Feeling Guilty about Co~Workers

**BabyGirl** · 12-06-2010 07:42 PM

In My Auto Parts Company we have an Attendance Point program.
If late or Absent you get Points 1/2 point for being under 30 mins late if you call, full point if you don't call. Points Double on weekends, Fri, Sat, sun. After 30 mins and late, 2 points unless on weekend then it's 4....No call No show, 3 points, or 6 on weekends

Reach 12 points and you lose your job No reprieve at all...Last points go away if you have perfect attendance and no added points for 90 days.

Anyway in April, my oldest son burnt himself Severely, My Boss was on Vacation and we had a Loner Manager, who's # I didn't have. ( after Store Hours).. I caught a flight to Texas to be with my Son, Called My Boss home, Emailed him & told him where I was. And I'd try to be back ASAP.

I got 9 Points total, due to it being a Weekend, My not calling the "Acting Store Manager " and letting her know I would not be there on the following Day, A Saturday and also the Sunday. I then Find out there is a Mandatory Multi~ Store meeting, Monday Morning 4 am .. WTF ? If not there it's 6 Points. Which meant I would lose my Job.
I managed to get a flight back to Seattle Midnight on that Monday morning ( it was Easter weekend ) We Never have meetings 4 am , usually on Sundays 7:30 am. But a Gung Ho Gal that just joineds the Company, Didn't want to interupt her Easter Sunday Morning for a 1 1/2 meeting .. WTF X 2 ?

Even My Boss was upset as he was On Vacation, but Had to attend anyway.. This is what My son looked like when I had to fly back instead of Staying & Supporting him thru his ordeal.

So after a Week, of my calling HR,explaining I had called " MGR" Showing my Plane Tickes & Photo's of Son .. my points were adjusted back to 6, because the Rule book says I had to Contact Store Manage, and I had.. It said Nothing about Acting Store Manager..

So here I was In October, Finally at 2 points.. Woo Hoo , I was feeling Great about that.

We had 2 new Hires , Youngins, as I call them there are 23 & 22, Guys.. Now 2 times in November I was asked to come into to work on my Day9s) Off, to cover for one or both of these Younings as they hadn't shown up when the Store opened & couldn't be reached.

* Sigh * as a Team Player & living only 5 miles away, There I am 7:30 am on my days off ..
The Youngin/ or Youngins Finally show up, close to an hour late, " Alarm/ Cell phone didn't go off " " forgot they worked" " Traded sift with Other Youngin " .. Excuses as per Norm with Youngins that are into Girls & Cars & Parties.

2 Sundays ago, One of the Youngins was an Hour late w/ No Call at all .. " Thought his schedule said Noon not 11:00. " * Sigh *..

The Next day I was lated by 17 minutes, due to a Power outage . ( Snow Days Here )
Called my Boss and told him I would run about 15 mins late.. I was 17mins late and the grace period is 15 mins..
Next Day I have 4 points.. Which I accept as My Responsibility !!

I watch the Attendance report and Nothing Changes on it but my 17 minute, 2 points. Neither Youngins have any Extra Points for the past 3 weeks..

Yes I seethed..
I talked to my MGR, asked about my points when I'd even been in on days off to help ? I got a " You were late & It is what it Is ".. " I can't do anything about it ".

I know this is a Novel ( whats new LOL)

But it really Bugged me.. So I asked a sub manager, he said a Call HR ( Lori ) and ask.. I Did .. Left a message & she Called me back Yesterday, On a Sunday .. WOW , freaked me her working Sundays ..

Anyway. I explained the situation, she said other sub Mgr's were Covering & adjusting the Time of The Youngins & she was correcting everything. And that My Store Mgr ( Boss) should have caught this ..

So Today I go into work , All the Points are Adjusted to " Correct ". One Youngin is 6 now, Other is 7.5, Mine went to 2..

And I feel Like Crapolla..

