in to work? The rest of the staff that I work with they get there at 8 and leave at 5. I am the only full time staff member who works at night. If i get there, then i am afraid the university wont let us close early and I will be driving in this. to make matters worse the town that the university is in doesnt salt their roads. they put down cinders, and for the last storm they didnt even do that.

 

I always hate to call in because it means someone from the day shift has to work my shift, but really, I dont think this place is worth my life. Even if they close at 4 or 5 which i doubt, I am driving 2 hours to work for 4 or 5 hours. Its not really worth it. I just dont get why they cant close.

 

What should I do?

[greensleeves]

I'd take the day off and stay cozy and warm at home Chances are they'll close early anyway if the storm keeps up and they won't expect anyone from the dayshift to cover for you. If you're worried that they may give you a hard time, you can tell a teeny white lie and say you can't get into your car because of the ice.

[rose2summer]

I would call in sick, don't even say it's the weather, that way they can't say a thing back.

 

Having personally lost 2 friends to car accidents in bad weather conditions, I want you to ask yourself, do you really think your work would care if something happened to you?

 

Look after yourself because I guarantee you that you are just an employee and just that.

 

You are your #1 priority when it comes to the business world.

 

Hugs, Rose

[shoppingGirl]

Call in! It's not worth risking an accident or worse to get to work for one day. They will understand why you can't come in so please, stay home. Get cozy like greensleeves said and get in your p.j.'s with a hot cup of coffee, or tea and relax. Enjoy your snow day!

[EQD]

lucky you, the storm didnt start until after i got to work.. now we are iced in!!

ugh!

[sidehop]

Ice is nasty...there's not one thing you can do unlike snow. Stay safe! Stay home

[rose2summer]

At first I was complaining because it's so hot 80-90degrees and humid where I am at, but I really feel for you guys in storms.

 

Stay safe please! We all want our fellow ENAers to be safe.

 

Hugs, Rose

[d24]

I'd go into work. It probably isn't as dangerous on the roads as you think, and what if you got fired? (hey I've heard of dismissals for less than this?). Besides, you might not even get paid for a bad weather day - and what are you going to do at home which would be more productive than working?

 

However if you really don't wanna go in...

 

If your supervisor/manager is cool, by all means let them know that the roads are really bad and leave the ball in their court. If they say "well do you think you could come in" be honest and tell them "yes but the roads are so icy i dont want to have an accident". If they do force you to come in at least you have their cudos and respect for doing so. And it solves the dilemma if their response is "hey well if it's going to be too dangerous don't put yourself in danger - we can get Bill to cover, he lives much closer".

 

Just my 2cents.

[onewithbooks]

I would call in sick, don't even say it's the weather, that way they can't say a thing back.

 

Having personally lost 2 friends to car accidents in bad weather conditions, I want you to ask yourself, do you really think your work would care if something happened to you?

 

Look after yourself because I guarantee you that you are just an employee and just that.

 

You are your #1 priority when it comes to the business world.

 

Hugs, Rose

 

Thank you for your responses Greensleeves and Rose2summer! I appreciate them. I would call in sick, but I have already talked to them this morning, so they would know thats not true.

 

That is just it I really know they wouldnt care, but its my immeadiate co-workers you know?

 

I am sure they (the admin) wont lose any sleep over me worrying about the roads and whether or not I get home. I just hate to leave the fellow ones in the lurch.

 

I doubt they will close just because they see us as an "essential" service. That is what they said during the last ice storm. they didnt even cancel classes. They left it up to the teacher's discretion, and kept us open. they said that they wouldnt even consider closing us unless classes were "offically" cancelled. the weather service said if the schools were debating they should err on the side of closing. God I hope my school hears that. All of the grade and high schools in the area have closed.

 

Normally I dont mind going into work. Everyone else I work worth has a normal 8-5, but since I am the 1-10 nights and weekends, my schedule does a drastic changes about 5 times a year depending on the time of the semester. I have done this for 7 years. Its not like I call off all the time. I just wanted to say that so you know what kind of employee I am.

 

Again thank you for your replies, i really appreciate them!!

[onewithbooks]

as a side edit: the school was putting on a perfomance of a play, they have cancelled the morning one, but the night one is on. soo frustrating.

[Blue Skittles]

Well no one is going to send you a thank-you card for going in so I would stay at home and call in sick.

[annie24]

if it's too dangerous to drive, you should get off the roads. we had a bad ice storm this weekend also, many people have died this winter due to bad road conditions, or wound up in ditches.

 

can you take a bus into work instead? that is a possibility.

[Angel_baby]

My husband tried to call because our vehicle is stuck due to this ice storm, they made him walk to work or be fired.

[Mythical_Suicide]

And I thought it was crazy that my town closed down if we even have half an inch of snow or the threat of ice. Maybe it isn't so bad, then again seeing snow or ice for us is a historical event.

If your life is in endanger by traveling to work, I would simply call in and tell them you can't make it. Because really, you aren't any good if you get into an accident and seriously injure yourself or worse. It's crappy that most employers don't care enough about their employees life to want them safe no matter what.

[greensleeves]

I don't know what time zone you're in...how many hours before you're supposed to start? Maybe more cancellations will start coming in and they'll decide to cancel. If you're a good employee, I doubt that the admin. or your fellow employees will think less of you for not wanting to risk getting into a bad accident.

 

Have you decided what you're going to do?

