to wonder if the people who work with DH want their jobs?

[ThatVikRinA22]

DH is a craftsman, and has worked for the last 20 years for the same small company, he worked his way up and is a manager, but the nature of the job means the pay is crap and the hours are diabolical, certainly never conducive to family life.

In 20 years he has taken less than 4 days sick leave. He is not a whinger and plods on regardless, he is extremely put upon by the owners of the business but he wont change and ive given up trying to get him to be more 'assertive'

6 weeks ago he hired a new starter. within that 6 weeks this employee did not turn up for work for odd days here and there that have added up to 2 weeks - but his sicknesses have ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous - and then on other occasions he hasnt even bothered ringing in. DH has had to work double or split shifts to cover, he does not get paid overtime for this, (he is not a big earner - i earn more than him), and it is a massive bone of contention for me but he thinks that in this current climate he is lucky to be working, and ultimately the fate of the employees he manages is not up to him but the owner of the business

this employee has just come back and now his other colleague has decided to do the same, he should have been back to work yesterday, just didnt turn in. DH knows he has gone home for a holiday over easter but knew he was due back yesterday - (this is something this employee does often citing he cannot get flights home etc) but this time he hasnt even bothered to phone up - just didnt turn up for work yesterday or again today.DH has again gone in to cover despite being ill, this means i have had to juggle child care, re arrange appointments, re organise workmen that were due to come and who now cant as DH will be in bed, and as i am coming in from work DH is going out.

in this climate, where people are getting made redundant, AIBU to wonder why apparently grown men, with families to support and who claim they want to work, cannot be arsed to turn up half the time leaving other people to do their own workload plus the work of those who dont turn up?

OP, your DH's way is to maintain the status quo. Fine, but if it is maintained, the business will continue to lose money and will fail. That's inevitable.

So, if he cannot make changes at work (and from what you have said he can't), he must see that he will have to get another job when this business folds.

Can you at least persuade him to send out some feelers for when the inevitable happens?

Screen your calls - don't pick up if it is work - if he hasn't been informed he can't cover the shift - that will force owner to take notice. The owner will never do anything when your DH covers for free - why would he - he is getting free labour

frgr - i think you hit the nail on the head tbh.

but its getting him to realise that. and act on it.

having a conversation about it isnt easy - i get wound up by how much they use and abuse him. He gets wound up and says he has enough to contend with at work without me talking about it at home.

thanks for letting me have a rant about it, and you really are all saying what i have said for a long time now.

Something is going to crack and he knows it. Does his boss not know about the working rule that employees MUST have a minimum of 8hrs between shifts?

Does you DH not have any contacts in other firms? See if they have a job for him?