Snowed in

Christina Websell wrote

"David Stevenson" wrote in message
...
Christina Websell wrote
We Brits are not used to snow. Anyone who has to travel to work is in
trouble.

It's only in the last few years since we got inundated with Health and
Safety nonsense that we turned in to wimps and wusses. In my day it took
at least two *feet* of snow to think of not going to school.

I showed the snow to Nanki Poo. He shouted at me.


I get fed up with people saying "when I was a child we managed to get to
school"
Of course you did, your school was in walking distance, as was mine. I
managed to get to school too.
I made a decision that it was unsafe for me to drive to work on that day.

My schools were never within walking distance. We went by bike or
bus.

--
David Stevenson Storypage: http://blakjak.org/sty_menu.htm
Liverpool, England, UK Emails welcome
N Poo: SI O+W B 14 Y L+ W++ C+ I T+ A- E H++ V- F Q P+ B+ PA+ PL SC

For Tweed's info. On my local news this morning - Kettering Hospital - any
staff who did not get into work due to recent weather are having to take
those as holiday or have a day's pay docked.

On Feb 12, 1:37*am, "wafflycat"
wrote:
For Tweed's info. On my local news this morning - Kettering Hospital - any
staff who did not get into work due to recent weather are having to take
those as holiday or have a day's pay docked.

Doesn't make a lot of difference what they did at Kettering. Each
Trust does it differently, In my place some managers docked a day but
in my department they didn't penalise staff who couldn't get in. In
one trust they gave those who couldn't get in a day's "exceptional
leave" but those who did got an extra day's annual leave for coming
in.

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

"David Stevenson" wrote in message
...
Christina Websell wrote

"David Stevenson" wrote in message
...
Christina Websell wrote
We Brits are not used to snow. Anyone who has to travel to work is in
trouble.

It's only in the last few years since we got inundated with Health and
Safety nonsense that we turned in to wimps and wusses. In my day it
took
at least two *feet* of snow to think of not going to school.

I showed the snow to Nanki Poo. He shouted at me.


I get fed up with people saying "when I was a child we managed to get to
school"
Of course you did, your school was in walking distance, as was mine. I
managed to get to school too.
I made a decision that it was unsafe for me to drive to work on that day.

My schools were never within walking distance. We went by bike or bus.

But you did not have to DRIVE 11 miles in the snow, David. You were a child
and had no need to worry how you got to school on a bus, it was up the
adults to get you there.
I will say this only once ;-) I assessed that it was dangerous for me to
attempt to get to work that day, I'd got home in the dark the previous day
(dangerous for me) and had no intention of having that happen again.
It's just a job and I am not prepared to risk my life for it. If my
employers don't like it, it's too bad.
They can sack me if they like, I still won't risk my life for them. I'd
rather be unemployed and alive.
Actually they can't sack me as it happens as I am registered partially
sighted and they know I am not able to drive in the dark. I would have
taken the same stance if I wasn't.
If you cannot get to work because of the snow, well..you can't. Some who
live close can walk in. Others living miles away cannot. Why should those
who live miles away lose a day's holiday for it and those who can walk in
get away with it. It's discriminatory as those who live near have an
advantage. (if we want equal opportunities as my employers say they are so
red hot on)


Tweed

Christina Websell wrote

"David Stevenson" wrote in message
...
Christina Websell wrote

"David Stevenson" wrote in message
...
Christina Websell wrote
We Brits are not used to snow. Anyone who has to travel to work is in
trouble.

It's only in the last few years since we got inundated with Health and
Safety nonsense that we turned in to wimps and wusses. In my day it
took
at least two *feet* of snow to think of not going to school.

I showed the snow to Nanki Poo. He shouted at me.


I get fed up with people saying "when I was a child we managed to get to
school"
Of course you did, your school was in walking distance, as was mine. I
managed to get to school too.
I made a decision that it was unsafe for me to drive to work on that day.

My schools were never within walking distance. We went by bike or bus.

But you did not have to DRIVE 11 miles in the snow, David. You were a child
and had no need to worry how you got to school on a bus, it was up the
adults to get you there.

Exactly: and if there was snow, they would drive me rather than expect
me to go on the bus.

I am not interested in whether you should or should not do something,
and I have made no comments on your specific situation. But it is a
fact that this country is worrying loudly and in a fairly silly way
about things that were taken for granted when we were young. We had
snow every winter, and schools did not close because of snow. We had to
travel in snow, so we did, and did not think it special.

--
David Stevenson Storypage: http://blakjak.org/sty_menu.htm
Liverpool, England, UK Emails welcome
N Poo: SI O+W B 14 Y L+ W++ C+ I T+ A- E H++ V- F Q P+ B+ PA+ PL SC

"MatSav" matthew | dot | savage | at | dsl | dot | pipex | dot | com wrote
in message ...
"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...
We Brits are not used to snow. Anyone who has to travel to work is in
trouble.
Monday, I struggled into work through the snow,...
Tuesday, ...I did not feel inclined to risk driving 11 miles on mainly
unsalted roads. This did not go down well with my manager. ...
She wants to take a days leave (holiday) off me for not going in.
I got into work yesterday ok and she said "give me your leave card" so
she was able to take a day's holiday from me. I did not reply and I did
not give it to her.
Today we had 4 inches of snow overnight. There is no way I could even
attempt getting to work and back safely. ...
I asked what the position was if I decide it's not safe to travel and he
said if your manager thinks you can come in you will have to appeal the
decision. Oh, joy.
I know it was not possible to get to work from here. So what do I do,
gain my leave back or annoy my manager?

If you are employed in the public sector, you may be entitled to paid or
unpaid "special leave" to cover the unusual situation - but it is at the
discretion of line management.

If you are non-public sector, you MUST, by law, have a written contract of
employment. This should set out how this situation must be treated.
Alternatively, if you are a member of a Trade Union, you should seek their
advice.

Public sector. The rule has been misinterpreted IMO but it's pointless to
argue. Myself and another colleague who lives in a village and also could
not get in have lost a day's leave.
My colleague Tom was so annoyed that he wanted to get the Union involved,
except that he isn't in it ;-) I am.
My other colleagues who live nearby and could get to work have been very
supportive of us. One said "well I guess that's the end of goodwill, then"
It is.
Tom and myself are furious about it. We are not stupid and know whether or
not it's safe to try and drive miles to work and we both assessed it as not
safe.

It does not help to be told how easy it was to plough through the snow to
get to school as a child. Of course it was. I did it myself. I walked
more than two miles to school on my own at 7. Unless my friend Christopher
came along too, he lived just down the road. You'd never let your children
do this now.
Me and Christopher made our minds up that we'd get married when we were
older. We didn't of course, but I am amazed to see his choice ;-)

Tweed