[Sweet Buttabean Jellayroll]

what do you mean what should you do? if an employee called out beacuse of an ice storm i would fire them, or fine them a heafy amount.

[onewithbooks]

Thanks everyone for the replies!!! I called in to talk to the director to see if she had heard anything, and she said no. She then said, if you dont want to come in and drive in this, I understand, I will work for you. (she lives like 2 min away from the school) How awesome is that! Heck to the admin, my boss cares!! Now I am just going to pray that they close early so my co workers can go home!

 

Again thank you to everyone for responding, it was great to see other opinions!

[greensleeves]

^^^I don't think buttabean's they stay home and get cozy type

[greensleeves]

Thanks everyone for the replies!!! I called in to talk to the director to see if she had heard anything, and she said no. She then said, if you dont want to come in and drive in this, I understand, I will work for you. (she lives like 2 min away from the school) How awesome is that! Heck to the admin, my boss cares!! Now I am just going to pray that they close early so my co workers can go home!

 

Again thank you to everyone for responding, it was great to see other opinions!

 

Good news...you have a nice boss! Enjoy your guilt-free snow day

[Ash]

I'd go into work. It probably isn't as dangerous on the roads as you think, and what if you got fired? (hey I've heard of dismissals for less than this?). Besides, you might not even get paid for a bad weather day - and what are you going to do at home which would be more productive than working?

 

However if you really don't wanna go in...

 

Not sure if you've experience the types of ice storms that can occur in parts of North America. They're not to be triffled with sometimes. I'd offer up the suggestion that it's MORE dangerous than most people realize. It all comes to light too tragically too often when there's a 50 car pileup because breaking distances go up by an order of magnitude in many cases.

 

hello all enaers!

i need some advice on this one. our area is currently suffering from an ice storm. its supposed to last all day today and tomorrow. my shift to work is the 1pm to 10 pm. I live 45 min from work, and I work at a university.

 

What are the police saying? Is there a travel advisory? If so, there's your justification for staying home. If the police are advising or more strongly, asking folks to stay off the road, then it's certainly a reasonable idea to stay off the roads!

 

what do you mean what should you do? if an employee called out beacuse of an ice storm i would fire them, or fine them a heafy amount.

 

That's the poor sort of attitude that mindless managers engage it that causes far more grief than their tiny brains can possibly comprehend. I worked in emergency services for a while and once there, you start to REALLY understand WHY folks shouldn't travel when they don't need to. SBJ, while your underpaid and overworked employees are slipping and sliding into work, needing to be pulled out of ditches and in general adding to the overall chaos on the roads, emergency service crews find the roadways so choked up with traffic that shouldn't be there in the first place that loss of life sometimes occurs. Seriously, your attitude on this subject is misinformed and appallingly poor. From what I understand, you've not actually held down a real job or are responsible to anybody else or for anybody else, so until you get to that point in your life please consider the fact they you may be giving poor advice that could possibly result in loss of life. Either that, or you're joking. Are you?

[Mythical_Suicide]

and what are you going to do at home which would be more productive than working?

 

 

 

You wouldn't be risking your life! That's all that matters.

[onewithbooks]

and what are you going to do at home which would be more productive than working?

 

 

Thanks for your post and 2 cents Quite a lot actually. I will be working on my laptop. I am a student and I have a research project that we would have been working on today in class that i can work on and I have a couple of briefs to write.

 

Now I can just do it all in my jammies!

[Sweet Buttabean Jellayroll]

^^^I don't think buttabean's they stay home and get cozy type

 

damn straght theres work to be done no matter what type of weather is out there. not to offend the OP beacuse thats not what im trying to do but, a snowy ice storm, call out? Im from an area where we get snowstorms and people still gotta get up at 5 am to get to work. and i would go to work/ school during an ice storm beacuse im the hustler type no time for take offs.

[greensleeves]

damn straght theres work to be done no matter what type of weather is out there. not to offend the OP beacuse thats now what im trying to do but, a snowy ice storm, call out? Im from an area where we get snowstorms and people still gotta get up at 5 am to get to work. and i would go to work/ school during an ice storm beacuse im the hustler type no time for take offs.

 

Well, that's you. In the case of an ice or snow storm and people have been advised to stay off of the roads, it would depend on whether or not your job is considered an "essential service" (police, paramedics, hydro,etc.). In that case, it would make sense to make every effort go to work as you would be needed to deal with the problems created by the storm. In my case, or in the OP's case it's not essential, so it makes more sense to stay home than going out and possibly adding to the problems on the roads. As a parent, I would never risk my life on bad roads, especially if there was a traffic advisory. My children having a living and healthy parent always takes priority over my job, or anything for that matter.

[Sweet Buttabean Jellayroll]

Well, that's you. In the case of an ice or snow storm and people have been advised to stay off of the roads, it would depend on whether or not your job is considered an "essential service" (police, paramedics, hydro,etc.). In that case, it would make sense to make every effort go to work as you would be needed to deal with the problems created by the storm. In my case, or in the OP's case it's not essential, so it makes more sense to stay home than going out and possibly adding to the problems on the roads. As a parent, I would never risk my life on bad roads, especially if there was a traffic advisory. My children having a living and healthy parent always takes priority over my job, or anything for that matter.

 

 

well i guess we think different. i'd go if i had kids, i need my money. i dont need to see that sign that says "tenet must vacate premises due to non payment of rent"