I got fired today

[joe2006]

We got a new boss a few months ago and things did not work out too well with him. He is from a different part of the country where he does not get very much snow. He is not used to the heavy snowstorms and the Spring weather we have around here. I happen to live in the mountains and up a one mile long driveway with several feet of snow around it. The temperature is getting warmer and the driveway often times becomes too slippery to drive on this time of the year. The last two days it got so slippery that I could not make it to work. I called the pizza restaurant I work at and told them I was not going to be able to make it to work and the person who answered the phone seemed OK with it and said they would let the boss know.

As you may have read in one of my older posts, about two weeks ago it snowed several feet and our backhoe broke down. I was snowed in for about eleven days until we were able to get it fixed and get the driveway plowed. I guess by missing those eleven days I got under my new boss's skin and he was a little unhappy that I missed so much work, but there was nothing I could do about it. So after I missed work the last couple of days, I decided that I would try to go to work since the road did not look too bad today.

When I got ready to go home, the boss took me into his office and had written me up for missing too many days of work and then told me I was fired. Another coworker, who is a good friend of mine, was so unhappy about him firing me that she quit her job and left work about the same time I did. Now he has lost two good employees. I do not like missing work and do not miss work unless I have no other choice. I am a little upset that I was fired over something that could not be helped.

A few days before I was fired, I managed to get another job fixing computers at my old high school. This is something I have been waiting for over ten years. They wanted to start me out working once a week for a few hours, just to see what my skills are. Since I no longer work at the pizza place I will talk with the people at this computer job and see if they can give me a full time job or at least add a few more days to my schedule. They also know about me living in the mountains and how bad my road is, sometimes.

 

[Schism]

Hope it sorts out for you Joe. Sounds a lot better than Pizza. Boss is a jerk.
Best thing about computer work is a lot can be done from home! Wish you well.

 

[Aspychata]

Hey sorry. The snow thing can really get high. Been there done that. Now l live in a really warm place!

 

[Major Tom]

I have the best of both worlds usually lots of snow in the winter and very hot in the summer. A few years ago, the snow was so bad I couldn't even make it out of our short driveway, much less a mountain pass. You should have asked your boss to drive it haha. He sounds like a jerk.
Hopefully the computer gig works out, I know a lot of people who were running Windows 7 are looking for alternatives, so it just may play out in your favor.
Good luck!

 

[Ken S.]

When I lived in Dallas during the few times it did snow I can remember going to work and being the only one that showed up. After sitting there for thirty minutes I called the production manager who was still in bed to come open the shop or pay me at least half a day for their error. He did both.

 

[VAW]

We got a new boss a few months ago and things did not work out too well with him. He is from a different part of the country where he does not get very much snow. He is not used to the heavy snowstorms and the Spring weather we have around here. I happen to live in the mountains and up a one mile long driveway with several feet of snow around it. The temperature is getting warmer and the driveway often times becomes too slippery to drive on this time of the year. The last two days it got so slippery that I could not make it to work. I called the pizza restaurant I work at and told them I was not going to be able to make it to work and the person who answered the phone seemed OK with it and said they would let the boss know.

As you may have read in one of my older posts, about two weeks ago it snowed several feet and our backhoe broke down. I was snowed in for about eleven days until we were able to get it fixed and get the driveway plowed. I guess by missing those eleven days I got under my new boss's skin and he was a little unhappy that I missed so much work, but there was nothing I could do about it. So after I missed work the last couple of days, I decided that I would try to go to work since the road did not look too bad today.

When I got ready to go home, the boss took me into his office and had written me up for missing too many days of work and then told me I was fired. Another coworker, who is a good friend of mine, was so unhappy about him firing me that she quit her job and left work about the same time I did. Now he has lost two good employees. I do not like missing work and do not miss work unless I have no other choice. I am a little upset that I was fired over something that could not be helped.

A few days before I was fired, I managed to get another job fixing computers at my old high school. This is something I have been waiting for over ten years. They wanted to start me out working once a week for a few hours, just to see what my skills are. Since I no longer work at the pizza place I will talk with the people at this computer job and see if they can give me a full time job or at least add a few more days to my schedule. They also know about me living in the mountains and how bad my road is, sometimes.

Oh my! So sorry you were fired! I live where the winters are cold and snowy too, but I had a really nice boss, and if it snowed he would just tell me to stay home. He knew I hated to drive when it was bad. Some people can be jerks as boss's because he really didn't need to fire you. Glad you at least had other possibilities for employment. Sounds like it may just work out to your advantage though. Good luck~

 

[Varzar]

So.. I live in a snowy area, with about a mile long driveway as well that I maintain with a tractor.. I've also previously been in the position of being a manager with responsibilities that included hiring/firing..

In this case, I'm sorry to say, I have to agree with your manager.. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but hopefully by sharing my perspective, it will help you or others in their employment situations.

So, he's got a pizza place to run. If you can't make it for 11 days because of being snowed in, how is he supposed to run the business? He can't just auto-hire someone else and train them up.. These things take time.. And employees then of course want full time hours, which he can't give multiple people for the same position if he can't rely on the one person he's got to be there when needed..

It is ultimately an employee's responsibility to make sure they can get to work on time, whenever they are scheduled to work..

If you have a lot of snow, you have to be prepared to get out there and get it plowed early so you can get in/out to get to work (something I've had to do on occasion)..

