Yesterday, it was eighty degrees... today, it's twenty-nine and there is a winter storm warning covering an extremely wide area of the state I live in. Lots of freezing rain is falling, there is the potential for sleet and snow, and conditions are supposed to deteriorate as the night goes on and tomorrow arrives. On the news, a law enforcement official on the news said if you don't have to go out tomorrow, don't, and if you can stay home from work to do so because of how bad conditions are projected to be. People are clearly concerned because the Albertsons near my house looked as if there wasn't a single parking space in the whole lot and gas stations are packed. I didn't work today and I'm really grateful, because I can't imagine how slammed my store was, especially how on the news they showed people rushing to stores and buying up lots and lots of groceries, firewood and other supplies for a long, icy, cold weekend.
I am, however, supposed to work tomorrow and Saturday though. The conditions on the road may make travel too dangerous to chance, though, as officials on the news are warning. I live around eight miles from my store, so it's not exactly right around the corner from me. If conditions on the road truly are as bad as they are predicting tomorrow, I'm not going to risk it, and the same might be true for Saturday. I don't expect the phone conversation to go well though because I kind of feel others are going to be calling in too, and even though management at my store is usually pretty good and understanding, I think tomorrow, management isn't going to be as reasonable. Even if I call in and give plenty of notice, I take it that it can still be considered an "unexcused absence"? I'm willing to take to the road if the roads are just wet, but tomorrow, it's only going to be in the upper twenties/low thirties for much of the day with significant precipitation, so if there is ice on the roads, I don't think I'm going to attempt it. This is not going to be what they want to hear tomorrow and possibly Saturday though, as I suspect they will be taking such calls from others, as well.
-- Edited by GenesisOne on Thursday 5th of December 2013 07:48:40 PM
If you can't make it, you can't make it. It's nothing for a rational manager to remain upset about, though humans aren't always noted for rationality. The only thing that really irritates me is when folks who live four blocks away claim inability to muddle through while the "outlanders" often seem to rise to the challenge.
At my store, those of us who own mini-tanks try to help others get to and from work if they desire. There might be a similar "network" available at your store if you call early and ask for help, but the "from" is vital. Unscrupulous managers might jump through hoops to get your bright-eyed, bushy-tailed self to work but dump your sorry carcass in a snow bank when it comes to the getting home part.
In any case, the affected stores will probably be dead for the next couple days. A minimal staff should prove sufficient. Stay warm and reasonably safe.
-- Edited by TaterTart on Thursday 5th of December 2013 08:20:34 PM
-- Edited by TaterTart on Thursday 5th of December 2013 08:30:08 PM
I'm going to try to make it in, but if it's bad enough, I won't go. I'm sure they won't be happy if i call in, but i've only called in twice in 2 years.
One of just the MANY things that pisses me off about retail is how these companies insist on their stores remaining O P E N....Even when it's, like, the fking end of the world out side!! Employees should NOT be required to put their lives in danger to get there, and customers clearly have no better sense to stay home. And I'm not talking about a few measely inches of snow: I mean blizzards and ice storms.
I think there's a civic duty to close these places and have it broadcast on ALL media to the public.
If you can't make it, you can't make it. It's nothing for a rational manager to remain upset about, though humans aren't always noted for rationality. The only thing that really irritates me is when folks who live four blocks away claim inability to muddle through while the "outlanders" often seem to rise to the challenge.
At my store, those of us who own mini-tanks try to help others get to and from work if they desire. There might be a similar "network" available at your store if you call early and ask for help, but the "from" is vital. Unscrupulous managers might jump through hoops to get your bright-eyed, bushy-tailed self to work but dump your sorry carcass in a snow bank when it comes to the getting home part.
In any case, the affected stores will probably be dead for the next couple days. A minimal staff should prove sufficient. Stay warm and reasonably safe.
-- Edited by TaterTart on Thursday 5th of December 2013 08:20:34 PM
-- Edited by TaterTart on Thursday 5th of December 2013 08:30:08 PM
Staying safe is the easy part... warm, not so much! I'll be sleeping with a second blanket tonight, that's for sure! Thanks for the reply and the concern. The news continues to paint a treacherous picture for tomorrow and many accidents are already being reported. I tried calling my store to talk to the closing co-manager and explain to him the conditions that I'm seeing in my area now as well as express my concern about tomorrow, but oddly enough, there's no answer at all at my store. I would hate to miss out on work tomorrow and possibly Saturday, but ice seems to be forming everywhere from the streets outside to along windows as well as our car. The ice is here and so is the snow that they were predicting, now I just hope the power outages don't start hitting, as that's something that has been talked about as well.
