Customers will remember those shops who were open for them, when others werent.
Management's response when asked about closing early (MN winter storm)
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Here's a little story.
In March 1980 the Norfolk area in Virginia was hit by one of only two recorded blizzards there since official government records began in 1870. The other was in February 1989. The 1980 storm dumped 17 inches of snow at the Norfolk airport.
The governor of Virginia, I believe John Dalton, closed the roads in southeastern Virginia to all but emergency vehicles. Some people who had gone to see the Barnum & Bailey circus were forced to stay at the Norfolk Scope convention center, because they weren't permitted to leave after the governor's order. The military facilities in the area closed.
Except one: the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, which employed primarily civilians in ship repair. Notifications on TV said the NNSY was open as usual and employees were to report as usual. My parents worked there and they knew failure to report was potentially grounds for disciplinary action. The decision to stay open was the idiot shipyard commander's doing, as he had done this before during inclement weather.
On the Sunday the blizzard was in progress, the TV news continued to say NNSY employees should report to work. Suddenly during the evening that changed to a "liberal leave" policy. Employees could take any leave time they had available instead of coming to work.
The rumor shipyard employees heard later that week after things returned to normal was this: people from the governor's office were in touch with that idiot commander and threatened his arrest for attempting to contravene the governor's order. State police would presumably bust the commander when he left the shipyard grounds. Suddenly he saw the light and issued the "liberal leave" policy. That became the standard NNSY practice in inclement weather instead of telling employees they had to come in regardless.
The point is that a boss who expects his employees to come in regardless of conditions could find himself in legal trouble if the authorities have said not to use the roads.
In March 1980 the Norfolk area in Virginia was hit by one of only two recorded blizzards there since official government records began in 1870. The other was in February 1989. The 1980 storm dumped 17 inches of snow at the Norfolk airport.
The governor of Virginia, I believe John Dalton, closed the roads in southeastern Virginia to all but emergency vehicles. Some people who had gone to see the Barnum & Bailey circus were forced to stay at the Norfolk Scope convention center, because they weren't permitted to leave after the governor's order. The military facilities in the area closed.
Except one: the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, which employed primarily civilians in ship repair. Notifications on TV said the NNSY was open as usual and employees were to report as usual. My parents worked there and they knew failure to report was potentially grounds for disciplinary action. The decision to stay open was the idiot shipyard commander's doing, as he had done this before during inclement weather.
On the Sunday the blizzard was in progress, the TV news continued to say NNSY employees should report to work. Suddenly during the evening that changed to a "liberal leave" policy. Employees could take any leave time they had available instead of coming to work.
The rumor shipyard employees heard later that week after things returned to normal was this: people from the governor's office were in touch with that idiot commander and threatened his arrest for attempting to contravene the governor's order. State police would presumably bust the commander when he left the shipyard grounds. Suddenly he saw the light and issued the "liberal leave" policy. That became the standard NNSY practice in inclement weather instead of telling employees they had to come in regardless.
The point is that a boss who expects his employees to come in regardless of conditions could find himself in legal trouble if the authorities have said not to use the roads.
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We had some nasty weather just before Christmas that sounds like what you’ll be getting. I can’t imagine having to drive in that.
Do you guys not have personal/ sick days? If you wanted to, you could call in the same day just because with pay.. that is what they are for.
Good help is hard to find. I’m surprised they’re being so bull headed over something so uncontrollable as the weather.
Do you guys not have personal/ sick days? If you wanted to, you could call in the same day just because with pay.. that is what they are for.
Good help is hard to find. I’m surprised they’re being so bull headed over something so uncontrollable as the weather.
