02/16/21 at 1:18AM UTC
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I work for a company with about 30 people and I feel the company's owner is really negligent in respect to our health and safety.
I really love my job, but feel for my own safety I should look elsewhere. Am I being drama? What could I say to him to make him change his mind?
The company never went remote during this past year even though we are set up to do it. If we were quarantined because of our kid in school, we could work from home, but else it was forbidden. I caught Covid in the fall, not sure how and they did support me working from home for the full time my doctor recommended. Of the 30 of us, 15 have gotten covid. They even did a company event in the summer and 8 people caught it then. Employees have always gotten the feeling that they are more bothered by the restrictions and think masks are silly.
Now fast forward to today... I live in the midwest where it has been snowing for days. Today was really bad and the roads are not safe. To be honest, I also don't want to wreck my new car. I asked if I could just work from home today and he replied that the roads are not bad and if I don't come in, I can use a PTO day instead. The plows have not come through even the major roads, so I am not sure what he is seeing. I still need to work since I have a project due this week. I drove over an hour to go 10 miles to the office and then got stuck here. I complained to HR and they said I have the option of PTO, I don't have to come in. But I still have a deadline.
I have never felt so minimized in my entire career. Why am I being treated like a 16-year-old vs a manager? According to HR, they have had issues in the past and need to treat everyone the same. Do others have this bad weather policy, is it normal? If not, how can I get my boss to understand that my safety should be his concern?
Thank you!
Jo Lynn Williams
Data Center Operations Manager
42
02/19/21 at 3:01PM UTC
I'm sorry to hear you are going through this. It sounds awful. If your company leadership is not committed to doing the right things and keeping everyone safe, it's probably time to take your talents and look elsewhere. You deserve to be happy and you may even find a job you love more than the one you are currently at. Good Luck!!
Laura McCannDriving results through people engagement
323
02/19/21 at 1:22PM UTC
Some companies do not support remote work based on prior experiences. It's the whole thing about penalizing everyone for one person, especially smaller organizations. It sounds like it is not the place for you.
Anonymous
02/18/21 at 2:14AM UTC
All I know is that I am in Texas and my company has not only given us the week off due to the weather, we are also receiving our full paychecks on pay day. Document, document, document. Report to applicable authority(ies) and seek employment at a company whose culture involves caring about its employees and their health/safety/well-being. Best of luck to you!!!
Angela VanSchoick
154
02/17/21 at 11:54PM UTC
I have worked for several companies (including my current one) that essentially say you have to take your personal leave for not being able to get to work. We get a lot of snow here and there have been days where school was canceled and I was still expected to show up or use my time off. (It took me 3 hours to drive 20 miles one day because 2 out of 3 options for me to get to work were closed.)
For the majority of positions I've held, I didn't live in the city I worked in and was expected to make it there. Way back when, I used to take the bus to work and the buses were shut down. I had to take time off that day for not making it in. It's frustrating and I can understand people potentially abusing it - but I also feel the employer really needs to assess their stance on this - you're putting employees at risk by driving in hazardous conditions and, for those who don't have the accrued time, you're forcing someone to do so.
Kimberly Olmo
254
02/17/21 at 10:44PM UTC
I’m so sorry you are dealing with this. I completely agree with you.
I’ve been lucky that my job (started during covid) is fully remote. Sure it means I’ll never have a snow day but I’ll have my safety! And as for Covid, I am upset to hear when employers aren’t taking it seriously. I’m asthmatic, and my doctor told me in March to stay home has much as I could. I have. I’d hate to think my employer would force me to come in and do a job that I can 100% do remotely. To do so does put people at risk.
Your company is showing their true colors. Listen to them! You are not wrong in how you feel.
Kimberly Olmo
254
02/17/21 at 10:47PM UTC
I’d like to add, in any situation where there is a state of emergency, employers should respect that. You are being told not to get on the roads unless it’s essential.
Unfortunately, I don’t always see this being the case. Dangerous and disappointing. If they need operations so badly, provide laptops. It shouldn’t be this hard!!
Julie S.I'm an engineer doing environmental compliance.
111
02/17/21 at 10:32PM UTC
That's awful. Covid has shown us all we can work remotely and there is no reason for a company to act this way. Safety is always most important. It's time for all businesses to change their culture. I'd start looking for employment elsewhere in this situation.
Anonymous
02/17/21 at 8:26PM UTC
I agree that you should start looking for a new place to work. The fact that you've felt at risk over multiple issues (COVID and snow) may mean that this is a general attitude or company culture issue that's not going to change. (I know someone who was put in a dangerous situation and his boss, the leader of the company, said, "If you get injured, just work comp it." This was one of a number of factors that led him to leave.) There are necessary risks (healthcare workers, firefighters for example) and completely unnecessary ones (office workers who could easily work remotely but aren't allowed)... it's worth finding an employer who knows the difference.
Anonymous
02/17/21 at 8:20PM UTC
This sounds so much like the company I'm working at right now. I don't think anyone can do a great job at a company where they don't care at all about the safety or wellbeing of their employees. You are not dramatic, you spend the majority of your life at work! Definitely look for another job. There are plenty of companies who do treat their employees well. The only good thing about COVID is it's a lot easier to spot those companies. Ask what their policies have been and how they've handled COVID when you're interviewing, it will give you a big insight into how they treat their employees in general and what is the most important to them. Up until the last year, I really enjoyed my job, but I'm in your same boat. I can't stay at a company who cares so little about their employees. I've just accepted another job and you'll find something great too!!
Kate Bring kindness, inspiration & motivation back
31
02/17/21 at 8:02PM UTC
This is such a horrible situation and I completely feel for you. You should have a worker's manual or handbook that talks about rules and regulations, if you do than the company can be in breach. Not sure if you want to go down that road, but you can. HR typically can't do anything because they don't have the power, and most don't want to rock the boat with higher ups--at least from my experience. I would have to imagine your workplace has a high turnover because employees are not treated well and not sure how happy you can really be in that environment. You can contact BBB or OSHA, but based on your note it may be better to file a complaint and start looking elsewhere. Culture, values and well being/safety of employees should be a the company's #1 priorities because without those factors most companies fail.
Renee Radcliff SinclairCommitted to building engagement in government
641
02/17/21 at 7:45PM UTC
Have you talked with your CEO about your concerns? There may be issues going on in the background that you don't know about. Before reaching out to state or federal regulatory agencies about a complaint, you really need more information about the "why". If you reach out with a sincere desire to learn more about why your company has responded the way it has, your CEO should be willing to have that conversation. But it will all depend on your attitude and how you approach it. Come at it in a positive way (not accusatory), be prepared with good questions, share your concerns about the number of folks who have contracted COVID-19, and maybe offer to help lead a safety committee. I would definitely come to that kind of a meeting with one or two suggestions about how to make things more comfortable for you and your co-workers moving forward. Just a few thoughts. I wish you much success in moving forward in positive ways for you and your company.
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