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10 pounds down 32 pounds to go!

Thursday, April 19, 2007

I N G, anyone lose an ing?

if you have children and you're reading this, don't take it the wrong way. i don't mean to criticize all working parents, but some of them are jerks. today one of my co-workers said that she would sue our employer if she were not allowed to leave early to collect her child from daycare. uh huh. because apparently it's their fault that she accepted the terms of her employment and then had a child. most of the time it doesn't bother me that things pop up for her. i don't have any babies but i know how upsetting it would be if yours was sick. but sick is different from every day. when your plans for every day life with a baby put out your colleagues and employer out, it's your problem.

i'm writing this so i won't go insane. see, i wanted to head out a little early tomorrow to drive the five hours home but i can't because she has to leave, to get her baby. i haven't left early on a friday all year, because every friday she has to leave. and it's starting to get really old. if it's a friday and i don't feel well i don't call out sick because it would be a problem for her. it never really bothered me before because i assumed she appreciated it. but she doesn't, she takes it for granted. and now i am pissed off.

i don't get paid more for being reliable. i'm expected not to have overtime when in fact i am required to work it. she's used more sick days than my boss and i combined only to find out her laid off husband just wanted her home so he wouldn't have to deal with the baby. granted, what i had wanted was to leave early too, which is not strictly allowed if unplanned...but then i don't do it every week. and i certainly wouldn't purposely inconvenience someone.

i don't know what to do with my rage because certainly her priority has to be her child and that's ok. why does my priority have to be her child too. if her job doesn't fit her schedule, she needs a new job. it's not fair that people with children can leave unexpectedly, have days off to accommodate school holidays, and be unreliable strictly because they have children. how i phrased it to matt, we should all have to suffer equally or quit if we don't like it. we sure as hell can't sue just because we might be inconvenienced or because we have to make hard choices. it's not fair and i am tired of it.

7 comments:

A said...

You should be mad. I'm a parent but if I worked with someone that would cover for me in an emergency basis, like you, then I would try my hardest to keep you happy.

Annie said...

It is not fair for sure. It's one thing to do things that help people that are thankful you do it but ones that just expect it is that way because of the choices they made is not right. BTW if you want to see how rude some parents can be, just try living next door to a school. People not letting you out of your driveway to get to work, blocking your driveway with their car (leaving the car with no one in it to ask to move) and blocking trash pick even if there is a parking space cause they don't want to have to walk in and get their kid. I hope you can find a way to let go of your rage...it sucks that you are having to go through this.

Amy said...

thanks guys, i was starting to convince myself that i'm just a mean person.

Jennette Fulda said...

She cound sue and then the judge could laugh in her face. What grounds could she possible have? "My boss won't let me take off work early!" Boo-hoo. I understand finding daycare is difficult, but I wouldn't expect my employer to let me off early in the winter because I needed to go run on the trail before the sun set, you know?

Amy said...

why does everyone think sueing is an appropriate answer to every problem?

i i eee said...

Ugh. That's so ridiculously unfair. And for her to not show appreciation???

Beth Currie said...

Oh I so agree with you. I would be angry too. Hope it gets resolved :-)