pinakidion.*
A writing tablet for my thoughts
Typical Complaint
Author: John13 Feb
I do this everytime it snows and school is cancelled. So, I’m just going to get it out of my system before I jump into the car and battle 5 inches of unplowed snow:
When school is canceled, only essential personnel are supposed to report. Usually, this means one custodian and the principal. The custodian is there to take care of the building and check on it. The principal is there in case parents attempt to drop off any children. (And they do.)
Back at administration HQ, where I work, the argument over whom is essential and who is not created a tremendous vaccuum of leadership. In other words, rather than make a decision, it was decided that everyone at the administration building is essential personnel. This includes the folks with a job description to answer technical question from the schools only. So, 300 of us are all converging on one spot with only two different access points at roughly the same time from all over the city on unplowed roads.
If I cannot make it to work, I am charged a vacation day. If I don’t have a vacation day, I’m docked. (Cannot use a sick day.) I can opt to stay home and take a vacation day, but a department must have coverage. This was defined for us last year because coverage doesn’t mean one person in a department of 30. Coverage is approx 50% of your department. I’m in a department of 4, so rather than coordinate on the phone at 6am, it’s easier to just come into work.
Most other business have canceled their work day or allow employees to work from home. Times like this I ask myself why the VPN has been nixed for five straight years. The answer is not security, by the way.
So, off I go. Ugh!
Sorry to burden you with my complaint. I know, in my head, that others have it worse.
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6 Responses for "Typical Complaint"
You’re right. Some of us do have it worse. It’s freakin’ 48 degrees here today, and boring as all get out.
That’s probably not what you meant, huh? Still…
Drive carefully!!
UPDATE: I made it. I took the emergency snow route along with the rest of my co-workers.
Single file behind the plow.
It’s out of my system now. Enjoy your day, more respectable posts coming later.
What is a “plow”?
From 1977 to 1994 I worked for a power company. Every time there were power outages I was called in to handle the logistical side of getting power back on. So during Hurricane Hugo (yes, I said *during*) I had to drive in to the office, at 6am. 80 to 90 mph winds as I drove down the road. It’s a good thing I was the only nut out there! Aside from difficulty in staying on the road, I had do dodge downed trees, power lines, traffic lights lying on the road, etc. And when I arrived, there was no power and no phone service. We all sat there looking at each other (on 13th floor of a 36 story building, as the wind rocked the building so much that water would splash out of your cup as it sat on a table). The original PHB!
Here’s some good Calvinism for you to chew on when you have a free minute or two. Glad you are safe from the snow. I am still at work!
I was one of the few that went to work at the home improvement store. Yep we had lots of folks looking for stuff unrelated to the weather. I guess ice storms make ya want a pack the kids up in the car and pick out paint.