luvnlifelady
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Post by luvnlifelady on Mar 12, 2016 17:57:05 GMT
I was doing a job where I drove 2 special needs, non-verbal kids 30 miles down to school in a company provided van, which I then kept at home. I then hung around San Diego and brought them back (only some of the wait time was paid). Last Friday, I had a problem on the route (boss was well aware of it) and because of the delay, I got the kids back late.
I thought he had called the parents but he somehow thought I did. I'm not sure when I would've done that since I wanted to get back as soon as I could and I don't have blue tooth in my car (it's illegal to talk while driving).
Anyway, of course the parents were worried when I was late so they called the boss to find out the situation. The mom of my newer client was so mad she said not to pick up her kid again. The mom of the client I've had over a year was ok after she knew what was going on.
My boss shows up unannounced at my house on Saturday to get the work van to do the route (whenever he needs the car for maintenance or whatever, he always shows up unannounced). He then says he would call me. I wait until Tuesday and text him asking if he's giving me another route. He says "can you come in at 10 to discuss what happened?" I told him I couldn't that day or the next but could on Thursday. I didn't hear back from him since that last text.
Part of me wants to know what the hell is going on but part of me is over it. It was a decent job that fit in with my son's schedule but I was added a second client recently with no additional pay and each of them made the anxiety worse for the other child.
Some added info: the boss has never really seemed to like me and his communication style has always been very hit or miss. I would sometimes get called on rules I didn't even know existed. Also, the new client's mom has never really taken to me. Not sure why but it was very odd since the long-term client's mom seemed to really like me. She texted me and told me she would let my boss know that she appreciated the patience I showed her child and that I could use her as a job reference (since she's really the one I worked for).
Anyway, all this to say, would you pursue this? They are always hiring for different routes or would you let it go? We do need the $ so I will have to find something else soon if this is done. I live in CA which is an "at will" state so I suppose they can fire me for this if they want to without any prior warnings or write-ups.
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theshyone
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Post by theshyone on Mar 12, 2016 18:00:15 GMT
Did you show up Thursday at the office?
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luvnlifelady
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Post by luvnlifelady on Mar 12, 2016 18:09:10 GMT
No because I never heard back from him about time or anything else. I had no idea if he would even be available that day. There was no follow up text when I offered that day.
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moodyblue
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Jun 26, 2014 21:07:23 GMT
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Post by moodyblue on Mar 12, 2016 18:15:39 GMT
I think I would have gone in on Thursday just in case. That would have indicated that you were ready and willing to talk, especially since you already told him you couldn't do it on the two previous days.
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Post by Yubon Peatlejuice on Mar 12, 2016 18:16:01 GMT
He's just not that into you.
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Post by Blind Squirrel on Mar 12, 2016 18:16:26 GMT
A reply from him would have been nice, but I would have assumed he was expecting to see you on Thursday.
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luvnlifelady
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,421
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Post by luvnlifelady on Mar 12, 2016 18:19:28 GMT
Yah I know he's not that into me. That's what is making it so I just want to be done with it.
Hmm...I guess I can see where he may have expected me Thursday but yah a text saying "ok, see you at whatever time" would've helped. Oh well, if that's the case then I'm sure it's a done deal. Maybe it's meant to be or some such thing. DD is visiting from college next week so I'll hit the job search hard after that.
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Post by librarylady on Mar 12, 2016 18:33:32 GMT
Time for a new job.
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smginaz Suzy
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Je suis desole.
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Jun 26, 2014 17:27:30 GMT
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Post by smginaz Suzy on Mar 12, 2016 18:38:46 GMT
Honestly, there seems to be a shortage of communication across the board. You had a problem on the route so the kids were back late and each assumed the other was communicating with the parents. You have the kids-at minimum, at some point when you realized you were not going to be on time, that's your role to check in with the parents. (I get the bluetooth issue-I drive in SoCal all the time and that means that sometimes I get off the freeway, stop, and make a call.) You didn't clarify if someone else was making the call. When your boss wanted to meet with you and you weren't available, you didn't follow up to confirm that Thursday was the day; you just waited to see if another text would come through.
