Is this BS? (Snow / Job / Work From Home/ Eff You)

Wontgetcaught

Hi there. so I work for a call center. For...8 years now.

We all have the ability to work from home, ideally, but whenever snow hits or at least the last two storms, it seems my internet has gone down or not maintained a stable enough connection to be able to properly VPN into the system and take phone calls. Today, I wake up, notice the bouncing internet, see all the snow, ask if the computer room is open, and seconadrily if I can take a sick day so I don't need to deal with this internet and don't have to travel through the snow to fight a broken lock to get into the computer room.

The response from my boss is "Go for it, second leg hasn't hit yet, and we can't cover like last time because (superior <name 1>) and (superior <name 2>) worked all day and I'm off today".

I am of the mind that I should hypothetically be allowed to take any amount of my sick time any time I want, and a snow storm and a STRONG desire to not get a migraine from fighting my fucking internet is a good a reason as any.

Thus - when taking a sick day am I subject to what OTHER people have done that day? And if I travel in the snow and get stuck who exactly do I go to in HR to run this department into the ground?

bowen

It depends on your state.

The answer is generally "yes" because companies can do whatever they want.

The caveat being "are you willing to not have a job?"

If you're okay with losing it, feel free to take the sick day and go "I don't care, it's my accrued time so I am using it" when people tell you their sob stories. But don't be surprised when you're called in and given a warning or dismissed because of it.

Kyougu

Every job I ever worked, the general policy is that any time off that you request hinges on the approval of management, which usually takes account how many people are in and if the work can be covered without you.

So yeah, it may be a dick move but it's pretty par the course.

Enc

That's a whole set of questions only answerable by your contract and internal structure of your office.

Psykoma

My company's policy is that you have paid sick time off available to you.
For if you're sick.
If you're not sick, you don't get it.
Because that's what it's there for.

Some companies have rollover sick time, though I don't think I've ever heard of a company where sick time is essentially treated as vacation time.

It's not a dick move just because you know, you're not actually sick, and want to take sick time.
So they want to make sure that they aren't going to be fucked over by doing you (call it what it is) a favour.

Even if you said you were taking vacation time you'd still be subject to that. Most companies have policies which say "You have to notify your supervisors 1 week/1 month in advance of taking it", which can balloon up to half a year in advance for taking vacation during/around major holidays.


I think your whole "run this department into the ground" thing displays a general lack of of knowledge as to what your employers owe you.


(I am willing to eat all this if it turns out you live in an area I've not heard of where everything you've described is the law)

Jasconius

you are only subject to it in the sense that you are subject to your bosses liking you

Holler

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tinwhiskers

Wontgetcaught wrote: »

I am of the mind that I should hypothetically be allowed to take any amount of my sick time any time I want, and a snow storm and a STRONG desire to not get a migraine from fighting my fucking internet is a good a reason as any.

Thus - when taking a sick day am I subject to what OTHER people have done that day? And if I travel in the snow and get stuck who exactly do I go to in HR to run this department into the ground?

You may be of the mind of something, but you are wrong. Sick time is for when you are ill.

Thus your boss allowing you to use sick time knowing you aren't sick, predicated on other people being available to cover, means he is giving you a benefit you aren't actually owed.

So either get your internet fixed, get some Blizzaks on your car, or take the 'no show' hit.

bowen

Many businesses in the US are calling it personal time as well, so, be careful with the wording. Personal time is kind of like special sick time that can be applied if you have to run an errand (DMV/Court/Other appointment).

So what we may be calling sick time, OP's benefits might call personal time instead.

Either way it's accrued time, being sick or personal is just a description.

In the future if you want to play hooky or not drive in dangerous conditions, take the sick day as if you were sick. No one's going to tell on you and you only have your conscience to tell you otherwise.

Enc

Eh, depending on the types of leave you accrue that could be not great though. My workplace grants Annual leave and Sick Leave. Annual can be applied to sick leave times but not the other way around, so when possible you should always use annual so that if a real disaster occurs you have your sick.

But it all depends on your contract, really. Look it over and see what your requirements are and what the company has to provide you.

DevoutlyApathetic

bowen wrote: »

In the future if you want to play hooky or not drive in dangerous conditions, take the sick day as if you were sick. No one's going to tell on you and you only have your conscience to tell you otherwise.

This is what is comes down to. Calling in sick for me is and always has been "I won't be in today" if I'm feeling gregarious "I'm not feeling well." and leave it at that. By explaining you essentially admitted up front that you weren't sick, you just didn't feel like driving in and don't meet the requirements to work from home.

Bowen is on the money that how much this matters really needs some context. Will they be happy? Probably not. Are they going to fire you for one unexpected absence? Maybe, but they'll have a really hard time fighting unemployment which is about the only general thing you can safeguard yourself against.

Keep in mind this works for me because I generally haven't worked for assholes and typically only miss a couple days a year. If that second one isn't true then you need to consider that in how you deal with this sort of thing.

Pantshandshake

The way to call out sick for me has always been "stomach problems." That covers an entire range of issues that most people aren't going to want to question you on, and generally speaking you don't want those kinds of things in your office anyway.

Maguano

When I worked in a call center, and there was a snow day, they basically operated under the rule of "don't care that its snowing, we area (inter)national call center (based in NJ). They operate under their own rules, so to speak.. While yes, they are concerned for employee safety, but if we couldn't make it in, it was an unpaid day unless you wanted to use a vacation day. sick days were for when you were sick. period. also realize that you are calling out "sick" the day after the super bowl...

dispatch.o

Yeah. This is going to vary by state. In TN at a well known hospital, if you called in and it was snowing you had to see a physician and bring a note or you could not use sick time. You also could not use vacation time.

The reason being that if everyone thinks driving in snow is dumb and calls in sick, no one already there can leave. It becomes a patient care issue.

I don't know how it works at your employer, but within each state rules can vary a lot.