Employers being understanding about the weather conditions

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pixiebean22

Guest
Just wondering if anyone is up against a mean boss who thinks that everyone else should be in work regardless of the weather conditions?

One of my colleagues just arrived into work after leaving her house at 8am, she lives in Blessington. I personally don't see the point in trying that hard to get to work unless it is absolutely essential that you be present but clearly the powers that be think otherwise.

I have also been informed that should weather conditions prevent you from getting to work then you have to take the time off out of your annual leave entitlement.
 
My boss is nice about it. He told me yesterday that his wife wouldnt let him bring his eldest child to school as she wouldnt drive in the conditions to collect the child - so he understands that not everyone is confident on the roads.

Im a ball of terror driving in it - but I do make the effort and dont stay at home unless I really feel there is no way I could get in.

Then again, I can work from home, so if I do stay home because of weather, work still gets done.
 
I'd have no problem phoning in that I couldn't make it, but I did make the effort to get to work yesterday, even if it took me 150 minutes to drive 10 miles. This morning I was able to use public transport for most of the journey, so I got in before 9am.
 
Yeah my employer has allowed us the the freedom to come and go when we want. They trust us to get the work done and won't abuse it. None of us have either. Just needs common sense and for people to co-operate with each other.

Also have to go to work related dinner tonight so they are putting me up in hotel to save me getting taxi at all hours. Unnecessary but very welcome gesture.
 
If anyone lives far away or thinks they won’t make it in we offer them the option of staying in a local hotel. It’s only €48 (plus whatever they spend on their dinner etc) a night so it’s no major cost.

I find the roads are usually quite clear at 6am.
 
I was up at 5am this morning and managed to get to work by 9.10 and still got a stern talking to.

In my old job, when the weather deteriorated so badly last year that dublin bus stopped running buses to my old house my boss still wouldn't let me leave early and I ended up having to walk 3 hours home :(

I just think that while some people may take the mick a bit, safety should be the main concern.
 
Yeah, you use your annual leave around here

3 and half hours from Blessington to somewhere
Somebody will be leaving at 5:30am tomorrow morning to get to work, poor them :(
 
Purple said:
If anyone lives far away or thinks they won’t make it in we offer them the option of staying in a local hotel. It’s only €48 (plus whatever they spend on their dinner etc) a night so it’s no major cost.

I find the roads are usually quite clear at 6am.
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Roads down my way were worse at that time (from lack of use more than anything), driving to the train station the car spun the whole way around on the road but managed to get there in the end.
 
Purple said:
If anyone lives far away or thinks they won’t make it in we offer them the option of staying in a local hotel. It’s only €48 (plus whatever they spend on their dinner etc) a night so it’s no major cost.

I find the roads are usually quite clear at 6am.
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Nice touch Purple. Can't understand many employers attitudes. I know there are always some slackers out there who will abuse any system but the vast majority of employees actually care about their job. They should be treated like adults.
 
Agree with you there Sunny. It seems reasonable to me to allow people who live a greater distance away and have to rely on public transport to get them home a bit of leeway in this weather but then I'm sure employers are faced with the problem that employees who don't live far away will complain, that is the level of begrudgery we have in society these days!
 
pixiebean22 said:
Agree with you there Sunny. It seems reasonable to me to allow people who live a greater distance away and have to rely on public transport to get them home a bit of leeway in this weather but then I'm sure employers are faced with the problem that employees who don't live far away will complain, that is the level of begrudgery we have in society these days!
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Yeah, there are only 8 of us in my company so it is a bit easier but we had a meeting where it was decided that we would try and help people with children, lived further out etc. Even then there was one person who lived 5 minutes walk moaning about how it wasn't fair. Until I pointed out to her that I am covering for her at Christmas so she can go home!
 