I am just guessing, but I think I maybe 6 miles away from your work on Nicollet in South Minneapolis??? At 6:30AM Thursday morning we have had about 9 inches in 24 hours. Not a big deal to me personally. I will be driving my lowered AWD Hyundai into work after snowblowing my 2 driveways. If your coming from Elk River they had 14 inches and in the out skirts I give you it "could be" kind of a show stopper with a small car and FWD. Add, if you don't have a truck or AWD they is kind of a show stopper. But here in the 1st and 2nd to part of third ring suburbs of Minneapolis. It is nothing too worry about "Just another Minnesota snow fall". And I will move on with my day.
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I was the Commanding Officer of a Navy Reserve unit based in Great Lakes, IL, just North of Chicago. Plenty of opportunities to make this call for inclement weather on a drill weekend.
Priority 1 - Keeping my sailors safe
Priority 2 - Getting them paid
My policy was often aligned with the Base Commander, who was a friend and a good man, so the base put out policy for reporting for work (essential personnel only) that we simply followed. But for Reserves, the reporting for duty was a part of getting paid for the weekend. For many of my folks, that extra bit of pay was a critical part of their budget, so getting them paid was really important.
In every single case, I was able to do both 1 & 2. Every single single sailor, every time the weather was bad.
For many of my folks, it was a long drive from their home up to Great Lakes. Some came from as far as Indiana. The decision on reporting for duty had to be made well in advance.
The Navy didn’t have a “work from home” policy at the time, however, I interpreted the existing policy for work accomplished outside of the unit to include on line training done for the Navy via their home computer. They were on duty, in a remote location, and I got them paid if they couldn’t come in because of weather. Naturally, most of them were too “tough“ to take advantage of my interpretation, and would come in regardless, with the “I’m from Wisconsin, this is just a little snowstorm” attitude. I practically had to order the single mom from Indiana to stay home during one blizzard, and assure her that I would take care of her pay. I did, and she got paid on time.
I am genuinely shocked at the cavalier attitude towards employee safety in the OP post. Taking care of your people is rule no. 1 for a leader.
Sadly, management and leadership are very different things, and managers abound…
Priority 1 - Keeping my sailors safe
Priority 2 - Getting them paid
My policy was often aligned with the Base Commander, who was a friend and a good man, so the base put out policy for reporting for work (essential personnel only) that we simply followed. But for Reserves, the reporting for duty was a part of getting paid for the weekend. For many of my folks, that extra bit of pay was a critical part of their budget, so getting them paid was really important.
In every single case, I was able to do both 1 & 2. Every single single sailor, every time the weather was bad.
For many of my folks, it was a long drive from their home up to Great Lakes. Some came from as far as Indiana. The decision on reporting for duty had to be made well in advance.
The Navy didn’t have a “work from home” policy at the time, however, I interpreted the existing policy for work accomplished outside of the unit to include on line training done for the Navy via their home computer. They were on duty, in a remote location, and I got them paid if they couldn’t come in because of weather. Naturally, most of them were too “tough“ to take advantage of my interpretation, and would come in regardless, with the “I’m from Wisconsin, this is just a little snowstorm” attitude. I practically had to order the single mom from Indiana to stay home during one blizzard, and assure her that I would take care of her pay. I did, and she got paid on time.
I am genuinely shocked at the cavalier attitude towards employee safety in the OP post. Taking care of your people is rule no. 1 for a leader.
Sadly, management and leadership are very different things, and managers abound…
Thing is, the world doesn't stop when it snows. The roads will get plowed and most things will continue relatively normally.
I don't see a problem. There's a serious shortage of GOOD auto repair techs. If you're good, you can get a job this afternoon, wherever you want.
I am of the stance of personal freedom and responsibility. You know more than anyone what your skill and vehicle can do and what you're willing to do and at what cost. You can choose to take the day off because with shop time you may not make any money anyway if there are no cars to work on.
At the same time a reasonable attendance policy should be in place to cover situations where good faith efforts are made to actually get into work and not take advantage of things.
Usage of PTO or going unpaid should be the extent of the penalty for not showing up.