I wasn't trying to get my 2 points taken off, after all I was LATE. But now these 2 Youngins are getting closer to Not having a Job if their Points get to 12 .. Also My Boss didn't say Crapolla today about the Point changes, but I am sure he was " reprimanded or Told he needs to pay attention Better "..

So here I am feeling Guilty because I complained that I wasn't feeling like I was treated Fairly as a Co~worker.. I'm a Woman, 50's ,been w/ Comapny for years and I know how hard it is to have a Job, Keep it & be a Team Player.
And now if one or both of the Youngins Mess up again , I am part of why they will lose their job & chance of a Career with my Company.

Thanks for letting me Rant.. I doubt I will feel better about this , But Advise is Welcomed .

**WildChild** · 12-06-2010 07:59 PM

Granted they have to have some way to deal with people being irresponsible but this is really dumb set up. You didn't create the problem for the new hires - they did. It isn't your fault that your boss isn't on top of things and nailing you with all those "points" given the circumstances was flat out inhumane.

**BabyGirl** · 12-06-2010 08:13 PM

Thanks WC. but the past ( My son's Injury ) is Past, and It's the Company " Rules " that are Policy.
I do Think they could Change the Company Policy for Emergencies..

Get a Better Grip on What " Attendance means ". Willing or Unwilling .. I had the " Piggy Flu the year before & got Points " Worked those off .. Yipeee !!

My Boss is 60, he has 2 years before retirement w/ the Company , Works his Azz off .. I think he just Missed it or only wants to do his 2 years left so he can Retire thingy.
Just goes w/ the flow & really does depend on me ..

I just feel So bad in this economy to have made a Complaint.. Then again I did tell the Youngins to Buy the ole Wind up Clock, I had as a kid .. lol

of course was HUH ????
But thanks for making me feel Beter,,

**jns** · 12-06-2010 09:37 PM

BabyGirl, why don't you put in a suggestion that a call-out on a day off gets you a minus 1 point. Also, the bank can keep negative numbers. This would really reward the longer term employees who play by the rules. This helps all team players. Call-outs would be given preferentially to senior employees and if they pass, newer employees would be called.

**Beautiful Disaster** · 12-07-2010 06:45 AM

I agree with WC that this is a really ineffective and ineffecient way to set up attendance. This is not Junior High.....this is the real world, all adults who are legally eligible to work. To be so impersonal that something as awful as your son being burnt that badly, doesn't even really matter because "rules are rules", is quite concerning.

Here's the way I see it. The rules they've set forth are ridiculous. BUT, if they are going to enforce them, they need to enforce them for everyone. Plain and simple. You did nothing wrong by calling that to their attention. I say good for you.

**BabyGirl** · 12-07-2010 07:24 AM

JNS, I wish I could suggest something like that, But this is a Multi Million Dollar Nationwide Company. I was lucky to get " lori " to return my call so quickly.. And she was on my side as to the fairness of it.

B.D. Yes it was very stressing to have to leave my son like that in order to keep my job.
We had an Employee who's wife had died and even he got a Point for the first day he was absent, the others were waived.

The sad thing is, even if you have a Dr's Note excusing you from work, You still get a Point for the First day.. They say this is to keep track of people who get Ill or have issues with Health that make keeping them on a possible problem, due to absences. And to weed out the " Fakers".

Say you have to visit a Dr for a treatment once a week or even once a Month , on a Day Scheduled to work. You will be Terminated after 12 points reguardless, unless it's an On the Job Injury caused by the Company/ Workplace.

The only way you don't get a Point when Sick, is if you show up to work and are sent home by the Manager.

But even though I do feel bad, I hope that the Youngins Wake up and realize that their Job is Important to them and save their Over sleeping & partying for their Days off that they don't have to work the next day .
Thanks for the support.. I still feel like a Rat. And expecting some " Distance" from those who were effected by my Call on this.

