@fossy thought they had to let you have time off for childcare, god bless the NHS! Or leave them on their own until social services get involved FFS.
https://www.gov.uk/time-off-for-dependants
I've found myself in the unenviable position of managing a team of 19 field technicians this quarter...for the first time in my life I've found myself looking out the window each morning and hoping the snow isn't too bad 🙁 Takes all the fun out of it!
Clear now but forecast to be bad all day, and I've just seen a 02:30 email from a guy saying he is still out on an emergency call so he will be in late tomorrow.
So I've just reorganised the days work in my head and in the morning I'll have to change the guys around to keep them on local work otherwise they'll all get to site and by 10am we'll all be worrying about how to get home and the day will be a washout!
Poor sods the lot of them, puts it into perspective when your wife complains how hardly any of her colleagues got into the office whilst my team spend most of their time in the street! So far this week my team have had 0 snow days, just a few late starts and one gentle poke in the ribs from someone trying it on!
Our predicament isn't work related, we're meant to be going down to the Gower for a weekend away, but not sure whether to risk the normally three hour journey with the forecast the way it is.
It’s not too bad in the Midlands, but I’ve booked today off. 45mph winds means it’s too bad to ride, the trains are unreliable and there’s enough snow that the busses won’t work properly.
Going to see what happens with the kids school and either go sledging with them or to the pub with the Mrs.
Ive booked tomorrow off too, but I’ll decide on that in the morning. I think it’ll still be too snowy for the bike though, last night was a bit iffy.
My postie is still wearing shorts. Nutter.
Well if you get to Gower you probably won't find any snow. We stick out into the sea watching everyone else enjoy the snow waiting in vain for it to get to us...
My postie is still wearing shorts. Nutter.
sounds like we have the same postman!
I have been told my office is shut today so I am to work from home. Its a 20minute walk.
However, it looks like I will be spending the first part of my morning cleaning up cat crap, as they have messed in the hall a foot away from the provided litter tray. Joy.
My other half has just set off to work in full on winter mountaineering kit! 2 1/2 mile walk to work as no buses running here in Edinburgh.
We're blocked in apparently. Our neighbour rang to say that the top of the lane was drifted in, he'd get the snow plough out later to see if he could clear it. (Yes, he really does have a snow plough, it's an attachment for his mini-tractor) The last time the lane drifted in, it took three hours to clear it. Might be a day at home.
TJ,
Sounds familiar, I walked home near Edinburgh in yesterdays blizzard.
This morning I skied 5 miles into work !!, the few others who made it in are amazed.
sounds like we have the same postman!
Same as us in Boroughbridge then!
I phoned work at 06.30 this morning to see if my minibus run was still on. 'Boss' says, 'well...your'e supposed to make the effort to get here (15 miles) then if we don't need you we'll send you home'
Now I know there'll be at least 3 spare drivers up there, who all live within 3 miles of the depot, (because the schools they normally do are closed)
So no, I'm not coming in.
It's belting down now here in Cardiff, the forecast has improved if anything, but they've upgraded the warning to red.
Still, first day of Spring today!
I'm going in. Unfortunately I can't bring bikes home to repair! I had a great ride in the snow yesterday and the ride in is all downhill! Happy days!
It’s an interesting one, TJ. But ultimately if staff can’t make alternative arrangements, which is quite likely given snow affects everyone, what are they supposed to do with their kids? Bring them to work?
Yep, currently sat in Stepps Premier Inn as the Cumbernauld factory I've been servicing this week is shut. I've sent the French engineer back, but I doubt he'll get an earlier flight from Glasgow and its not looking like I will either.
There's not even a Corby trouser press to fiddle with!
Started snowing in parts of Norfolk on Mon morning, i gave myself the week off 🙂
TJ, then provide them with childcare and 4x4 shuttle services instead of forcing them to choose between a disciplinary or social services and asking them to walk 4 miles in blizzard conditions, a lot of people are idiots and will give themselves hypothermia.
My other half has just set off to work in full on winter mountaineering kit! 2 1/2 mile walk to work as no buses running here in Edinburgh.
Well, I don't know why but i came in...... only to find the building brassic. Boiler condensate pipe has frozen so first 90 mins has been dismantling that to clear the blockage, trip to Travis P to get some pipe lagging, finding it nearly impossible already to get up the hill out of the car park, and finally at my desk. Will be going home again after a 1030-1100 call i think.
Rayban - and what about the sick people we are looking after?
the reason for the kids off school is no excuse is as it has been used in the past. Daddy goes to work, mummy stays home with the kids. Daddys job is non essential but mommy's is. But mummy gets paid if she is off, daddy does not. Its to get folk to reverse that
try working on a ward that should have 10 staff on duty with 3 and watching patients suffer because not enough staff are in. You know - little things like lying in shite for hours or having cold food
we do make alternative arrangements - we have all swapped shifts around so folk from outlying areas are not on the next couple of days only local folk. I am a day off today but was on alert from 6am to be called in if staff shortages made it dangerous for the patients. We also have a system of going to your nearest hospital not your usual place of work if the snow is too bad
Harrogate District Hospital were multi texting any staff yesterday who could attend, lots of their staff live out in the wilds 'o' wanny & were simply stuck. The response from local staff who were rest days was astounding by all accounts.
