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AIBU?

To think this is harsh?

87 replies

malificent7 · 14/08/2020 18:14

Signed up for agency work...mil died, therefore had to cancel shift as dp couldn't childmind dd. She regusef to go to childminder as highly anxious.
Then today my car broke down mid shift so now they wonn't need my services any more. I cannot bloody help it if mil dies, childcare falls through and car breaks down. Their loss.

OP posts:

Report

Am I being unreasonable?

225 votes. Final results.

POLL

You are being unreasonable

74%

You are NOT being unreasonable

26%

Cam2020 · 14/08/2020 21:58

Really bad timing Had this happened a year or so into your service, I'm sure they would accept it just as that, but they don't really know you, so unfortunately how are they to know?

Sorry you've had such a horrible run of luck.

heartsonacake · 14/08/2020 21:55

@malificent7

They are short staffed apparently

That doesn’t mean they’ll keep unreliable staff on. If they can’t rely on you, that’s worse than being short staffed.

malificent7 · 14/08/2020 21:51

They are short staffed apparently

OP posts:

malificent7 · 14/08/2020 21:50

I did turn up today though....my colleague came to collect the company ppe from my car when i was let go which was parked outside the clients house while i was waiting for the AA. Sorry for drip feed but they saw my broken car.

OP posts:

Justanotherlurker · 14/08/2020 21:48

I see their point but i was upset that they " weren't happy." I wasn't happy when the car died and i was even more unhappy when mil died. It wasn't meant to be.

It is shit OP, but the balance is you are agency work with a large pool wanting to take the work, it is harsh but you having a genuine situation is unfortunately compounded by those who have heard it all before (I am not for one minute saying that is you), this is a globalised market and there is a reason why you wanted agency work.

It isn't about sucking up to employers or anything, you are specialised in an area where they will need short term agency staff, numbers dictate you will probably be easily expendable, you would struggle to even get ACAs involved. It's the nature of your role and globalised economy.

malificent7 · 14/08/2020 21:48

Twice actually....as i repeatedly said.
Three incidents...2 let downs.
Incident 1 and 2 = mother in law dies therefore incident two ...no xhildcare = let down 1.
Broken car= let down 2.

OP posts:

Ginkypig · 14/08/2020 21:47

@malificent7

Signed up for agency work...mil died, therefore had to cancel shift as dp couldn't childmind dd. She regusef to go to childminder as highly anxious.
Then today my car broke down mid shift so now they wonn't need my services any more. I cannot bloody help it if mil dies, childcare falls through and car breaks down. Their loss.

I think it really depends how long you have done work for them.

It's unfair because life does just unexpectedly fall to shit sometimes but if you haven't worked for them they don't know anything about you so the only impression they have is the incidents of having to pull out of shorts at short notice.

It's an agency so while it's unusual for you they will have experienced countless people behave like that but not because they have actually had a series of catastrophes but because they can't be arsed to turn up and don't have the respect to treat the jobs with professionalism.

malificent7 · 14/08/2020 21:46

I can see their point of view of course i can but i did not do it on purpose. If i had said..".i can't be bothered to look after those clients today sorry "= unreliable.
My car has genuinely broken down....what the hell can i do??
I am upset as i genuinely loved meeting the people i care for.

OP posts:

therhubarbbrothers · 14/08/2020 21:44

"Youve let them down 3 times, is that correct."

No. Shit has happened 3 times which Op has had no control over

The company will see it as having been let down though. They needed somebody to do some work and OP was meant to be doing it. 3 times she didn't do it. Once maybe, but 3 times?

Justanotherlurker · 14/08/2020 21:38

If you say so. I won’t argue with you.

I wouldn't expect anything else from someone who resorts to the intellect equivalent of twitter memes, that said I accept that you realise you had nothing constructive to say.

flygirl767 · 14/08/2020 21:37

@malificent7

Awww thank you Delphinium.....one of the relatives of the people I was caring for said she wasn't happy with the agency and she feel sorry for the carers....lots of issues apparently so not just me.