As an employer, I want to hire someone who takes care of shit. You've got the kids and you're late-take accountability and call the parents. A client has an issue with you and the boss wants to follow up? Either make time on Tuesday or follow up to ensure that you confirm the rescheduled date and time. Don't get a text response? Call to clarify what is happening.
Your post makes you come across as a victim: my boss never seemed to like me, I don't know whyyyyy; I had another child added with no additional pay, I don't know whyyyyy; this new client never seemed to like me, whyyyyy; I don't know the rules, why won't someone tell me. My best suggestion would be to do some work around your communication. That would be a first step in getting the information you need to perform more effectively and have a better opportunity to connect with people with whom you feel don't like you.
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luvnlifelady
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Post by luvnlifelady on Mar 12, 2016 18:44:30 GMT
Honestly, there seems to be a shortage of communication across the board. You had a problem on the route so the kids were back late and each assumed the other was communicating with the parents. You have the kids-at minimum, at some point when you realized you were not going to be on time, that's your role to check in with the parents. (I get the bluetooth issue-I drive in SoCal all the time and that means that sometimes I get off the freeway, stop, and make a call.) You didn't clarify if someone else was making the call. When your boss wanted to meet with you and you weren't available, you didn't follow up to confirm that Thursday was the day; you just waited to see if another text would come through. As an employer, I want to hire someone who takes care of shit. You've got the kids and you're late-take accountability and call the parents. A client has an issue with you and the boss wants to follow up? Either make time on Tuesday or follow up to ensure that you confirm the rescheduled date and time. Don't get a text response? Call to clarify what is happening. Your post makes you come across as a victim: my boss never seemed to like me, I don't know whyyyyy; I had another child added with no additional pay, I don't know whyyyyy; this new client never seemed to like me, whyyyyy; I don't know the rules, why won't someone tell me. My best suggestion would be to do some work around your communication. That would be a first step in getting the information you need to perform more effectively and have a better opportunity to connect with people with whom you feel don't like you. That's a fair assessment. Although as the boss, it's his job IMO to make sure things get done also and not to assume someone else took care of it. As far as not knowing the rules, yes that's a problem. He made stuff up as he went along. There was no employee handbook or any other way to know things ahead of time until I got called on it. That is not me dropping the ball. I appreciate your feedback. |
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georgiapea
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Post by georgiapea on Mar 12, 2016 18:51:17 GMT
I would have personally let both parents know the status of the delivery home of their children. You had the children with you and you are are the one who should have made the calls. When you told your boss you could go see him on Thursday, you should have done so. To ignore the request to meet send a message that you don't value the job enough.
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Post by its me mg on Mar 12, 2016 19:04:46 GMT
Ugh that sucks - the whole freeway situation in SD is a mess right now! I have been detoured off the 805 and stuck in some random 1 lane situations on the 5.
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luvnlifelady
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by luvnlifelady on Mar 12, 2016 19:09:13 GMT
I would have personally let both parents know the status of the delivery home of their children. You had the children with you and you are are the one who should have made the calls. When you told your boss you could go see him on Thursday, you should have done so. To ignore the request to meet send a message that you don't value the job enough. I understand I needed to go but I had no idea what time on Thursday or if the day even worked for him. There was no "ok, see you then" type of message back. For all I know, he didn't even read the text. Oh well, I'm letting it go and moving on. I messed up and so did he so we're equally at fault. My son gets his license in May and if we can get him a car, then I am free to get a job without restricted hours, etc. |
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scrapaddie
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Post by scrapaddie on Mar 12, 2016 19:48:50 GMT
I would have personally let both parents know the status of the delivery home of their children. You had the children with you and you are are the one who should have made the calls. When you told your boss you could go see him on Thursday, you should have done so. To ignore the request to meet send a message that you don't value the job enough. I understand I needed to go but I had no idea what time on Thursday or if the day even worked for him. There was no "ok, see you then" type of message back. For all I know, he didn't even read the text. Oh well, I'm letting it go and moving on. I messed up and so did he so we're equally at fault. My son gets his license in May and if we can get him a car, then I am free to get a job without restricted hours, etc. I would not let a job hang on a text. A phone call is much more efficient and allows for two way conversation |