My Mrs is an Advanced Clinical Practitioner in A&E, part of a team of 8 who provide cover for the dept. QAH is a hell hole at the best of times, if staff don’t make it in its even worse.
We don’t have kids & only live 2 miles away so she was never going to be off. To be fair there’s not really any snow here anyway. They just seem to like to demand things rather than maybe saying “we understand it may be difficult but please try your best” they will say “you must....”
The tone of the message is typical of them, even if the content is meant well & makes sense. But like on NYE when they messaged everyone at 6:30pm insisting all who could went in, they got 6 in out of the entire hospiral’s staff (& not a single manager).
Tj not trolling and fully understand the issue but is there a formal contractual obligation or legislation that over rides risk assessment in times of poor weather, employees rights .etc ?
My other half is a district nurse.. if the roads get shut down here later on and tomorrow they'll be prioritising their case load and donning wellies to hike out to the most urgent cases.
Cos they're nice
factory & office has just closed due to red warning issued for devon.
haven't turned the VPN & servers off and those who can work remotely are expected to...
and my son's school appears to about the only school open and staying open in devon/cornwall.
I had flights to Lanzarote booked - out today, back on Sunday for a wee bit of R&R.
I decided at the weekend, that due to work and a few other issues I wasn't gong to go.
Ryanair cancelled the flght last night - full refund. Happy Days 🙂
haven’t turned the VPN & servers off and those who can work remotely are expected to…
The VPN load has been so high that non-essential staff have been told to stay logged off.
Time for another jaunt out on the fatbike.
Kilo - its certainly policy.
We also have as individuals a legal obligation to ensure good care. Not going in to work 'cos a couple of miles is too far to walk in bad weather would give a case to answer if patients were harmed as a result.
Was sent home early yesterday and work declared a snow day to day 🙂 Have seen our local post lady out and about and a courier just delivered my chainreaction delivery, though he was in his 4X4 🙂
TJ, Im sure there are plenty of care staff married to other critical care staff. Despite your macho bluster, if the nhs wants to treat its staff like military personel, it should have the resources and plans in place for events like this....as the military does. The RAF looked after my mothers side of the family. The same service now bailing some of you lot out in a few regions.
You are making excuses for a mismanaged and underfunded nhs.
Rayban - not at all. Its just the reality of the situation and one you don,t understand.
I work in for company manufacting critical drugs for the NHS, which are always in short supply. So I know a little about patient needs.
You're attitude strikes me as devoid of empathy, and that your attitude is more a question of ego than anything else.
TJ, Im sure there are plenty of care staff married to other critical care staff.
Here! I'm on a zero day and Mrs RBIT is in work though so cool being shut isn't as big a problem as it would be next week.
Our head office just closed, nothing happening till Monday, not a flake on the ground where I am but 10 miles away there’s 30cm, wind is making driving crap so I’m taking tomorrow off to paint the kitchen and/or tidy the garage.
My other half has just set off to work in full on winter mountaineering kit! 2 1/2 mile walk to work as no buses running here in Edinburgh.
Seriously? With rope, crampons, snow goggles, helmet,, ice pick etc? Is she not risking arrest for carrying a weapon?
My other half has just set off to work in full on winter mountaineering kit! 2 1/2 mile walk to work as no buses running here in Edinburgh.
Seriously? With rope, crampons, snow goggles, helmet, ice pick etc? Is she not risking arrest for carrying a weapon?
😂
😉 just the clothing inc boots and gaiters! I suggest the ice axe but she said no!
Rayban - as I said - your response shows how little you know. How many nurses and other essential healthcare workers do you think are on shift in Edinburgh coming from how many locations? Into the thousands I would think
I am proud of how my profession responds in these situations. They don't complain, they just get on with it.
Registered nurses like me cannot go home until our relief comes on duty - and we all know that. People are relying on us. Blind diabetics in the community needing district nurses to give insulin injections, My patients are frail and vulnerable and need a lot of care. It will not wait until tomorrow.
this is why we have an adverse weather policy - because without it people will die.
Blind diabetics in the community needing district nurses to give insulin injections
Yeah, Mrs Jay was out for a few hours today but it's pretty mild here at the mo - she's meant to be working right through till Tuesday and we're on a red warning.
Their plan involves walking to patients they can reach, there's a couple in our road and the next over which is fine, but there's one guy in a village a few miles up the road that none of them live close to, if it comes to it I'll have to hike to my mates house, borrow the 4x4 and try to get there, or it's the Police / Mountain Rescue.
The VPN load has been so high that non-essential staff have been told to stay logged off.
just had to be talked through resetting an bunch of servers that had crashed/overloaded as the main IT guy was locked out and I was one of the only ones with an active connection.