I feel guilty.

[Antisocial_Worker]

Okay, so here we are. I work 8pm to 8am at an injection molding plant. Last night while at work, it began to snow about an hour after the shift started. It snowed all night and changed to freezing rain by morning. All told, we got about five inches of heavy, wet snow.

The high temperature today was about 37 degrees, and the low tonight is expected to be 27 degrees. Scrapers and salt trucks have been roaming around town all day, and the roads are clear, but wet. With that low temperature, there may be some refreezing, plus tonight dense fog is expected to develop.

So with the threat of black ice and fog, I called out of work tonight.

And now I feel very guilty about that. When I woke up around four this afternoon, I called and spoke to the HR lady who said that calling in wouldn't be held against me and that they were more concerned with everyone just staying safe. I know a lot of workers stayed at a nearby hotel rather than try to go home. This morning also, the people who work my machine didn't even come in at all, so they shut it down. Had I gone in, and had none of the other operators of that machine come in, I'd probably have been shunted off to the basement where nobody wants to work and where I've been lucky enough not to have had to yet. The machines in the basement will run even if every other wing of the plant is shut down.

Guilty... Should I feel this way? Furthermore, what it is that makes some of us feel this way about this kind of thing? What is it that makes other people think nothing whatsoever of calling out sick or whatever so they can go to the beach on a perfect day?

[PepperElf]

it's probably because you know that normally you'd be working and you stayed home instead, and that others came in ...

thing is you're forgetting a few things too...

1) those who came in most likely lived closer to work (or were perhaps the people who stayed in the hotel). or they have fancy vechicles that can handle snow/ice better.

2) you called out because of the weather - not because you wanted to party, or go to a bar. would you feel so guilty if say...you'd attempeted the drive and then crashed?

3) you probably enjoyed it. that's the biggest factor... and i say... hey enjoy a free day off. there's no rule that says you can't feel good about mother nature saying "hey take a day off"

[Crazeyal]

If HR is behind you, you are universally Golden.

Bring in Donuts and move on, says I.

[Antisocial_Worker]

Well... regarding a vehicle that can handle poor conditions, I have that. A Ford Escape with four-wheel drive. Four-wheel drive is no match for ice, however.

I'll get over it eventually, but I feel crummy.

[Gurndigarn]

Well... regarding a vehicle that can handle poor conditions, I have that. A Ford Escape with four-wheel drive.

Yeah, but what you need in weather like this is four-wheel stop. And all vehicles come with that standard, so yours has no special advantages to offer.

The biggest problem is that you're not accustomed to a workplace where they don't cut staff as close to the bone as possible, so you expect that if you take a day off, you're screwing someone else over. And/or you're accustomed to people taking the day off for frivolous reasons, so you react much worse to it than would be expected.

Relax, enjoy yourself, and get over the guilt. This job is one where a competent, trained employee is valuable. Your employers prefer— or at least should prefer— that you don't risk yourself, because if you hurt yourself, they hurt. Losing one day of productivity is far better to them than risking weeks or months without you.

[blas]

That's how my boss sees it. He may get a little stressed out if several people call out on a bad snow day (which there have already been 10 or 12 days since early December where the roads have been bad), but it's been than to have all of us crash on the way to work and have none of us there for weeks and months.

[Antisocial_Worker]

Well, that is true... I'm not used to this kind of workplace. At the hotel, there was only a bare-bones staff, only as many people as it took to keep the place open and not one person more. And yes, most of those people even under those conditions, were unreliable.

At the factory, there are something like 200 people spread over four shifts. Some people are arranged in teams to work in specific areas or on specific machines, but most people are trained to run most machines. If not enough team members arrive to work, say, the machines I run, then the ones who do show up get put on other machines -- or in the basement.

I will say also that this morning, one of the operators left early because his fiancee showed up outside about an hour and a half before shift change. Then, at shift change, the remaining operator walked out the door without waiting for a replacement. When it became apparent that the morning shift team hadn't shown up, I was the only person who stayed until the press could be shut down by the morning shift mold tech. Granted, it was only about ten minutes over, but still... I'll have something in my defense to point out to my shift supervisor.

