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My workplace issued me a warning letter

Liquid Plejades

Liquid Plejades

Member
Mar 3, 2018
4,512
Edit : meant to say "issued" in title

I'm not sure what else to call it? One of the supervisors gave me a letter and it basically says I've had absences in the past few months and I need to limit them going forward or it could lead to termination.

Now, I won't deny that I have taken time off. In the past 3.5 months I've taken 7 days off. Three were due to a family members health, and the other 4 were due to an accident I was in which caused me to get hurt. Back when this stuff was happening they were extremely supportive and even encouraged me to take more time off if I needed to tend to my family and in the latter they said if I needed more time to recover. It just seems kind of fucked up how they are now doing a complete shift in attitude and giving me this letter.

Is this normal and just part of most workplace policies or is it as messed up as I think it is? It's making me somewhat uncomfortable. Should I just ignore it and file it under bureaucratic bullshit or talk to the boss?
 
Dyle

Dyle

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
29,938
I'd talk to your boss since they had shown interest in you taking time off to take care of yourself before, especially if they had told you it was ok through something recorded like emails or texts
 
Vapelord

Vapelord

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,830
Montreal
I've seen it both ways, could be nothing and came from HR to everyone that crossed some imaginary line in their spreadsheet. Also I've seen places start pumping out written warnings so when they do a bunch of layoffs they have receipts as to why and you can't clap back at them for wrongful termination etc...
 
danowat

danowat

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,783
Liquid Plejades said:
Yes. I asked for the days off to go tend to my family member. Only the accident was impromptu because, well, it was a car acccident.
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You say 'one' of your supervisors gave you the letter, was it the same superior who encouraged you to take (more) time off?

Personally I'm of the opinion that nothing you say now will alter the fact that a) you had the time off, and b) you have this letter.

Kirblar said:
How is 7 days off in 3.5 months considered abnormal?
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2 sick days a month is normal?
 
tangeu

tangeu

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,232
They could be personally supportive of you while beholden to policy handed down from above their heads. Maybe schedule a meeting with your boss and see how serious it actually is?
 
FaceHugger

FaceHugger

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
13,949
USA
I'm glad my employer encourages us to take off if sick. It's a healthcare environment, so they get it (one person shows up with a bad cold and "works through it", several people may get sick, etc).
 

Deleted member 2595

Account closed at user request
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,475
danowat

danowat

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,783
Forearms said:
I used to be like you. Then I realized that I was working myself to death for a piece of shit employer who took advantage of me. Never again.

OP - talk to your boss.
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Trust me, I am not 'working myself to death' , I only do 30 hours a week over 4 days.

Paraside said:
In the EU IIRC 5 weeks is minimum and legally required. Every job you walk into no matter how experienced will have this allowance.
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Hmmm....I am not sure that is the case, not for the entirety of the EU at least.
 
yumms

yumms

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,156
Are you not eligible for FMLA?
 
Mr. X

Mr. X

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,495
I would talk to your boss or something. 7 days off with 100ish days shouldn't be a warning, especially if you got approved or it was an emergency.
 
FaceHugger

FaceHugger

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
13,949
USA
FTF said:
Most businesses do not give you 5 weeks of pto a year (24 days in this case), unless you've been there like 10+ years.
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Mine gives 21 days off a year to start, 28 after ten years (somewhere in between for 5 years). One only uses sick time if they have accrued less than something like 100 hours - we gain around 6 hours sick time a month). So once you're tenured with like three-ish years you're fine to take a day off sick here and there.

The catch: we're 24/7 365 so we have to use vacation time on holidays if they fall on a day one works. Only a few are exceptions, Christmas and I think Thanksgiving, I forget.
 
angelgrievous

angelgrievous

Middle fingers up
Member
Nov 8, 2017
9,138
Ohio
Probably just a policy the company has. Your boss will likely tell you as much.

I wouldn't worry about it, just file it away and keep on going.
 
Putosaure

Putosaure

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,956
France
Hope you have email prrofs to show that you warned your company and most importantly - that they gave you approval.
 
vypek

vypek

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,551
7 days in 3.5 months doesn't seem like it should really be an issue. Especially when time is approved.
 
Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins

Banned
Feb 10, 2018
17,534
Read up on company policy and see if they are following it.
Some companies have attendance limits regardless of the reason why.
 
Tzarscream

Tzarscream

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
2,945
What kind of leave was this 7 days? Vacation? Sick Leave? Or.....?

Which country are you in?
 
Tzarscream

Tzarscream

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
2,945
FTF said:
Most businesses do not give you 5 weeks of pto a year (24 days in this case), unless you've been there like 10+ years.
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This is like standard in Europe, while I've been working in Poland taking 2 weeks off a year in one go is mandatory.

Jesus Christ America, yall stand in front of your flag eating kraft singles working yourself to death and this is the greatest country on Earth?
 
entremet

entremet

You wouldn't toast a NES cartridge
Member
Oct 26, 2017
60,096
Talk to HR. But the letter is serious. No doubt about it.

Tzarscream said:
This is like standard in Europe, while I've been working in Poland taking 2 weeks off a year in one go is mandatory.