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Deleted
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Apr 26, 2024 9:08:51 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2016 20:00:37 GMT
That's a fair assessment. Although as the boss, it's his job IMO to make sure things get done also and not to assume someone else took care of it. As far as not knowing the rules, yes that's a problem. He made stuff up as he went along. There was no employee handbook or any other way to know things ahead of time until I got called on it. That is not me dropping the ball. I appreciate your feedback. No matter where you work ^This attitude^^ will be a job killer. It is not your place to determine what your boss's job is. You need to learn to be proactive in doing things, and asking questions. Making statements "I can be there Thursday" is not the way to go. "I am available Thursday from 1-3, what time is do you want me to be there?" You are acting like you don't give a rip about the clients or the job in general. He is going to do his job and hire someone that does communicate even with his apparent lack of communication and does care if they have a job or not. |
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Post by BeckyTech on Mar 12, 2016 20:40:12 GMT
He says "can you come in at 10 to discuss what happened?" That was yet another error. If you are in this type of situation, then you get there at 10 unless you are on your deathbed. You move appointments around or whatever you have to do. It's no surprise that he didn't text you back about Thursday, this response from you told him what he needed to know about how you prioritized your job. Sorry, don't mean to "pile on" but I agree, you should not assume what your boss's job is, you need to be proactive: either call your boss and ask him to contact the parents or call them yourself. |
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luvnlifelady
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,421
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Post by luvnlifelady on Mar 12, 2016 20:41:22 GMT
That's a fair assessment. Although as the boss, it's his job IMO to make sure things get done also and not to assume someone else took care of it. As far as not knowing the rules, yes that's a problem. He made stuff up as he went along. There was no employee handbook or any other way to know things ahead of time until I got called on it. That is not me dropping the ball. I appreciate your feedback. No matter where you work ^This attitude^^ will be a job killer. It is not your place to determine what your boss's job is. You need to learn to be proactive in doing things, and asking questions. Making statements "I can be there Thursday" is not the way to go. "I am available Thursday from 1-3, what time is do you want me to be there?" You are acting like you don't give a rip about the clients or the job in general. He is going to do his job and hire someone that does communicate even with his apparent lack of communication and does care if they have a job or not. I did give a rip about the clients, that's why one of them was willing to go to bat for me with contacting him about my service to her family and will let me use her as a reference. I also did care about the job until recently when the dynamics seemed to change. I appreciate the constructive criticism. It's obviously time for to look elsewhere for employment. |
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luvnlifelady
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,421
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Post by luvnlifelady on Mar 12, 2016 20:43:58 GMT
He says "can you come in at 10 to discuss what happened?" That was yet another error. If you are in this type of situation, then you get there at 10 unless you are on your deathbed. You move appointments around or whatever you have to do. It's no surprise that he didn't text you back about Thursday, this response from you told him what he needed to know about how you prioritized your job. Sorry, don't mean to "pile on" but I agree, you should not assume what your boss's job is, you need to be proactive: either call your boss and ask him to contact the parents or call them yourself. No worries. I don't feel piled on. I realize I was wrong too. I couldn't drop things I had already had planned when I assumed I was out of a job. I've learned some things I will utilitize in future jobs. |
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Post by lisacharlotte on Mar 13, 2016 0:31:03 GMT
Based on all your posts you don't seem to want to take responsibility for anything that went wrong. Even though you say you were both at fault, you say that to minimize that you are at fault by bringing in your boss and what he didn't do. I think you need to really look at what happened and your part in it or it's just going to happen at the next job. Eventually people will stop hiring you.
