Need advice for my son

[Hoarder123]

My son who normally lives with us has moved out to stay with a friend as my husband is a “shielded” person. He was terrified that he would catch Coronavirus and pass it on to his dad, knowing this would probably be fatal. Unfortunately his friend started showing symptoms 2 days after he moved in, therefore he has had to isolate for 14 days, which are now up.
He normally works shifts in a factory that is open 24 hours a day 5 days a week.

Due to the Coronavirus the person who gives him a list is refusing to take him to work, which is fair enough as he obviously wants to minimise his risk. When he can’t get a lift by this person he normally gets the bus or his dad takes him back and forward.

The issue now is the buses that, time wise, would normally be able to take him back and forward are cancelled. His shifts are 10pm-6am, 6am-2pm and 2pm-10pm.There are no buses he could get to work around these shifts as earliest either way is 9am and latest 6pm. His dad is his backup if he can’t get the bus or a lift. Obviously with his dad at such significant risk, him taking him is not possible.

The response from the company he works for is that it is his responsibility to get to work, end of story! They have put him as AWOL and told him he won’t get paid anything. He will also probably lose his job over this.

Is he being unreasonable in not being at work, because he can’t get, unless he walks the 5 miles there and back? Any advice gratefully appreciated.

Can he cycle? Borrow a bike?

Could the person who has voted YABU please tell me why?

Get him insured on the car?

Unfortunately it's not their problem. 5 miles is far but not that far, can he borrow a bike? Is there a bus that would get him in very early? How much would a taxi be?

Uber are offering reduced price trips for essential workers. Could you look at that ? Or cycle, thankfully the weather is conducive atm ?

Can he ask his employer to find another employee willing to give him a lift even part way?

He has offered to work around the bus times. He had an ACL repair last year and can’t cycle that far.

He is surely perfectly capable of walking to and from work. Not ideal, but that's life. Or, as has been said, get a bike. Of course he has to turn up. The alternative is to be unemployed.

An adult really shouldn't be needing to rely on others to get to work.

Pay for a taxi. Cycle. And when this is over, learn to drive.

May be a silly question depending on where you live but I think I'd speak to work about doing the 2-10pm shift and spending part of my wage on a taxi home ( obviously if any still running) at 10pm.
I'd also be asking around to see if anyone on shift lives local and if I'm working with them anyway, I'd ask if they could drop off at a convenient point for them on their way home and obviously pay the petrol.

I cycle 8 miles each way to work. Can't he cycle? 5 miles would take 25 mins max.

His employers are wankers but personally speaking, being fit and well, I’d walk or cycle it.

He will have to bike or walk.

His employer is right, it's up to him to get to work, and he will likely end up losing his job over this.

Is what you are asking really if his employer should continue to pay him to stay at home when he's not ill and not isolating. Of course they shouldn't.

5 miles isn't too far to walk if he's reasonably fit and healthy and an easy cycle.

If he can’t cycle, he will need to walk.

Is he very young? Is that why he has always relied on other people getting him to work? My sisters partner is work-shy. One of his tricks is applying for jobs he just can’t get to, as he never learnt to drive either.

Taxi, walk or cycle. I'm not sure if I missed it but how old is your son?

It's not ideal but he's either going to have to uber, or jog or cycle. I find it hard to believe he can't cycle 5 miles ACL repair or not.

What do you want the company to do? Say ok then sit at home on full pay? Why should other employees, who are paying for a car out of their income, have to work when he doesn’t? There are lots of options still available to him - walk, run, cycle, moped, car, taxi, etc.

That’s life sometimes. It’s up to the employee to have transportation to the place of work. If you can’t get to work, then you can’t expect to be paid for no showing or even to keep your job. He may have to lose the job for now as he has no way to get there reliably. Although, why can’t he borrow his dads car? Or buy an electric cycle?

It’s the same with childcare. Parents are expected to arrange childcare so they can work. If childcare arrangements fall through, then a parent has to stay home and not work- they can’t expect to be paid for not working or even to keep their job if they can’t arrange child care.

Moped ? Electric bike? Bus to a close ish point and walk.

@JasonPollack as in OP there just aren’t any buses that would work around his shifts as majority of service has been cancelled. We are in a rural area and no taxis either.

@LoveFameTragedy the only person who could give him a lift has, as is his right, told him he won’t give anyone a lift.

He needs to work out a longer term plan for this as he shouldn’t be relying on his dad for a lift as an adult. In the short term it’s his responsibility to get himself to work. Ideally he would have a shift pattern that would make it easier but it’s not up to his employers to sort out this issue. I used to walk four miles to work everyday because I chose to, not because I had to. Exercise is good for the immune system. Agree that walking home from a late shift is not sensible though.

Bike? Does he drive? How old is he?