I don't think my response was a poor attitude...
Apologies. I was not being specific to you personally, hence not quoting you for it. But yes I do believe that the mantra of if you don't like it change jobs is the wrong one. Employers have to modernize and the railway also has to. People are often stating about how the railway is stuck in the 70's with its attitudes and working methods. Part of modernising the TOCs is also modernising employment practices. Not forgetting that part of this mess is about how they staff and how staff are reacting.
your original post read "not fair Smyths are closing early to watch the football why can't I?"
I used it more as a comparative. How much of a morale boost do you think Smyths employees just got ? An employee down the line may just pause before taking a sickie. What about the public perception of the company ? Is it a good thing that they are closing early or shall we lambast them because my daughter wants to buy a new football because of England fever but can't because the local toy shop is "!$£$!£"% closed !!
truth is, if you work in the rail industry you took the job fully knowing that there will be times when it will impact on your social life... just like others in the service industry.
Not really. This forum is very insular in their perceptions. I never knew anything about working on the railway when I joined. I never knew about bank holiday rotation, I never knew about working on boxing day or christmas day. I never knew that leave would be refused outright simply on the whim of the company. I never knew that they would unilaterally cancel all ad hoc leave during the Olympics... I know now and I post in the careers section stating how this job isn't all rose petals and champagne. I have never worked anywhere when a request for a day off is refused outright with no explanation. I also never knew how much it paid.
When I used to do allocations for a bus company it always amazed me how often a driver would come to the window and say "you've got to change my shift tomorrow, I've got a wedding/ birthday/ doctor's appointment/ etc" Amazingly, seeing as the rotas had been up for months, my response was always "find a mutual {swap}"
It's a poor manager and poor company who forgets their employees have a life outside work. I had a relative die and was refused time off to attend the funeral. My Managers response was very much I should find a swap. As I have mentioned before. When I was starting my Management career one company had almost eradicated sickness and never had any staff cover issues because they had some very good employment practices. My best friend used to be a Bus Driver and he too saw a high level of sickness at his Depot. Why ? Because its easier to just go sick.
I understand that the company has a business to run and we have discussed this before but running your staff to the limit of breaking to save a few pennies is much more detrimental in the long run. GTR did not have enough Drivers, trained or otherwise to implement the timetable. It's a large reason why its so very broken. I know staff who will not lift a finger to help because their leave request was declined because they had to cover additional work outside their normal working. We have more than a few additional STP diagrams that need covering. Some of those cancelled trains out there are being canceled because some people just have more important things to do than give time to the company.
You say about rotas being up for months. As a Manager what would you do and as a Company, what has GTR done to allow for staff potentially blowing in today and tomorrow ? Have they been proactive and arranged extra cover or covered leave for people who applied ? Incentivized people to come in and deal with the crowds and drunken yobs to get home or put on any additional trains around city centers ?
I fully agree with what you said. People will believe that cancelled trains are down to staff taking time off for football. I do wonder, how much of that will be true and yes, not just on the choo choos.
