Not able to call in!!!

[top dollar]

Wow some of you guys are harsh!! Trust me if this ever happens again I am just telling them I will not ask. And no I don't have balls I am a woman but I will pull the B ch card out and I have in the past. But the center manager is a bigger B$&@h and she does intimidate us even some of the high seniority drivers. Our center is the highest grievance filers in our building of 4 centers. She gives warning letters for not wearing the UPS socks!! She is about 4 years from retirement we all hope she goes but who knows Thanks for all your comments and suggestions.

 

[dilligaf]

Sorry, not trying to be harsh. We just hear this constantly. Sounds like your center manager needs to retire sooner than 4 years.

 

[rod]

Wow some of you guys are harsh!! Trust me if this ever happens again I am just telling them I will not ask. And no I don't have balls I am a woman but I will pull the B ch card out and I have in the past. But the center manager is a bigger B$&@h and she does intimidate us even some of the high seniority drivers. Our center is the highest grievance filers in our building of 4 centers. She gives warning letters for not wearing the UPS socks!! She is about 4 years from retirement we all hope she goes but who knows Thanks for all your comments and suggestions.

Don't count on her replacement being any better. From my experience a new center manager will come in swinging to show how tough he is and who is boss.

 

[UPS Lifer]

Just to give a perspective from the other side, yes there are many sups that play the try to coerce you into coming in when you call in sick game.

Mostly, it is due to the number of people who play this game:

When I was a rookie supervisor, I got someone to come in when they were sick. I learned my lesson when that driver brought back almost the entire load at 1 pm! Now I have to call the Division Manager ask for 4 supervisors to split the load up. I never played that game again.

Of course, I am sorry to say, I didn't entirely learn that lesson. I had a regular driver try to quit during peak season and talked him into not quitting. He became our biggest nightmare and it took two years and 8 different times to finally fire him for methods violations!!

Lesson finally learned. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink.

 

[10yearteamster]

If you're sick, you're sick. They have no authority to tell you to work when you're sick. And if they hassle you ie give you unwarranted warning letters etc, I would tell them to tread lightly or risk having harassment filed against them.

 

[Inthegame]

"Of course, I am sorry to say, I didn't entirely learn that lesson. I had a regular driver try to quit during peak season and talked him into not quitting. He became our biggest nightmare and it took two years and 8 different times to finally fire him for methods violations!! "

Lesson finally learned. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink.

Two years and 8 times trying to fire him sounds like company harassment. So when did this "problem" guy start missing methods? Oh wait... of course it had to be after peak. He most certainly wasn't violating methods when you needed him right?
Lesson really learned. Use em up and throw em away. Or how about....you can lead a sup to reality but you can't make them think.

 

[UPSGUY72]

If you're sick, you're sick. They have no authority to tell you to work when you're sick. And if they hassle you ie give you unwarranted warning letters etc, I would tell them to tread lightly or risk having harassment filed against them.

All they need to know is that your booking off you don't need to give them a reason it's none of there business.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

All they need to know is that your booking off you don't need to give them a reason it's none of there business.

The OP had a work excuse from his dentist. This shouldn't have been an issue.

 

[UPSGUY72]

The OP had a work excuse from his dentist. This shouldn't have been an issue.

There shouldn't have been an issue calling in if the OP knew his rights as to calling in.

He didn't need a note from the dentist to call in. He only needed one if he was going to be out more than 3 days.

 

[rocket man]

Just a little upset about my situation. I cracked my tooth last Thursday and I tried to call in on Friday as usual my center team said no cant cover you. So I worked all day hopped up on pain meds ( and they scream safety) get in Friday evening and my face is swollen and I make sure a sup sees it. Well I wake up at 3am to the biggest swollen face ever. I wait to see my dentist and she tells me I have to go to the ER. To get I V antibiotics. All this just because my center manager will not let us call in ever, she thinks UPS is all there is in the world. I have been on here bad side and finally have been left alone so I don't want to be back on that side so I just worked. But as of now I have been off two days thinking I should just take the whole week to prove a point!!!

just call in i cant make it .. period..

 

[working up a sweat]

I once called in for the night sort. Midnight start time. My car had a dead battery. The FT supe told me ask a neighbor for a jump. I laughed at him and told him, " Do you want me to get shot for knocking on doors in the middle of the night?" My attendance and being on time record is A+. I always get sick time hours back.

 

[UPS Lifer]

"Of course, I am sorry to say, I didn't entirely learn that lesson. I had a regular driver try to quit during peak season and talked him into not quitting. He became our biggest nightmare and it took two years and 8 different times to finally fire him for methods violations!! "

Lesson finally learned. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink.

Two years and 8 times trying to fire him sounds like company harassment. So when did this "problem" guy start missing methods? Oh wait... of course it had to be after peak. He most certainly wasn't violating methods when you needed him right?
Lesson really learned. Use em up and throw em away. Or how about....you can lead a sup to reality but you can't make them think.

You are a typical us vs. them hater! You apparently did not get the post. But most haters don't!

Here... I will spell it out for you hater.
I learned everything from experience. You don't force people to work sick. You do what you can to get them off when they want time off. You make sure you have enough people to cover routes and when someone wants to quit, LET THEM! There is probably a good reason!!

The driver we had to release had major personal issues and finally snapped but he wouldn't quit or get help. It started about a year later I was in a different center by then. He started doing things that were not normal. He called in from his route with men in black chasing him, another time - helicopters following him. He taped up the entire cowling in his vehicle with different reasoning each time. This went on and on for two years!