Jesus Christ America, yall stand in front of your flag eating kraft singles working yourself to death and this is the greatest country on Earth?
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I'm surprised people don't know this by now. America sucks at PTO. Most places give you 2-3 weeks a year. There also may be a probationary period.
 
Kraid

Kraid

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,265
Cuck Zone
HR in a company I used to work for tracked "occurrences" over a rolling 6 month period. I fought every single step of the way when they asked me to warn an employee because she was sick a few times. It's a garbage policy. But, what they would do, is if you had several days off together for sickness or something, and had a note, they'd lump them into one occurrence. So, it's possible that you just have someone overzealous looking at data and not doing any critical thinking (something that would never, ever happen in HR...), but honestly the very best course of action is to talk to a supervisor.

I've taken like one sick day off in the last three years, and every time I think about that I get so mad at myself. But then I feel guilty when I think about taking one. Hooray corporate culture.
 
Surakian

Surakian

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
10,867
UltimateHigh said:
My brother's girlfriend basically got fired for taking her maternity leave. I was baffled that such a thing was allowed to happen.
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Do you live in a state where maternity leave is not a protected leave? That might be why. FMLA is also a protected leave, but it depends on how many people worked at the company.
 
fallengorn

fallengorn

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,097
New York City
If you're concerned, talk with your manager about it.

Someone was probably just looking at the numbers and saw a "trend" to warrant the notice.
 
Christian

Christian

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,636
It's messed up for them to change their attitude about your absences, and it's normal for them to do it. Companies don't care, even if they act like they're sympathetic. They're worried about the bottom line, and if they think you're costing more than you produce, they'll turn on you in a heartbeat.
 
Falcon511

Falcon511

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,152
I've got like 44 sick days I haven't used. It just keeps building up. No idea why my job does this. I should take sick days to do things like go to the eye doctor and get new glasses or go to the doctor for a regular check up. Usually I do that stuff off my normal hours.
 
FTF

FTF

Member
Oct 28, 2017
28,398
New York
FaceHugger said:
Mine gives 21 days off a year to start, 28 after ten years (somewhere in between for 5 years). One only uses sick time if they have accrued less than something like 100 hours - we gain around 6 hours sick time a month). So once you're tenured with like three-ish years you're fine to take a day off sick here and there.

The catch: we're 24/7 365 so we have to use vacation time on holidays if they fall on a day one works. Only a few are exceptions, Christmas and I think Thanksgiving, I forget.
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Westbahnhof said:
That's just fucked up. That that's legally possible, I mean.
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Tzarscream said:
This is like standard in Europe, while I've been working in Poland taking 2 weeks off a year in one go is mandatory.

Jesus Christ America, yall stand in front of your flag eating kraft singles working yourself to death and this is the greatest country on Earth?
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Yup, kind of sucks. Though that's not counting the 7-9 holidays off. For example, I work for a fairly good, fortune 500 company...First year you get 5 pto days plus 8 holidays, 2nd-4th year 10 pto + 8, 5-8th year 15 pto + 8, 8-12 years 20 days + 8, 12 years+ 25 pto + 8. Currently caps at 5 weeks + 8 holidays.
 
gozu

gozu

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,334
America
You've been a bad boy! Why would you go and have an accident when you know your company is overstretched this time of year? That's very selfish of you.

After all this company has done for you! Did they not send you regular paychecks for your work? Every single time? You are being very ungrateful.

Honestly, I think you should have gotten demoted for your selfishness. Your company is incredibly kind and magnanimous. Least you can do is work 4 hours extra every day for the rest of your life to show gratitude.


PS: Sounds like satire, but I got demoted after shattering my leg in 4 places and crippling me forever, for "being selfish and going skydiving ahead of an office move".

I put in my 2-month notice the next day.
 

Majora85

Member
Nov 21, 2017
1,105
The people saying they might have noticed a 'trend' confuse me. Two completely isolated, exceptional incidents a few months apart do not constitute a trend, no matter how many total days he had to take off because of them. In fact the amount of days he had to take off is irrelevant, any decent employer would understand that both circumstances were exceptional and not give him warnings over life circumstances he can't control. I swear to god, work culture in the US is borderline sociopathic.
 
Francesco

Francesco

Member
Nov 22, 2017
2,521
Kirblar said:
How is 7 days off in 3.5 months considered abnormal?
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Do you live in the US?
gozu said:
You've been a bad boy! Why would you go and have an accident when you know your company is overstretched this time of year? That's very selfish of you.

After all this company has done for you! Did they not send you regular paychecks for your work? Every single time? You are being very ungrateful.

Honestly, I think you should have gotten demoted for your selfishness. Your company is incredibly kind and magnanimous. Least you can do is work 4 hours extra every day for the rest of your life to show gratitude.


PS: Sounds like satire, but I got demoted after shattering my leg in 4 places and crippling me forever, for "being selfish and going skydiving ahead of an office move".

I put in my 2-month notice the next day.
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this cracked me up. 2 MONTH notice??? Holy shit.
 
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