Can't even visit the Dr

[LilyWDW]

When are you trying to take time off? For what month?

I have worked for many many year and most of those in retail. I have NEVER seen a place with this sort of issue. Could it already be a situation where it is a day the other two employees can't work?

 

[Dancind]

Do you work for a "fruit" store? Someone near and dear to me does. They give points for calling in sick, being more than 5 minutes late, and I don't know what else. Also a 3 person team, and the other two never switch.

Kind of draconian. But lots of people want to work there.

 

[Octoberbride03]

Go to your appt. if they fire you, so be it.

Consider working for yourself. It's liberating.

First, I assume they aren't paying your health ins. If not, then you aren't getting much in return for their draconian behavior.

Go to the library and check out the book, Guerrilla Marketing, and market yourself.

What are you good at doing? Cleaning? Then clean houses for a living.

Dog Sitting? Do you know how much kennels charge for a week? I'm paying someone $500 to come to my house once a day for 10 days while at I'm Disney to check on my animals. That's a bargain compared to the $1800 a kennel would charge for boarding.

Baby sitting? That prob requires some state credentialing but you can find out the details on the internet (at the library if no place else).

Find out what you can do, and market it at the right places.

Print a business card (cheap) and some flyers.

For example, dog sitting: see if vets that don't offer kenneling will let you leave cards or flyers. Check with travel agencies, etc.

Market yourself.

The closer you are to minimum wage, (and that describes being in a retail job less than a year), the more heft you can make picking a job you're good at doing, and marketing yourself.

You can, in fact, do both. Start marketing yourself now in your spare time, and when you "fill your pipeline" with new business and repeat customers, then quit your job.

Either way, an employer can't keep you from seeing your doctor. The only power they have over you is continued employment. For what they are paying you, you DO have other options at your disposal. Hold your head up high, don't take no for an answer, if they fire you, so be it.

You DO have other options. Take a hard look in the mirror. Trust me. You DO have other options. Believe in yourself, take care of yourself, and STAND UP for yourself.

Good luck.

THIS EXACTLY!!

Are you friends with anybody in Direct Sales? Ask them to share their opportunity with you. There IS a business for everybody out there, its just a matter of finding your niche.

Like cooking and making a small show of it? Pampered Chef

Something simpler like displaying jewelry on a table and having people play with? Premier Designs

Makeup more your thing? Younique is very HOT right now.

Seriously: there is not a single area not covered by DS.

I did retail for 10 years, and at the end of those 10 my store had very little regard for me no matter how well i worked. Though i will say it was much easier to get a day off at my store than yours, but that doesn't say much. Now I have found the DS Company I LOVE and am working to make it a viable business. It takes time and hard work. But in the long run it pays off in spades

 

[low-key]

have them put it in writing, you can not get time off to see Doctor even though it could be life threatening

 

[Callie]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I make pretty good money, nearly 27,000 a year. So its decent. I have a marketing degree.

I want to get into sales. The store I work at has a lot of drama. So much inappropriate things happen.

I will talk with HR and tell them I NEED these days off. I won't disclose my illness (it can qualify as a disability if not treated), but state medication is important.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

have them put it in writing, you can not get time off to see Doctor even though it could be life threatening

I like this advice. One, I don't think they'd be dumb enough to put it in writing and would end up folding and giving you the days off. But, if they still refused your time off and you had their refusal in writing... Well, now you've ensured yourself maximum benefits when you file for unemployment after they fire you for going to your doctors appointments instead of showing up for work.

 

[dakcp2001]

Start looking for a new job now. It's easier to find a job when you have one. Harder if you have been fired. With the holidays coming up, you should have no problem finding a new retail job this time of year. Sounds like your job is not a great place to work, so what's stopping you? Book the necessary appointments, call in sick if you have to for now. Try to make them on the least busy retail day. Hen if you find a new job, AFTER you are offered the position, but before you accept, tell them about your prescheduled appointment or two. Just don't make an excessive amount.