If your tractor breaks, that might excuse you for a day or maybe two.. But that's just enough time to make alternate arrangements to get to work.. An employer shouldn't be expected to wait for parts to come in for your tractor... Not what I'd call reasonable..

If your road gets icy this time of year (which ours also does, like a skating rink), you need to have some sand on hand, bucket it with your tractor, spread it on the road (I do this with a shovel, cause just sprinkling with a bucket wastes a lot of sand you don't need).

If for some reason none of the above are an option, alternatives are still your responsibility as an employee:
Park at the road and walk to the road (with snowshoes if necessary).. A mile is not that far..
Park somewhere accessible year round and take a snowmobile to your car..
Get help from neighbors with road clearing or transportation in unexpected events..
Find a place to live that doesn't require you have to do any of the things listed above..

Remember that it's the employer's responsibility to keep the business running and making money to pay you, and the employee's responsibility to get to work and do a good job while there. It doesn't make sense to have the employer be required to accommodate every employee's individual situation over which they have no control.. That is not part of the employer's responsibility...

And lastly, and almost trivially.. If you're going to call in and say you can't show up for any reason, make sure you talk to the manager directly.. Don't just leave a message with another employee to pass along to the manager.. It's bad form..
1) What if the other employee forgets, the manager finds out at the last minute, and is effectively screwed.
2) What if the other employee doesn't like you much, and presents it to the manager like, "Guess who's not making it to work AGAIN?! Yep.. Joe can't drive in again today.. *eyeroll*".. You should control yourself how such information is presented to the manager.
3) The contractual arrangement is between you and the manager.. Telling the manager this through a third party would be like having a date with a girl, but needing to cancel, and doing so by telling a friend to tell her that you're not gonna make it.. It's disrespectful..

I apologize if all that seems harsh.. Again, my only intent is to be helpful.. I know all too well how much it sucks to lose your job.. Hopefully you and others can benefit from some of the things I've learned by making some of the same mistakes in the past..
Good luck in the computer job!!

 

[VAW]

So.. I live in a snowy area, with about a mile long driveway as well that I maintain with a tractor.. I've also previously been in the position of being a manager with responsibilities that included hiring/firing..

In this case, I'm sorry to say, I have to agree with your manager.. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but hopefully by sharing my perspective, it will help you or others in their employment situations.

So, he's got a pizza place to run. If you can't make it for 11 days because of being snowed in, how is he supposed to run the business? He can't just auto-hire someone else and train them up.. These things take time.. And employees then of course want full time hours, which he can't give multiple people for the same position if he can't rely on the one person he's got to be there when needed..

It is ultimately an employee's responsibility to make sure they can get to work on time, whenever they are scheduled to work..

If you have a lot of snow, you have to be prepared to get out there and get it plowed early so you can get in/out to get to work (something I've had to do on occasion)..

If your tractor breaks, that might excuse you for a day or maybe two.. But that's just enough time to make alternate arrangements to get to work.. An employer shouldn't be expected to wait for parts to come in for your tractor... Not what I'd call reasonable..

If your road gets icy this time of year (which ours also does, like a skating rink), you need to have some sand on hand, bucket it with your tractor, spread it on the road (I do this with a shovel, cause just sprinkling with a bucket wastes a lot of sand you don't need).

If for some reason none of the above are an option, alternatives are still your responsibility as an employee:
Park at the road and walk to the road (with snowshoes if necessary).. A mile is not that far..
Park somewhere accessible year round and take a snowmobile to your car..
Get help from neighbors with road clearing or transportation in unexpected events..
Find a place to live that doesn't require you have to do any of the things listed above..

Remember that it's the employer's responsibility to keep the business running and making money to pay you, and the employee's responsibility to get to work and do a good job while there. It doesn't make sense to have the employer be required to accommodate every employee's individual situation over which they have no control.. That is not part of the employer's responsibility...

And lastly, and almost trivially.. If you're going to call in and say you can't show up for any reason, make sure you talk to the manager directly.. Don't just leave a message with another employee to pass along to the manager.. It's bad form..
1) What if the other employee forgets, the manager finds out at the last minute, and is effectively screwed.
2) What if the other employee doesn't like you much, and presents it to the manager like, "Guess who's not making it to work AGAIN?! Yep.. Joe can't drive in again today.. *eyeroll*".. You should control yourself how such information is presented to the manager.
3) The contractual arrangement is between you and the manager.. Telling the manager this through a third party would be like having a date with a girl, but needing to cancel, and doing so by telling a friend to tell her that you're not gonna make it.. It's disrespectful..

I apologize if all that seems harsh.. Again, my only intent is to be helpful.. I know all too well how much it sucks to lose your job.. Hopefully you and others can benefit from some of the things I've learned by making some of the same mistakes in the past..
Good luck in the computer job!!

After reading what you wrote here, there is no way I can argue with that! lol After writing that the boss was a jerk, I guess I should take that back. I had a great boss who did accommodate my needs but yes I have to agree with everything you said. We have major icy driveways and roads here too and have to go thru a lot to keep them cleaned so we can get out. Sometimes they don't even plow our road right away but my boss lived only a couple of blocks from me so he knew the roads weren't plowed and he didn't even make it to work. Of course he has the ability to shut the store down on those days too if he can't get in. I think you are correct in what you wrote, now I sound like the jerk saying the boss was a jerk lol