Right so you are a carer, can you not see why the agency would find you to be unreliable? Due to your car breaking down, some of the people you care for may not have received a visit today which can have a huge impact as I'm sure you know. I am not saying there is anything you could have done to avoid it but surely you can see their point of view? Therefore I do not think they have been harsh, they have to think of their vulnerable customers.

Isinknot · 14/08/2020 21:33

pictish · 14/08/2020 21:29

Yanbu OP but as you can see, the business perspective dictates.
It’s a shitshow but what can you do except tell your mil to hold off with the dying until your shift ends.

malificent7 · 14/08/2020 21:24

I see their point but i was upset that they " weren't happy." I wasn't happy when the car died and i was even more unhappy when mil died. It wasn't meant to be.

OP posts:

pictish · 14/08/2020 21:18

If you say so. I won’t argue with you.

malificent7 · 14/08/2020 21:17

I didn't intend to highlight the disadvantages of the global economy on this thread...just that sometimes shit happens that affects work.

OP posts:

Justanotherlurker · 14/08/2020 21:17

Katie Hopkins would be in good company here.

If in doubt pretend to be intelligent enough and offer a reasonable rebuttal but end up resorting to meme the 'muh daily heil' level response.

And yet still pretend you are the more reasoned....

Isinknot · 14/08/2020 21:15

An agency (or any business) needs to be able to rely on their people, it is that simple, unfortunately.

I once lost a job because my gran died during my first week there. It felt very unfair, but they had just employed me, and I couldn't do my scheduled shifts because I had to take care of my mum and organise everything. They couldn't rely on me, so sadly it wasn't a difficult decision for them, and they weren't being unreasonable from a business perspective.

malificent7 · 14/08/2020 21:12

I was working a 8.5 hour shift today....hence need for a lunch break...or even a 10 minute break to eat something. I worked a 5 hour shift yesterday , well i was promised a 5 hour shift yesterday but finished after 3 hours so wanted to make up as many hours as possible today. Fail!

OP posts:

Justanotherlurker · 14/08/2020 21:08

" my mil died, dd has anxiety, my car broke down, i lost my job."
Poster- i give not one shiny shit about your politics."

Not quite, it was me pointing out that you expected a lunch break after only working 5 hours, your post history does unfortunately carry with you and why name changing should only be available for certain topics, because without your post history this could have easily gone down the route of anti tory/goverment rant that you kind of want to in your previous posts.

It's shit the situation you are in and I am sorry for you, but being an agency worker means you are easily replaceable, it's unfortunate that the 3 strike rule has hit you but with the wealth of people on the books and you signing contracts regarding agency work is nothing more than a welcome to a globalised economy, which your previous politics does play a part in.

malificent7 · 14/08/2020 21:06

The thing is in an agency there is no such thing as " time off" you can either do the shift or not . In my case i couldn't do one shift and had to abandon the other.
I even said to my employer " i can return to the shift once the AA man has been." He said..." no we will end the shift here. "

OP posts:

pictish · 14/08/2020 21:05

Katie Hopkins would be in good company here.

pictish · 14/08/2020 21:01

I’m not sticking it to the man - I’m 44 for fuck’s sake. I know how it is.
Still going to say it though - look at this thread. What are we like? Her mil died and the car broke down - tough shit love, try not to be so unreliable.
Aye ok.

Wishihadanalgorithm · 14/08/2020 20:58

OP, I would look at this as a sign that this company and job were not for you. There will be a better agency for you.

Saz12 · 14/08/2020 20:56

OP, you’ve had a crappy run of it. I get that a minority of people lie to get time off, and you’re suffering from that.
If times were different, employers would have more incentive to hang on to employees. But just now they don’t.
It’s not personal, it’s not your fault, and I’m sorry you’re stuck without a job through circumstances that are no reflection of you.

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