Late For Work And Got A Punishment

[boona]

Hello everyone, one morning last wk our town woke up to thick ice and slippery roads, it was a morning when I start work at 8.30am and I drop my daughter off at school beforehand. I got up at the same time but then rushed as much as I could once I saw the weather to get ready to leave early. Anyway after unfreezing my car and driving ever so slowly plus being held up by two minor accidents (other people) I got to work 3 mins late. I apologised straight away and explained it was due to the ice. Today I got pulled into the office and was given what they call a DDR.. it is a documented record that I was late and I that if it happened again I would get a disciplinary. I have worked for this dept 8yrs and the company for 11yrs and I can't recall being late once before. I feel really saddened by this and quiet upset especially given the reason why I was late and I am just wondering if anyone else would have been bothered by this and if not then why am I being so sensitive?

[bednobs]

i would be incredibly hacked off at a company that didnt allow you to be 3 minutes late without sanction

[Tilly2]

That seems very harsh? Were other people late on that day too?

[-SharonA-]

We're other workers affected by the bad weather?? Seems a little petty to me.

[pixie374]

It does seem harsh. They are risking people ringing in sick instead of trying to get in in bad weather. I would speak to them again about it.

[MallyJ]

That seems very harsh...3 minutes late? I would be having a chat with my union about this if I were you. I was once half an hour late due to the weather and was thanked profusely for getting there at all. I would be very upset if this had happened to me and not a little angry.

[Patsy33]

That's very unfair. No wonder you feel upset. Is it a new boss or do you know the management well?

[TonyV]

I was never sanctioned but got 0.1 hours ( 6 minutes) deducted from pay if I didn't clock in on time.

[boona]

I think there was about 3 of us on the early shift and we were all a little late by a few minutes and we all got the same documented discussion.

[Jackdaw33]

What kind of business is it and what do you do?

[boona]

Yes fairly new boss

[aelmpvw]

looks like your company's heavy handedness has cost them another three minutes production ...

[boona]

Hacksaw, I work on the telephone on customer services

[JimF]

I absolutely hate this sort of pettiness. It is totally counter-productive and just makes the company and its management look like a total twunch of bats.

And it could have been so easily avoided! You were late, irrespective of why or whose fault it was, but I'm willing to bet if you'd offered to make up those enormous three minutes of tardiness, you'd have done so and the company ought to have accepted that.

Look for another job.

[Jackdaw33]

That goes some way to explaining their approach, although I do not condone it. Anyone who has worked in a call centre
will know that they are under extreme pressure to maintain the service level else they suffer financial penalties.

[boona]

JimF I would have been happy to make up the time if I was asked to do so. Plus the day before I left 30 mins late because I was stuck on a call I didn't bother claiming the time back, when I memtioned this my team leader just said that doesnt give you the right to be late.

[JimF]

"my team leader just said that doesn't give you the right to be late"

Like I said - what a head of the male member!

[Patsy33]

I expect they've been given orders from their superiors, because of a couple of employees being constantly late and you all suffer because of it. Plus, some people love that bit of power they have. Look for another job, if you feel inclined..

[Hymie]

Time to find an alternative employer

[Jackdaw33]

...but don't look for another call centre as they're all the same.

[EDDIE51]

One place I worked,said it was an employees duty to be at your workstation 10 minutes before start time to ensure you actually started to work (rather than just arriving) at the start time. The Union backed them on this.We have all seen workers who show up exactly on time but then go and get changed into work clothes and have a coffee before actually starting work.