to think if I can't get home from work then I can't go.

[whatisreasonable]

I work at night in a residential home and am due at work tomorrow night. I've called in to advise I may not be able to get there and back and to find out what the procedure is.

I've been advised I will be expected to go above and beyond what I would normally do to get there.

I live in a very rural and isolated location and we don't have a 4wd so the road is undrivable for normal cars outside our house to the main road. (A distance of about 2 miles). We did try and get out today and had to be towed home by a friendly landrover.

I can get a lift in from a friend in 4wd but the only way to get home is to walk 3 miles at 6.30am in the morning.

I'm not really happy doing this. No decisions have been made yet as I need to call tomorrow lunchtime and advise what's happening when we've looked at the road.

What do you think? (I've name changed as I know people from work sometimes look at this site)

Do you run on the road Annie?

I have a reflective vest thing that I have in my bag when I walk the dog incase I lose track of time. I still have had a few near misses.

Nope, in the woods. Roads are boring.

Obviously when it is dark I take it out of the bag and out it on

Glad you took that in spirit it was intended annie!

Like how my dad always risks life and limb to meet his commitments - that's his choice though and his personality. He would don the hiking gear and head off into the blizzard with a shovel in his hand and a song on his lips. I wouldn't. I would think "fuck me that sounds like a dangerous proposition". Doesn't mean he is a better person than me, just different. More of a risk taking personality.

Oh, and Shiney - please go ahead with the applause. I feel I don't get applauded nearly often enough!

rofl twinset

AnnieLobeseder -''I still reckon that a lot of people are taking the piss and not going to work when they're quite capable of getting there.'' Sounds like your being judgy based on your capabilities? We are not all built the same and have different levels of energy. I just think we should give people the benefit of the doubt and accept we all live differently.

Doodleydoo - ''I appreciate that many people think the op should walk in the snow the 3 miles home...''Check again? Do many people think the op should walk home?

Annie - you running in the woods with all your equipment is a different kettle of fish to walking 3 miles along dark, ungritted roads with no equipment then isn't it.

cheeset - sorry battery going on my computer and so skimmed, just got the impression some thought ok to walk - me personally a very lazy cow and I haven't ventured past the front door in 2 days

The op said it's two miles to the main road - I would have thought she could get a taxi as far as the turn off and then walk. She isn't going to fall over if she has good footwear - she'll be walking through snow. It's cold and wet and heavy going but not icy - yet! It will be getting lighter all the time and she isn't going to get lost unless the snow is more than about 6 feet and obscures the line of the hedges and fences - in which case she won't be walking through it anyway. I also don't think saying she will be too tired to look after her kids is of any value as an arguement. She has chosen to work nights - her childcare arrangements are not her employers problem nor are they a reason not to do this. Anyway - she obviously doesn't intend to do it and I reserve the right to therefore think she is unreasonable!

Come on, you live in a city don't you? Or are you a crazy extreme sports type?

Did you read that Sky news article that was linked to Northernlurker? I don't know where the OP lives, but up here at 6.30 in the morning it is minus double figures at the moment. It's dangerous, surely you can see that?

Live in a city at the moment but raised in very snow prone countryside.
We are not talking about a trek across miles of open country. We aren't talking about a through the night walk or the op making her way across a mountain. We are talking about a woman in perfectly good health (I am assuming, warmly dressed and appropriately shod (again my assumption) walking up to three miles along a road. A snow covered road yes - but that's all to the good because if it is indeed impassable to cars then there won't be any traffic hazard at all. I cannot understand why so many of you think this is tantamount to suicide. I think you've all been reading the Daily Mail and driving around in nice warm cars a bit too much. This is perfectly possible if she chooses to do it.

Cross posted - yes I did and we know nothing about that poor woman's state of health or clothing. People have accidents every day but we don't take each individual accident as a warning not to do x, y or z. Yes it's cold, yes it's unpleasant but there is no need to totally shut down all activity. My dd1 will be walking to school next week - 1.5 miles each way setting off at 7.45am. That is in a city though but we've got bugger all in the way of grit here atm!

What if her good footwear suddenly drops through a socking great hole in the road, invisible as covered with snow, & causes her to fall awkwardly NorthernLurker?

Happened to me this morning walking in local woods. No harm done whatsoever, but at least if I had bust my ankle, it was daylight, I had phone reception, there were other walkers around...

Actually, I'd probably risk the OP's journey because I'm bloodyminded like that. I still think it's unsafe & unreasonable of her employer to expect it.

completely off subject but I have to respond to Annie - I ran fourteen miles Monday morning - in the dark for about an hour of it, through woods, up steep rocky edges and across moorland. it was so cold my water froze. I saw the sun come up and saw wild deer. twas amazing.

natch.

Of course it's possible if it was essential - I don't count an employer's wishes as essential I'm afraid. We could all do it if we absolutely had to - not sure though if I'd already been on my feet for 12 hours. But it's not sensible, and for an employer to require it is unreasonable IMO.

Well it depends on how easy it is for the epmployer to get other carers in doesn't it. If everybody is reacting like you lot then the patients in the home are going to struggle aren't they?

Raven - I think it's unlikely her road is that full of big holes but yes she could fall over. Falling over is a hazard we just have to deal with as we walk only on two feet not four. It applies in all conditions and locations. It's NOT a reason not to do this.

I appreciate that the OP does an important job. But I think that in all circumstances like this the employer, and not the employee, should be responsible for making sure she gets home safely.

I think the combination of increased risk of incapacitating injury from a fall (because of weather conditions) with likelihood of then being in deep shit as a result(because of location & time of day) would be a good reason not to.

Yes, she'd probably be absolutely fine & as I said I'd probably do it myself. But I still don't think it's a particularly sensible thing to do, or reasonable as an employer's expectation.

Genuine applause for hatwoman and annie

We are all getting too soft, I reckon.

NL how can you judge it to be completely safe if you don't know the actual journey the OP has to make?

She is obviously worried about it, and rather than give her the benefit of the doubt that she knows the area, has weighed it up, and considers it dangerous, you automatically assume that she is a lazy goodfornothing scardeycat and a prime example of all that is wrong with our society.

You don;t consider it possible for a moment that this particular route may, in fact, be quite dangerous.