Antiwork

[Proud2baLaker]

Received an email from our CEO on Friday last week. They are pushing for growth and want to make sure they can attract and keep people. One the "phases" of the 3 phase plan is investment. So they want to invest in the people. $2/hr. pay increase across the board for all employees (including the equivalent for salary folks like myself). Equates to anywhere from like 5%-15% increase depending on what you were already making. For our industry and location, that is big. Our sector of agriculture tends to be on the lower end of pay ranges a lot. Night and day difference in the approach to how to run this company between the previous management and the company that bought us in 2020. Should only keep getting better.

The new ownership is not afraid to invest in people (clearly) and in new tech and equipment. They also understand that with our animals (fish in this case) you can't let the sales and upper management dictate how to manage the fish. The biology of the fish themselves needs to dictate that. Don't try to force more than they are capable of. That was something the old regime forgot since the original company was founded in the 70s. They started trying to force things to happen to fast and to high of levels. Then we couldn't produce what we needed to and started losing money and could no longer remain viable on our own.

[Jimjamesak]

Yeah, intermittent FMLA is a very common thing at my job. Things like described happen plenty at my job. Company really can't do anything about it.

It's one of those things that people will abuse but it's an absolutely necessary thing because companies will abuse it the other way.

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

I would agree it sounds like this guy is fishing for a complaint to be filed.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Yeah no it seems very sus. What is very odd to me is someone using it for one day a week but maybe it’s more common than I think. It’s almost like it’s a religious exemption or something but that’s not fmla

Intermittent FMLA is a thing if you can get a doctors' note. Usually for mental health issues.

EDIT: Nvm, our legal eagle has explained it, lol.

[unofan]

FMLA can be intermittent, especially if it's for the care of an eligible family or household member.

FMLA grants up to 12 weeks of leave in any rolling 12- month period. The 12 weeks can be measured by the hour or day, doesn't have to be 12 consecutive weeks.

But it doesn't have to be paid, has to be supported by proper documentation, and doesn't absolve other disciplinary actions. But the company has to be careful because retaliation for taking FMLA is illegal.

So they could discipline him for being a ******* so long as they discipline others for similar conduct. But it's a fine line given what he's doing, and almost sounds like he's trying to gin up a retaliation claim.

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

I'm aware of what FMLA is supposed to be used for. But I highly doubt going on a bar crawl Sat. night followed by a poker tournament at a local casino on Sunday afternoon falls under "taking care of a family member". Dude is fairly heavy drinker (which is how he usually spends his Sat. nights). He regularly shares these stories with coworkers. He openly flaunts there is nothing seemingly legit about this.

Yeah no it seems very sus. What is very odd to me is someone using it for one day a week but maybe it’s more common than I think. It’s almost like it’s a religious exemption or something but that’s not fmla

[RaceBoarder]

I’m pretty sure fmla can be taken to help take care of a family member.

to be honest, and I’ve put many people on fmla for legit reasons- I’ve never seen a case where someone was working at all during fmla.

I'm aware of what FMLA is supposed to be used for. But I highly doubt going on a bar crawl Sat. night followed by a poker tournament at a local casino on Sunday afternoon falls under "taking care of a family member". Dude is fairly heavy drinker (which is how he usually spends his Sat. nights). He regularly shares these stories with coworkers. He openly flaunts there is nothing seemingly legit about this.

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

I’m pretty sure fmla can be taken to help take care of a family member.

to be honest, and I’ve put many people on fmla for legit reasons- I’ve never seen a case where someone was working at all during fmla.

[RaceBoarder]

It's taken long enough, but I think I may finally be having to deal with some HR-type nonsense. And honestly I have no clue how I should approach this.

I'm in a blue collar, warehouse job with 180+ staff at my level. Regular attendance/being on time is a must. Like, they take attendance each day as if you were in school. Any hours that are missed need to be accounted for by Vacation or PTO. If those aren't available, discipline/write-ups ensue. People are regularly disciplined/dismissed due to attendance.

About 13-14 months ago, a co-worker was granted FMLA for "reasons". Dude has basically taken that opportunity and ran with it. Dude's schedule is Thur-Sun. Basically he skips every Sunday unless attendance is required for Holiday Pay or he missed multiple other days that week.

The problem that has sprouted is that dude basically thinks with FMLA, he is "untouchable" and gets to take off whenever he pleases (6 days/month, but with the 4-day work week). He's not hiding how he is spending his Sundays. He's also making a big deal on Saturdays to brag on how he wont be in on Sunday like the rest of us.

I know FMLA is medical based, and confidentiality applies here. But at what point can I step up and be like "Yea, dude is aggravating me" with the constant comments about not having to work Sundays?

I'm on a Sat-Tue schedule, so I have to constantly balance work & life while the rest of the world gets "conventional" weekends. The fact that dude is so arrogant and up front about it is really starting to feel like a sibling who is sitting on the swingset yelling "You have to work, and I don't have to! Neener, neener, neener!" while you have to mow the lawn. Dude is super in your face about this and it's just becoming unbearable. He's super open about what he does on all these days off and doesn't even try and hide the fact that he's supposedly "medically unable to work" on these days.

Dude is clearly looking for reactions, but where can the line be drawn?

For reference, him and I have the same level of vacation/PTO (200 hours/20 full days). Since I started keeping a tally on the shenanigans, dude has missed 17 of 24 Sundays dating back to May. Several of those weeks were both Sat/Sun. Also three of the Sundays he worked required attendance to receive Holiday Pay. This doesn't count random Thur/Fri that he missed while I was off. He also had already used his full allotment of PTO/Vacation prior to this.

Is this truly just a "Suck it up!" kind of deal since they can't ask about FMLA use? I really don't know what to do here. It doesn't help that our building HR guy is a younger guy (early 30s) who is just generally not sharp.

[MissThundercat]

For the working class, it has been like this since the 80s (as designed by the GOP). Go back to the 90s/early 00s, and you'd replace DoorDash with MLMs and/or doing peoples' yardwork, house cleaning, or handyman projects for straight cash.

I make $21 an hour, and I do Uber Eats and modeling on the side. If I need to add an OnlyFans in there, so be it!

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

It feels like having a job isn't enough any more. You need to have a job, do Door Dash, do hair, trade for food stamps, and be a scam artist just to break even lately.

For the working class, it has been like this since the 80s (as designed by the GOP). Go back to the 90s/early 00s, and you'd replace DoorDash with MLMs and/or doing peoples' yardwork, house cleaning, or handyman projects for straight cash.

[Kepler]

The choice of the right bank can also influence our financial well-being. It's interesting to see how people are rethinking various aspects of their lives, from work to banking, to create a more balanced and fulfilling lifestyle.

I recommend a synchronous dynamic random-access memory bank for you.

[MissThundercat]

It feels like having a job isn't enough any more. You need to have a job, do Door Dash, do hair, trade for food stamps, and be a scam artist just to break even lately.

[MissThundercat]

*knows that if dumped by my current residential facility, I can easily be employed by another residential facility in the area.*

[Jimjamesak]

Always be looking around for alternatives. Your employer is.

*shrugs in union*