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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that "my car won't start" is not a reason for not coming to work

104 replies

OhDearNigel · 02/01/2013 09:29

When you live on a bus route that will get you to your office ? Colleague phoned in with "car problems" which apparently mean she can't come in for the rest of the week Shock. She lives round the corner from my parents so I know full well that there is a bus route that goes pretty much from outside her house and goes past our office so it's not as if she can't get there

OP posts:
StellaNova · 02/01/2013 10:50

atthewelles it depends on the job doesn't it - and also the time we are talking about - back in the day it wasn't nearly so easy to work from home.

In my case I was working for a magazine that needed to be published, before the technology existed to make that happen remotely.

diddl · 02/01/2013 10:52

But as already said, if you´re shortstaffed, then the boss shouldn´t let her take the AL.

atthewelles · 02/01/2013 10:52

Well, do you want a medal Enfy. You obviously felt safe and comfortable about going into work those days, other people in different locations or states of health or mobility or whatever, may not have.

OP does this person have a history of taking days off from work at short notice or is this the first time?

SooticaTheWitchesCat · 02/01/2013 10:52

YANBU

My car wouldn't start the other day so it had to go to the garage and is still there at the moment. I am in work, if I hadn't been able to get a lift in I would have had to walk or get the bus.

diddl · 02/01/2013 10:54

No way would I drive in the snow & I´d also be very reluctant to be driven tbh.

If I couldn´t walk/train-it probably wouldn´t happen!

atthewelles · 02/01/2013 10:54

Well that's my poing Stella. It was important for you to get to work so you did.
I would do my utmost to get to work in the snow if there was something needing my urgent attention in the office. I would not, however, spend hours and hours commuting with no idea of whether I'll get home safely or not, simply to avoid taking a day's leave like some people do.

showtunesgirl · 02/01/2013 10:56

But that's the thing atthewelles, I DIDN'T make a heroic effort. I left the house ten minutes earlier than usual and got in at about normal time. My colleague just decided not to even bother. What irks me is that on my contract, if I don't turn up to the office, I don't get paid. She had four days off paid and didn't do anything!

oldpeculiar · 02/01/2013 10:57

Does she have children? It's possible that, without a car, she can't get them to and from childcare to enble her to get to work.

LIZS · 02/01/2013 10:58

When she had car problems on Monday were they disruptive to her working day or could she have been setting up an excuse for the rest of the week ?

OhlimpPricks · 02/01/2013 10:58

I am a private person, and don't want my life/family/health discussed by a group of office gossips. As the stories get re reported , they get embellished, people add on little bits, and twist the truth. You have heard a manager talking on the phone, and have already invented the other half of the story, see? You just sound pissed off as you may have to do some work on Friday instead of sitting on MN. Maybe your colleagues are irritated that they are now working and you are using work time to write on a chat site.
Hence, unless it is really necessary I would not go into full detail with anyone but senior management. None of your business.

x2boys · 02/01/2013 11:01

even if she cant afford a bus you have a duty to attend work i have been so skint just before payday i could nt affiord a bus i walked to work i live a good 4/5 miles away !

DolomitesDonkey · 02/01/2013 11:06

Can I poke the hornet's nest and ask if you're public sector? Grin

x2boys · 02/01/2013 11:10

if me yes i,m a nurse

MrsKeithRichards · 02/01/2013 11:11

My last manager made me look stupid for worrying whether or not the slope into the remote office we worked from was gritted or not. He had previously fobbed me off saying it was on the council priority list (was a council building but only about 10 members of staff plus manager and I) but he was lying. The other staff told me it had never once been gritted, neither has the car park and we were such a small office we were never a priority.

I was pregnant at the time and he sat in a meeting talking about how he walked 4 miles in knee deep snow to get to work. Our overall manager reminded him that there were no medals issued for putting yourself at risk and if our office wasn't gritted I was just to turn around and head to the main office.

2 weeks later he slid on the icy slope.

I did not laugh. Honest.

bringbacksideburns · 02/01/2013 11:14

She's taking ths piss and having the rest of the week off because her husband is.

But if you were already shortstaffed then bus routes and Public transport should have been brought up in the call and her leave should have been refused, so it's not her fault.

bigTillyMincePie · 02/01/2013 11:15

YANBU -our car got sick on Monday so I dropped it at the garage first thing this morning and we are now on the train to the outlaws - we could have cancelled/postponed, but decided to make the extra bit of effort.

LIZS · 02/01/2013 11:17

Agree with bringback. Your manager has set themselves a prcecedent - what if everyone had a breakdown in the same week ...

Sparklingbrook · 02/01/2013 11:29

Where I worked taking a day's leave because there was snow wouldn't have been an option. It was a bank and they did say you could go to your nearest branch. I didn't work in a branch so I would have had to make the tea because I wouldn't have a clue. Grin

atthewelles · 02/01/2013 12:03

If it's a bank Sparkling how did your boss get away with his snow list? Surely someone could have complained to HR or head office about his unreasonable behaviour?

Original poster
OhDearNigel · 02/01/2013 12:09

OhLimpPricks, I was on a fairly lengthy train journey and then waiting for a case conference and on my smartphone. I am now on my lunchbreak

OP posts:
theoriginalandbestrookie · 02/01/2013 12:11

YANBU OP and your managers should be dealing with this situation to make sure it doesn't give everyone else the idea that they can take random days off as it suits.

catgirl1976geesealaying · 02/01/2013 12:15

YANBU

She should get the bus or arrange a lift

I suppose she may be totally skint but our work would sort someone out to pick her up and take her home who lived in her general direction

EndoplasmicReticulum · 02/01/2013 13:24

YANBU.

I am a teacher. I am just imagining the response if I wanted a week off because my car was broken.

Some people do seem to be able to get away with things like this though, my husband was telling me his colleague had a day off "to look after his mums dogs which can't be left alone".

I think the fault here lies with the manager, who is going to find that more people start taking the piss!

pigletmania · 02/01/2013 14:07

YANBU at all, there are other ways of getting into work, what do non car drivers do Hmm. Where is that car thread where the op accuses non car driving people as being annoying, well car drivers can also be annoying to when tey are helpless without te car. I hope that her boss as taken that time off her as holiday or nt entertained the idea

Stonefield · 02/01/2013 14:16

Why is everyone banging on about snow? We never get any snow, mores the pity and when we do it's a dusting and the whole stupid country panics and grinds to a halt, its crazy.

Sorry OP but YANBU, if your colleague worked for me, they'd either get to work or be disciplined for breach of contract.