I think what bothers me is that they stress reliability on these machines, because these machines are major moneymakers for the plant and they need to run as much and as long as possible. I haven't been there long, only about a month and a half, and here I am already calling in.

However, I've proven myself a good employee and the shift supervisor is obsessed with getting me certified on this machine so that my pay will go up, and also so I'll be permanently assigned to that machine. The only reason I'm not certified is because the person in charge of doing so is never there when expected.

I'm still fretting a little, but they're understanding over there and I think it will work out okay.

Interesting to check the forecast though and see that more snow is forecast for Saturday. Looks like, for the first time in about three or four years, the weather around here is back to normal -- cold, wet, with snow and ice every couple of weeks.

[Der Cute]

Well, HH, don't feel too bad.

I just started working for this company myself in November 07. Since starting, I've had 2 migraine-call outs and last week I missed work for half of Thursday and all of Friday. (bronchitis).

My last job would have guilttripped the heck out of me and told me that I'm not worthy. This place? They (the guys at work) were all grunting at me: You sound like crap. Go home. You look terrible. Go Home.

Guys at work even drove me back to my car (30 miles away) because I catch a bus that rides twice a day to work. How's that for nice?

And since then, all the guys have been asking me, You feelin ok? You better now? You look better- not so green in the gills.

Which tells me: this place is MUCHO BETTERO than the last job.

Cutenoob

[morgana]

HH,

You're stressing this too much. Forgive me, but you're doing "battered spouse" thinking. Your former employers have gotten too far inside your head, and you have to get them out.

You used to work at a place that devalued you, degraded you, and abused you. They trained you to believe that you weren't worth good treatment.

You now work at a place that values you. Trust the HR lady, and trust me. You have NO reason to feel guilty about this.


And OT: Somebody sigged me! Whoo hoo!

[gunsage]

Nah, you shouldn't feel guilty. Here are the following reasons I've called off in the past...

- The job was so depressing that I literally got in my car, stared at the dash for about 2 minutes, cried, got out of the car, went back inside, and called off stating I felt ill.
- My car was stuck in the snow because a plow had piled up snow outside it. Called off sick.
- I really WAS sick. Called off sick.
- My wife fell and twisted her leg while at work. Unsure of the condition of the leg and needing to take her to the hospital, I explained the situation to my supervisors and called off.
- The next day, I wanted to go to a party and technically her leg still was hurting and causing her difficulties...yeah, I called off again...same excuse.

Most of the time when I call off, it's because I don't feel well mentally. Unless I'm vomitous/diarrhetic, I will NOT call off under normal circumstances. Obviously jobs I don't like very much aren't appreciative of my lack of caring with attendance, but those I love? I'm there. If you really love your job, I can understand how you feel guilty, but you shouldn't. You were concerned about your safety and you had a legitimate reason to call off.

[princess4life]

Don't feel bad. Most jobs have an inclement weather clause in there attendance policy. Pretty much this states that if the weather is awful and not safe to drive in, you are able to call in to work and not have it count against your attendance. If the lady in HR told you that you are ok then I wouldn’t worry about it.

And the people that skip work to go to the beach and don't feel guilty are the people that don't like there job.

[Gurndigarn]

Well, that is true... I'm not used to this kind of workplace. At the hotel, there was only a bare-bones staff, only as many people as it took to keep the place open and not one person more. And yes, most of those people even under those conditions, were unreliable.

And management considered them disposable. And treated them like it.

I think what bothers me is that they stress reliability on these machines, because these machines are major moneymakers for the plant and they need to run as much and as long as possible. I haven't been there long, only about a month and a half, and here I am already calling in.

The problem is that you're still thinking like an underpaid, slave-driven grunt: a position where reliability means showing up on time and not being drunk, stoned, or hung over. However, reliability at this job does not mean flawless attendance. It means makes sure the QC is perfect, and that you don't act in an irresposible manner. "Irresponsible manner" does include attendence, but not "work at any cost". If anything, it means "keep yourself safe when the weather is bad, because we don't want to have to find someone else who may not be as good as you, and won't be trained on anything in any case."

Most places allow five sick days per year or more, and assume an emergency day or two (snow/weather, family issues, etc) per person. Using one day in 1/8th of the year is Not An Issue.