**WildChild** · 12-07-2010 07:57 AM

I don't know what to tell you. You need your job and have to work but docking someone a "point" when their spouse died or child was severely injured, would have gotten my resignation. This is controlling BS. Totally. Not working with people to deal with medical issues or other needs, is just stupid.

I have a freind who used to work for a large building supply/DIY chain, they had cancer and were going through chemo. Not only were they taken out of an office job that they could handle and put behind a cash register but they were not permitted a stool to sit between customers. That kind of thing is flat out cruel and a more vindictive person would be wishing disaster on those who came up with these rules and policies, so they could gain a better understanding of what they created. My freind was ultimately fired because of their illness and ended up in court where there was a settlement.

I understand that most of us are cogs in the machine. But People make up these rules and policies and people can be astonishingly shortsighted and stupid and People can change these rules. I've dealt with this repeatedly, my credit card company is an example. They made changes to my account that nearly doubled the bill. I called and had to get through several gatekeepers to get it dealt with. When told, "that's the policy", I said "People made the policy, get me a person who can over ride it." I got what I wanted because I didn't buy the story.

You stood up for what was right for yourself under conditions you didn't create. If they are going to have this BS they should at least enforce it uniformly. I suspect that a good attorney could make mince meat of it if anyone cared to take it that far.

**BabyGirl** · 12-07-2010 06:53 PM

W.C. I agree on the Policy & wish for it to be more Sympathetic/ Empathetic, For alot of people in Jobs. Trust me if I didn't need the job, I would have made them " Fire me / Terminate me". And I would definately have a Suit that I am sure I would win..

I am lucky though, as two of my Assistant Mgrs are the ones who told me to call " Lori", One Actually Printed out my whole work History, Paychecks, Attendance ECT.. For the past 2 1/2 years at this store and Gave me the copies . My Manager ( and hers ) Does not know this. She could be Fired over this, But she is leaving for Alaska in Feb, so she doesn't care. I have told No one & won't unless I have to show it in Court.

There also is an issue with me being only Part Time, so I don't get Medical Coverage thru the Company.. But I work Full time hours. In this State anything over 32 hours is considered Full Time Hours ( unless only a Seasonal Worker ). there are only 9 weeks out of 2 1/2 years that I worked less than 32 hours a week. Last week I worked 44 and this week will be 42.. I love the Overtime as it's Time and a Half on pay for anything over 40..

I had worked for the Company 1 year when I had the " Piggy Flu" and I'm still paying off $2800 of ER bills. But That is why I have the Copies I was given.. Should I get " Terminated" due to any Health issues, I will be able to bring Suit.. Not because I get Sick, but because I cannot afford to go to a Dr for well checks or yearly Physicals, therefore I cannot even get Preventive Medical to Insure my being Healthy & being able to work for the Company for the years to come.

I AM Planning on staying with this Company, I Love my Job.. I am the 1st person, 6 stores in our area Call on my day off, if they need a Fill in.. And I have gone Willingly..

The problem isn't so much The Store Managers as the Corporate B.S. That even the Managers have to go thru. This Complaint was just a battle I had going inside myself, feeling I wasn't treated as " Glove Handed" as the Youngins and of course the " What if I Get sick or have another Emergency " how many points will that give me type thing.

I am Older and a Female and I don't want to Climb the Company ladder. I just want to do what I love, Help my Customers fix their cars without being reamed by Auto repair shop that Charge them $70 for a part we sell for $25, Give them the DIY, ( do it yoursef ) instructions and proper tools and such and save them $100 an hour in Shop Labor.
With the Economy & jobs as they are now, Not Many can afford the Shop Bills. So I try to help in any way I can.

And of course to be honest I can be replaced very easily by any Young or Old or Mid Aged person that is willing to work for Minimum wage, with no benifits and No Auto Experiance, should I be Terminated. A Job is a Job these days and the Company will hire the Bodies needed to keep up the Flow & Grow.

Sometimes I think Unions might be OK if they actually let People run them instead of Government..
Oh Well , Done Biatchyn for today .