 

[Laura66]

Start looking - but I gotta ask - can none of these doctor offices work with you? None? Are these visits so specialized that you can't find another? Also, is it necessary to miss the whole day for these visits?

I'm not saying there aren't lousy companies that do this - but it seems odd to me that they wouldn't grant you any days off at all for some necessary doctor appointments.

 

[smadath]

can none of these doctor offices work with you? None? Are these visits so specialized that you can't find another? Also, is it necessary to miss the whole day for these visits?

DH sees lots of specialists. Almost all of them are unable to make appointments sooner than months out. The average is 3-4 months for the earliest, even for doctors he's already seeing. That may be something that varies by area, but around here, you can't just call and expect to see the doctor within a few days. It makes scheduling pretty difficult.

And time wise, his (and my) non-specialist Family Doctor is consistently 1-1.5 hours late for every appointment we schedule. So, for an 11am appointment, we figure on being there at least 2 hours. Usually it's closer to 3. So, we need to take off at least 1/2 day to make the appointment. (We better no be late, though! That's a big No-No)

 

[mom2rtk]

And time wise, his (and my) non-specialist Family Doctor is consistently 1-1.5 hours late for every appointment we schedule.

I would be looking for a new doctor.

I know it happens. But if it happens every time, I'd be out of there. I love my doctor. She's a very capable clinician, and she runs very close to on time. I can't remember the last time I waited more than 5 or 10 minutes for my appt. And one day when I called in with shortness of breath, she saw me over her lunch hour. You can do better.

 

[Coonhound]

I would begin looking for another job, honestly. Even if you stay here and are able to get the appointments and it all works out, this issue WILL come up again in the future, maybe even the near future, when you get sick or have to go to urgent care etc. And this company has already shown you how much they care. I hope this incident works out for you, but my concern is that it is going to keep happening.

 

[smadath]

I would be looking for a new doctor.

Unfortunately, it seems to be the norm for this area. DH and I have 2 different PCP Family Doctors. and they are both the same. Mine is slightly better, but I can still count on him being an hour late every time. We both had different docs before, and same thing! In a way it's good because they're willing to take the extra time to diagnose, and in a way bad because patients have schedules, too.

But, it's not bad everywhere: the Dentist is always on time! In and out!

 

[rigs32]

I'm an attorney and each of us has to cover certain court appearances 3-4 times a month for other attorneys. The last person to schedule these checked the vacation and trial calendars. The current person does not, so every single month people are scrambling to trade and it's our responsibility to make it happen. Seems like a lot of headache that could be avoided if she just checked the trial and vacation calendars.....

 

[mom2rtk]

But, it's not bad everywhere: the Dentist is always on time! In and out!

The dentist is the one that drives me nuts with delays. So I no longer take an appointment unless it's first of the day or first after lunch.

 

[kamik86]

I agree with those above about finding another job. My husband works retail and its frustrating that he needs 3 weeks notice to get time off work however he can get it off.

 

[SharonZ]

Double post

 

[SharonZ]

Do you work for a "fruit" store? Someone near and dear to me does. They give points for calling in sick, being more than 5 minutes late, and I don't know what else. Also a 3 person team, and the other two never switch.

Kind of draconian. But lots of people want to work there.

Indulge me, what is a "fruit store" - a produce market??

 

[JanaDee]

Indulge me, what is a "fruit store" - a produce market??

Apple, maybe? That is the only fruit store I can think of.

 

[lelalittlelegs]

Indulge me, what is a "fruit store" - a produce market??

Fruit of The Loom?

Do they even still exist? I'm in England and haven't seen them for years.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

Start looking - but I gotta ask - can none of these doctor offices work with you? None? Are these visits so specialized that you can't find another? Also, is it necessary to miss the whole day for these visits?

This would have been my response too until I had to deal with serious on-going medical problems that required a specialist. And I live in Houston where there are a TON of doctors. I don't know of any established practices where you can count on an appointment on a specific day on short notice.