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on Mar 13, 2016 1:14:57 GMT
I would have personally let both parents know the status of the delivery home of their children. You had the children with you and you are are the one who should have made the calls. When you told your boss you could go see him on Thursday, you should have done so. To ignore the request to meet send a message that you don't value the job enough. I understand I needed to go but I had no idea what time on Thursday or if the day even worked for him. There was no "ok, see you then" type of message back. For all I know, he didn't even read the text. Oh well, I'm letting it go and moving on. I messed up and so did he so we're equally at fault. My son gets his license in May and if we can get him a car, then I am free to get a job without restricted hours, etc. You are not understanding that your responsibility is to the job. You have a job, it's not enough to sit and just be dictated to, especially since you are out and about and not glued to an office chair where your boss can see what's going on. YOU messed up by not contacting the parents of the children in which you transport. YOU should have pulled over and given them a quick call. Your boss asked you to come in to review the incident. You could not and relied on a text in which you got no reply. They probably terminated you for abandoning your job for that! You aren't a kid, but act as irresponsible as one. I agree with the other poster where she suggests you're playing victim. It's YOUR job to lose. This flippant "well he's equally at fault talk" is not doing you favors. |
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luvnlifelady
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,421
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Post by luvnlifelady on Mar 13, 2016 1:20:23 GMT
I understand I needed to go but I had no idea what time on Thursday or if the day even worked for him. There was no "ok, see you then" type of message back. For all I know, he didn't even read the text. Oh well, I'm letting it go and moving on. I messed up and so did he so we're equally at fault. My son gets his license in May and if we can get him a car, then I am free to get a job without restricted hours, etc. You are not understanding that your responsibility is to the job. You have a job, it's not enough to sit and just be dictated to, especially since you are out and about and not glued to an office chair where your boss can see what's going on. YOU messed up by not contacting the parents of the children in which you transport. YOU should have pulled over and given them a quick call. Your boss asked you to come in to review the incident. You could not and relied on a text in which you got no reply. They probably terminated you for abandoning your job for that! You aren't a kid, but act as irresponsible as one. I agree with the other poster where she suggests you're playing victim. It's YOUR job to lose. This flippant "well he's equally at fault talk" is not doing you favors. Point taken and I appreciate the pointers on how to do better in the future. |
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Post by mom on Mar 13, 2016 1:21:13 GMT
Oh wow. What happened that set you off schedule? How late were you?
First off - if you had my kid and I didn't know where you were, what the problem was - I would be livid. To me, there is absolutely no excuse as to why you could not pull over for 3 minuets and let me know where my child is. That is NOT OK in my book.
Re the job - if I had an employee that would not come in to discuss the part she had in a big mistake that upset clients, they would be let go. No questions asked. Unless you are at your own mother or husbands funeral, you should have been there. Sick? Still go. As it is, it looks like you don't really care about your job or the kids (what the truth is about that statement, I don't know).
Bottomline, I think you (still) need to step up to the plate and take responsibility. Nothing in what you've said thus far remotely sounds like you realize that this is your fault. As your boss I would be concerned about your attitude towards the kids if you truly don't care anymore.
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Post by shutterbug2sue on Mar 13, 2016 1:52:08 GMT
I am lost as to why the boss couldn't have called the parents as the OP is saying he was aware of the situation. That would have been the team thing to do. But I don't have a team work environment either so I can see how this situation spiraled.
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Post by Zee on Mar 13, 2016 2:01:09 GMT
You don't seem very good at communication. I would have gotten a concrete answer as to who was calling the parents, and I would have gotten a concrete answer on the meeting. When he didn't answer your text, I don't know why you didn't call him.
I guess he's free to assume you don't want to keep your job. Sure, he should have followed up, but that doesn't excuse your part in this.
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Post by BeckyTech on Mar 13, 2016 2:51:21 GMT
I've learned some things I will utilitize in future jobs. Good for you. Taking lessons learned in a positive direction is the best any of us can do. |
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Post by ceepea on Mar 13, 2016 4:06:41 GMT
Actually, I think that when your boss asked you to come in at 10 that day you should have gone. If my boss asked to see me I would never think to tell them no in the first place and I definitely would never tell them not tomorrow either. That might have given him the impression that your job is an inconvenience and not a priority. But what do I know, I have worked for the same company for 28 years, so not much experience with different companies policies.
I am sure you did care about the kids. I am also sure that you can understand how frightened and worried they would have been with no info as to why you are late. Imagine how you would feel if they had your special needs kid in a van on the expressway. They were probably imagining the worst.
I think you are probably out of a job. Sorry.
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