Snow Day policy driving me nuts!!!!!

[kat3668]

Ok here goes......
My work snow policy is so discrimatory that it ismaking me crazy and though maybe some of you smart people could help me out....

I work at a nursery / day care center and we NEVER close....even when we have severe snowstorms..
Ok so Friday we have a bad storm here in Mass and my boss decides to open the school... so I battle my way in to work and low and behold there is only 3 children out of 30 or forty something kids...
So heres the aggravating thing,,, my bosses policy is that if she tells you to stay home then she pays you for 4 hours,,, but the same people stay home every time... and me and this other lady I work with have to always come in and work!! Just because we do not have children and live the closest to school we are expected to work while everyone else gets to stay home and get paid!.... We were complaining Friday loudly about it and said that the policy needs to be changed cause its so unfair... Oh by the way I have the most senority of anyone been there 13 years... so we say no one should get paid unless they work and she basically blew us off and said her policy stays.. then we said well we should rotate and she said well this one wont come in etc.....argghhhh
so 9 out of 10 times we are stuck there all day with a few kids!!
Any one have any ideas input... any advice would be appreciated

 

[SeaSpray]

She's paying 4 hours to the people who don't show up at all? Well then, she needs to give an extra 4 hours of pay to those of you who DO show up. And even then, it's not really "fair" because you've made the effort to get there in bad weather, but at least then everyone gets the same amount of "snow day pay", plus you'll get your regular salary for working it.

 

[golfgal]

I was going to say that you should get hazzard pay or time and a half if you brave a storm and make it in.

 

[Christine]

Yep, you definitely should get more than those who don't come. Maybe if she offered an "incentive" to come in, more people would show.

Unfortunately, I don't have an suggestions for you because she seems to have her stupid mind set on it. Just know that you are in the right.

At my office, if you don't show up on snowy days/bad weather you either take annual leave or leave without pay. You don't get paid.

 

[disneynutt1225]

I used to work in a daycare as well. Our policy wasn't as bad as yours, but sometimes it was just as frustrating. If it snowed, we ALL had to come in, and we'd be allowed to leave depending on how many children showed up for school that day - I think there were over 160 children attending at that time. If we wanted to leave, we had to either use vacation time (mandatory if we had the vacation time) or we could take it without pay. But there was none of this getting paid for four hours without showing up for work. That's absolutely absurd!

Doesn't your boss realize she's losing money on that deal? If she's going to pay them, at least take it out of their vacation time or personal day time if they have any. Otherwise, I don't think they should be paid. What kind of incentive do you get for showing up for work? Doesn't seem like you get ANY extras. Maybe your boss could give you a "free" personal day as a bonus - or at least 4 hours worth of a personal day since you were kind enough to show up on a snow day.

Is this a privately owned daycare or are there people higher up than your boss? You've been there 13 years, has it always been this way? If there are people above your boss, I would talk to them and see if you got anywhere. At the very least, there should be a rotating schedule of who needs to come in on a snow day. It's one thing if you volunteer to do it, but it seems like you're getting shafted every time.

 

[Ronda93]

That stinks!

Our weather policy is come to work or take vacation. We have generous time off benefits. I've been there almost 13 years and we've never gotten a "snow day" from work.

There's always some grumping about how dangerous it is to get out on the road. The corporate answer is, "then don't, take vacation" End of discussion. I'm one of those people who take weather as a challenge and get to work on time as a matter of pride.

 

[bicker]

It does sound like a discriminatory policy, to me. Unfortunately, I don't believe any laws prevent discrimination against us childless people.

 

[Marseeya]

That's totally not fair. It's not a state run daycare or anything is it? I'd imagine if it's private, there's not much you can do except vent and complain.

 

[LBAK]

I run a private child care center and my policy is to close in bad weather. The safety of my employees is of utmost importance to me. Afterall if not for them I wouldn't be there. I think it's time for you to tell your director either you get paid more for those days to cover for the people that don't show or you don't come in as it's too dangerous! It doesn't matter how close you live to the school, something can always happen, whether you're 1 block away or 10 miles. Stay safe, no job is worth it.

 

[declansdad]

While I don't agree with how the policy is run, when an employer tells you not to come in due to the weather, they should pay you. If you decide not to come in due to the weather, you need to take the vacation time or time off without pay.

I think that this employer does need to do something for you and your co-worker if she expects you to be the two that come in all the time.