Sunny said:
Yeah, there are only 8 of us in my company so it is a bit easier but we had a meeting where it was decided that we would try and help people with children, lived further out etc. Even then there was one person who lived 5 minutes walk moaning about how it wasn't fair. Until I pointed out to her that I am covering for her at Christmas so she can go home!
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While I don't think anyone should be allowed special privileges over anyone else in a company in these circumstances a bit of understanding goes a long way. I mean if I was to leave work at the normal time to try and get my train home in these conditions I would more than likely miss it and then I would be stranded for the night.
 
Sunny said:
Nice touch Purple. Can't understand many employers attitudes. I know there are always some slackers out there who will abuse any system but the vast majority of employees actually care about their job. They should be treated like adults.
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Totally agree Sunny. In my workplace a lot of people from further places had easier journeys as the main motorways were clear while the people with short trips had to go over bad roads. Some people dont have much access to public transport either, and some people have cars that handle better than others. Its quite an individual thing.

I came in from Firhouse and its very bad up there - but even a mile down the road to Tallaght and it wasnt so bad. I think leeway should be given if people are genuinely stuck - as I was digging my car out of a drift this morning I had second thoughts but not because I just wanted to slack off, because I wondered if it was going to be that bad all the way.
 
In my place (public sector), people have recourse to their annual leave if they can't make it in.

Some people go to a lot of trouble to make it in and it woudn't be fair if those who didn't/couldn't got a freebie.
 
From one side I'm fairly fortunate; I can work from home if needs be, plus I have an allocation of work to be completed, once it is completed my employer is happy whether I take a full week to do it or get through it in less time and that when not in the office I check messages etc reguarly.

However, I'd understand it if they did impose a strict rule during weather conditions. I mean, today, this week is nowhere near as bad as last year got and public transport hasn't been that heavily hit.

The problem is that while people think of themselves as separate and what difference does it make if they alone aren't in the workplace, it's still a huge cost to the employer, especially when you multiply it by everyone else who feels they should be allowed to stay home.

The problem is that yet again, even though there was ample warning and notice, there is no plan for this rather tame weather and employers/business is expected to pick up the tab for it.

Your employer doesn't tell you where to live, that's your choice, if you can't make it in for whatever reason, then that's what the annual leave system is for.
 
Latrade said:
.........then that's what the annual leave system is for.
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Would many people have days left in their annual leave allocation at this stage of the year? We have to use ours up and are chased throughout the year to ensure we have plans made and not be keeping lots of days (so the whole office doesnt take off in December).
 
Latrade said:
.. this week is nowhere near as bad as last year got
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Depends where you live. Where I live the snow this week has been far greater than any time in the past 10 years, i.e. since we bought the house. When my wife went to the DART yesterday, the 2 previous ones had been cancelled, tripling the number of people waiting for a DART that wasn't likely to arrive 'til the one broken down at the station ahead had been resolved.

The numbers of people at the bus stops were far more than usual.

And it took me the guts of 2 hours to travel 4 miles, after which the next 6 took me about 30 minutes :rolleyes:.
 
pixiebean22 said:
I was up at 5am this morning and managed to get to work by 9.10 and still got a stern talking to.

In my old job, when the weather deteriorated so badly last year that dublin bus stopped running buses to my old house my boss still wouldn't let me leave early and I ended up having to walk 3 hours home :(

I just think that while some people may take the mick a bit, safety should be the main concern.
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If you were meant to be in at 9 and got a stern talking to because of 10 mins I know what I would tell my boss. It is irresponsible to stop people going home when buses stop and causing them to walk for 3 hours.

When dealing with someone like that I would just ring in sick.
 
"Your employer doesn't tell you where to live, that's your choice, if you can't make it in for whatever reason, then that's what the annual leave system is for. "

In my opinion, that's a ridiculous thing to say. In this day and age people can't be very picky about their job let alone the distance to travel to said job, most people are not in a position to turn work down even if it does involve a heavy commute.

Agree with what truthseeker, Tarfhead and Sue Ellen have said.
 
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