 

[Inthegame]

You are a typical us vs. them hater! You apparently did not get the post. But most haters don't!

Here... I will spell it out for you hater.
I learned everything from experience. You don't force people to work sick. You do what you can to get them off when they want time off. You make sure you have enough people to cover routes and when someone wants to quit, LET THEM! There is probably a good reason!!

The driver we had to release had major personal issues and finally snapped but he wouldn't quit or get help. It started about a year later I was in a different center by then. He started doing things that were not normal. He called in from his route with men in black chasing him, another time - helicopters following him. He taped up the entire cowling in his vehicle with different reasoning each time. This went on and on for two years!

UPS Lifer, I apologize if I offended you with my caustic remarks. However you did say you talked the driver out of quitting "at peak". I've seen too often the change in attitude from management to hourlies during the season when hourlies are needed the most. I don't ascribe to the "us versus them" situation you speak of, I just reported what happens too often. Hourlies are diamonds at peak and coal the rest of the year. It need not be this way and likely you treated employees better than most.

The issue of abuse in call ins goes both ways. Short staffing these days exacerbates the problem. One asks off, gets denied, calls in, gets discipline. No one is happy, and suspicion creeps into the legit calls.

My many years at UPS were enjoyable and I believe a good bargain for both sides, 33 yrs safe driving, co chair safety committee, driver trainer, steward... Many good friendships with hourlies and management.

The story of your fellow is troubling. I hope he sought help, it's too bad someone couldn't help him. Mental health issues are sad.

Sorry again for the comeback, I was in a lousy mood. I'm not a "hater".

 

[brownIEman]

All they need to know is that your booking off you don't need to give them a reason it's none of there business.

Again, a perspective from the other side, upsguy72 is absolutely correct. Even if I ask when someone calls in, it is none of my business.

It is however, a dependability infraction. So if I pull an employee in for a documented talk with after calling in the reason during that meeting is still none of my business.

 

[UPS Lifer]

UPS Lifer, I apologize if I offended you with my caustic remarks. However you did say you talked the driver out of quitting "at peak". I've seen too often the change in attitude from management to hourlies during the season when hourlies are needed the most. I don't ascribe to the "us versus them" situation you speak of, I just reported what happens too often. Hourlies are diamonds at peak and coal the rest of the year. It need not be this way and likely you treated employees better than most.

The issue of abuse in call ins goes both ways. Short staffing these days exacerbates the problem. One asks off, gets denied, calls in, gets discipline. No one is happy, and suspicion creeps into the legit calls.

My many years at UPS were enjoyable and I believe a good bargain for both sides, 33 yrs safe driving, co chair safety committee, driver trainer, steward... Many good friendships with hourlies and management.

The story of your fellow is troubling. I hope he sought help, it's too bad someone couldn't help him. Mental health issues are sad.

Sorry again for the comeback, I was in a lousy mood. I'm not a "hater".

I should not of come off that harsh either. I really appreciate that you took time to answer back. I hope you will accept my apology as well!

 

[Floyd Gondolli]

just call in i cant make it .. period..

BTW. You forgot. CLICK. Way to some it up rocketman. This is, of course, you haven't burned your occasions. That's a different story.

 

[UPSGUY72]

Again, a perspective from the other side, upsguy72 is absolutely correct. Even if I ask when someone calls in, it is none of my business.

It is however, a dependability infraction. So if I pull an employee in for a documented talk with after calling in the reason during that meeting is still none of my business.

It only is a problem is the person call in frequently. If you pull a person in the office for calling out and they hardly ever call out that is what you call a harassment issue.

 

[brownIEman]

It only is a problem is the person call in frequently. If you pull a person in the office for calling out and they hardly ever call out that is what you call a harassment issue.

Again, I agree. What I was responding to is the double standard some people want to have. Say, I am in a termination meeting with an employee for calling in. He is explaining in an impassioned manner that he is very ill, cannot sleep, and UPS in general, and me in particular, are putting his life in danger by making him drive to work in that state because of the discipline I am doing.
Now, the other 27 times he has called in in the past 6 months, mostly fridays and Mondays, were of course none of my business and have absolutely nothing to do with putting him in his current dangerous situation. Nope, it is me.

True story.

 

[UPSGUY72]

Again, I agree. What I was responding to is the double standard some people want to have. Say, I am in a termination meeting with an employee for calling in. He is explaining in an impassioned manner that he is very ill, cannot sleep, and UPS in general, and me in particular, are putting his life in danger by making him drive to work in that state because of the discipline I am doing.
Now, the other 27 times he has called in in the past 6 months, mostly fridays and Mondays, were of course none of my business and have absolutely nothing to do with putting him in his current dangerous situation. Nope, it is me.

True story.

The people you talk about deserve what they get. They think being in the union is a free pass to be a friend---ing A--h---.

 

[UPS Lifer]

Again, I agree. What I was responding to is the double standard some people want to have. Say, I am in a termination meeting with an employee for calling in. He is explaining in an impassioned manner that he is very ill, cannot sleep, and UPS in general, and me in particular, are putting his life in danger by making him drive to work in that state because of the discipline I am doing.
Now, the other 27 times he has called in in the past 6 months, mostly fridays and Mondays, were of course none of my business and have absolutely nothing to do with putting him in his current dangerous situation. Nope, it is me.

True story.

Don't you think 27 times is a tad too much? I remember an employee who felt entitled... The first words out of the employee's mouth were "but I was really sick this time". He was very angry as well. He ended up losing his job for attendance after 3 progressive suspensions. Bad habits are hard to correct.