But this idea that employees are nothing more than mindless drones incapable of making their own decisions about whether or not the roads are good enough or what-have-you for getting into work is absurd. We are (probably most) adults capable of making decisions, own it.
At the same time a reasonable attendance policy should be in place to cover situations where good faith efforts are made to actually get into work and not take advantage of things.
Usage of PTO or going unpaid should be the extent of the penalty for not showing up.
But this idea that employees are nothing more than mindless drones incapable of making their own decisions about whether or not the roads are good enough or what-have-you for getting into work is absurd. We are (probably most) adults capable of making decisions, own it.
If you are confident in your skill set and have enough financial buffer to go without a paycheck for a while, then stay home. No reason to risk it.
If you get in trouble for it, you know exactly what to do, look for another job. A lot of times getting a reality check like this motivates people to move on, instead of stagnating and suffering at one place.
If you get in trouble for it, you know exactly what to do, look for another job. A lot of times getting a reality check like this motivates people to move on, instead of stagnating and suffering at one place.
For all the everything should shut down folks...
Street was plowed before 7AM today (was done twice yesterday). UPS guy just made a delivery to the house (and before anyone asks - a regular ground package and it was on time, not an overnight, etc...). 17" of snow measured since Tuesday morning.
Some places are just different. Risk is relative...
Street was plowed before 7AM today (was done twice yesterday). UPS guy just made a delivery to the house (and before anyone asks - a regular ground package and it was on time, not an overnight, etc...). 17" of snow measured since Tuesday morning.
Some places are just different. Risk is relative...
We had two staff killed in a car accident going home from a "mandatory" after regulars hours training session one stormy winter night years ago. Not the employers fault but everyone took a step back and looked at the big picture. We aren't saving lives here, and a day or two delay of almost everything we do isn't going to harm the quality of our work nearly as much as knowing the employer doesn't really care that much about its employees.
We have more snow delayed events and online meetings now, and it hasn't hurt the bottom line.
We have more snow delayed events and online meetings now, and it hasn't hurt the bottom line.
Develop a case of COVID today.
Every snowstorm I wake up extra early, review the forecast, and then get in my truck and drive around to see the condition of the roads. I then talk to my partner and we make a decision based entirely on safety and zero on lost revenue. This morning we had a 2-hour delay which was the difference between snow and ice-covered roads and slushy mostly blacktop roads. We had to reschedule some early morning patients but I'd feel really terrible if something happened to one of my employees or patients driving to the office. We are not saving lives and it's just money.
We also tend to be on the "rain-snow line" meaning staff that lives south of the office get a lot more rain and staff north of the office get a lot more snow. Some have AWD/4WD and some do not. Some have the skill to drive in snow and some do not. So when we make a decision if someone feels like their commute is unsafe then stay home or come in later when the roads are safer. Sometimes we leave early when the storm doesn't start until late morning or earlier afternoon. We tend to start letting the people who live farther and/or north go first but the goal is to have everyone home well before the roads are treacherous.
It is simply the cost of doing business somewhere that experiences snow/sleet/freezing rain.
We also tend to be on the "rain-snow line" meaning staff that lives south of the office get a lot more rain and staff north of the office get a lot more snow. Some have AWD/4WD and some do not. Some have the skill to drive in snow and some do not. So when we make a decision if someone feels like their commute is unsafe then stay home or come in later when the roads are safer. Sometimes we leave early when the storm doesn't start until late morning or earlier afternoon. We tend to start letting the people who live farther and/or north go first but the goal is to have everyone home well before the roads are treacherous.
It is simply the cost of doing business somewhere that experiences snow/sleet/freezing rain.
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Chain control started at 1500ft today.
Drove up to the plant and made the call to send those home that were already there and call it for the day.
It was pretty tricky getting in, so at 2PM its going to be downright treacherous if not impossible
Drove up to the plant and made the call to send those home that were already there and call it for the day.
It was pretty tricky getting in, so at 2PM its going to be downright treacherous if not impossible
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