Sorry, was busy this week dealing with this and managed to lose track of this thread. I also saw a lot of views at first and no replies so I assumed this would be some untouched issue.
The reason I have used up ALL of my off time is that I did so in an attempt to lower the number of days off requested/demonstrate how serious I was about getting this done and keeping my job. A normal semester is 13-15 weeks. Fifteen weeks in this case, I used two weeks of vacation in January when the semester started, and put in for five personal days, covering seven of the fifteen. Leaving me with eight days needed.
The issue here is that I'm a good worker, I go to work on time, I sort the fastest guy they have if they need me to, and I NEVER shut an unloader off, save for extreme cases. I'll stack stuff up and find a way to make them run, because I know my bosses need the work to get done.
In my lifetime, I have worked for people who operated on the give and take policy of respect. I give some respect, and you let me take some. I give my bosses the utmost respect in doing the very best I can do, despite that fact that when I do call off, I get hung up on, my bosses will never come to speak to me when I ask, just dodge me all night and then vanish, I've been lied to various times by management, and nothing has ever been done, even when i've called them out on it. Despite all that I still do my job, and when I ask for something that I need to get by they say go get bent.
I imagine one of the reasons it fell this way is that I am vocal about my bosses being dishonest. I have many times called them out on lies or false promises in public, with them having very little or nothing to say.
I know UPS is a harsh environment for everyone involved, and I know managers get their brows beat just as much as we do, but I play every situation I'm in straight and do my best to be honest, which is more than I can say for my "superiors".
Don't fire off into a tangent because this is no generalization, just a statement made about my hub, my bosses.
I know I could go to a doctor, cry joint pain, and get my six weeks off for FML. But I WANT to work. I NEED the money. I'm only asking for ONE day. I don't want to take FIVE days off a week when I only need one.
I know I know "Well if we do it for you, then we have to do it for everyone!
They did it before, and it was fine. For the sake a few bad apples, they closed the entire program down, and they did it in the cover of darkness. When I got hired years ago I was told they made exceptions for night classes. Now years later they tell me its not that way anymore. No one bothered to tell me the change was in the works. No one said anything. They just spring it on me when I go to ask for what I was promised at the start.
Thanks to everyone who replied here for your input, I really do appreciate it. I want you guys to know that over the past few months i've nearly been ready to quit my job, but coming here and just reading these forums has really helped me see that its not my hub that's broken, or my bosses, but the company as a whole.
I honestly am indebted to you all.
Sincerely, -Serve