One of just the MANY things that pisses me off about retail is how these companies insist on their stores remaining O P E N....Even when it's, like, the fking end of the world out side!! Employees should NOT be required to put their lives in danger to get there, and customers clearly have no better sense to stay home. And I'm not talking about a few measely inches of snow: I mean blizzards and ice storms.
I think there's a civic duty to close these places and have it broadcast on ALL media to the public.
True enough. This morning I transported some neighborhood medical professionals to the hospital on the way to my sleazy retail gig. Felt like the radio should have been playing "One of These Things is Not Like the Others." Shoot, I don't even understand it from a psychopathic "money never sleeps" perspective; store's gonna pull in virtually nothing today. Oh well, guess Sweet Lady Kay ain't (sort of) paying me to think.
One of just the MANY things that pisses me off about retail is how these companies insist on their stores remaining O P E N....Even when it's, like, the fking end of the world out side!! Employees should NOT be required to put their lives in danger to get there, and customers clearly have no better sense to stay home. And I'm not talking about a few measely inches of snow: I mean blizzards and ice storms.
I think there's a civic duty to close these places and have it broadcast on ALL media to the public.
They insist on staying open because, as you said, customers lack the sense to stay home. I just got off the phone with my store, and while my department head was understanding, he did say, "well, if the roads get any better and you think you can make it, we could use your help" because surprise surprise, the store is busier than any one would expect in these kinds of conditions where sheets of ice are covering roadways and highways as well as snow. According to him, it was busier than Thanksgiving yesterday and shelves were literally cleaned out of bread and the lines stretched from the front of the store to the back, and yet people still feel the need to shop on a day where you can't drive more than five or ten MPH without worrying about sliding? It's crazy, self-centered people that drive corporations like Kroger to do crazy, corporation-centered things.
I made an effort. There isn't anything more I can do. I got a call from the store at 7:30AM this morning while I was still in bed because the store had already received more than five call-ins and I was asked if I could come in early. I explained that I might not be in at all, depending on the conditions on the road, but that I would go out on the road first before I would make it certain that I wouldn't be in today. After going out for a short test drive, I could clearly see that this was far too dangerous to chance and I have no idea when the road crews will get around to treating the streets around here. They've got their hands full with the highways.
Well, I traversed to the store and back in the ice today, and a good samaritan had to pull me (and some other vehicles) up a hill. My tires weren't designed for this weather, and it was very dangerous! I'm going to have to call in tomorrow. The managers are going to be angry, but it's not worth my life or my truck. :(
Last March 24, we got an absolute blizzard here. I left my shift two hours early, and it seriously took me almost an hour just to escape the parking lot! What followed was truly the scariest drive home I've ever had. What is normally a 15 minute drive took me almost another hour. I have a police scanner ap on my phone, and I listened throughout the night to calls starting with civilians needing rescued.....to the police and other EMS needing rescued......To the snow plows and tow trucks getting stuck. In all, it snowed non stop for over 18 hours for a total of 16 inches before drifting.
And throughout it all, every retail/grocery store in town stayed O P E N.
Wow, those are some scary stories, you two. Glad both of you ended up okay. Ice and poor visibility both spell trouble for vehicles.
I had to call in for a second day straight today (as did others) because it was actually worse today than the previous day, despite the winter storm having passed. Last night, it almost got down into the single digits, and that didn't help with all the existing ice and snow on the roadways. It hasn't been above freezing for almost three days now and we'll be lucky to get above freezing by a few degrees tomorrow. Still, the ice layers are thick enough to play ice hockey on and there's still snow too, and only the freeways/tollways are being treated since conditions are so bad and there are so few trucks, so the main roads and side streets still haven't been touched. You can't drive above ten MPH otherwise you'll start sliding pretty easily.
Still... I'm going to try to go in tomorrow. It might be a mistake, but I'm very hesitant to call in for a third day straight. So far, the store has been very understanding the past two days, but I kind of feel that understanding is going to deteriorate soon. I've been with Kroger for almost three years now and this is the one time I felt being in the union might be beneficial since the union would likely back up the employees on this. but I'm not in the union, so really, I'm just fortunate I work with a pretty good group of people that listen and respect my concerns. I know streets are still going to be dangerously icy tomorrow and thick sheets of ice still much of the ground, but calling in
If the roads are bad, I'm not going to go out and risk my life for the amount of money I make. I can always find another job that pays about the same if I get fired - I can't get a new life if I slide on the ice and get into a bad accident. Or if I survive but get injured, the hospital bills are likely to be more than I would have made that entire week.
If the roads are bad, I'm not going to go out and risk my life for the amount of money I make. I can always find another job that pays about the same if I get fired - I can't get a new life if I slide on the ice and get into a bad accident. Or if I survive but get injured, the hospital bills are likely to be more than I would have made that entire week.
Entire week? Try entire YEAR or more. 30% of the bill on my Kroger insurance.
