Is this legit?

[Tiberius Jim]

My coworkers and I have considered calling HR, just weren't sure who's side they would be on.

I'm curious though, what would keep me from getting unemployment if I was terminated?

 

[Timby]

I'm curious though, what would keep me from getting unemployment if I was terminated?

Your refusal to show up at the meeting would likely be interpreted as a voluntary quit, rather than an involuntary termination.

"Employee XYZ did not show up to mandatory meeting. It is therefore our conclusion that Employee XYZ has chosen to discontinue employment."

 

[Vulcan Princess]

Big companies have big lawyers. From the way you described your company, they'll probably fight the unemployment claim tooth and nail and it will get tied up in red tape. By the time it gets resolved, you'll probably be done with school and into a job you prefer.

Edit: And what Timby said. He gave the legal answer, and mine is the sociological answer. If you're feeling cynical today, pick mine. If you're not feeling cynical, pick his.

 

[Captain Ice]

The day is irrelevent. What matters is the week total. I recall working 16 hour days in my life time and they would chop my time off on wednesday just to ensure I didn't go over 40 hours that week.

This is California. The overtime laws there are written so that the employee is paid overtime for over 8 hours in a day, as well as 40 in a week. That's probably part of the reason they are doing this 7 hour shift BS.

Flux, you should check into it further, but I believe the rate that the Fed recommends for mileage reimbursement is now $0.55 per mile. Hour and a half each direction to me sounds like 105 miles in each direction, hence $115 in mileage alone.

I'd also tell them that if they are not willing to reimburse me at that rate, and not willing to arrange alternate transportation for you, I'm not going to attend. Are there any other RadioShacks nearby? Perhaps carpooling with them can be arranged?

 

[Tiberius Jim]

That's my main issue here: the miles being put on my car and the gas used. I'm basically feeling forced into being the one who drives for the carpool. I'd be putting about 100 miles on the car and using 1/4 of a tank in one day. My coworker says they only reimburse after the first 20 miles and at 55 cents a mile. So basically I get royally screwed, and that's assuming they reimburse me in a timely manner...which they never do.

 

[John Clark]

That seriously sucks.

At our place, if we have to go for a meeting/training etc offsite, you get mileage. It's either 40p a mile (or all fuel costs if you have a company vehicle)

 

[B.J.]

My company has an Ethics Hotline we can call in cases like this. And I can pretty much guarantee that if something like this happened here, the District Manager in question would be getting investigated and likely overruled.

 

[Captain Ice]

My coworker says they only reimburse after the first 20 miles and at 55 cents a mile. So basically I get royally screwed, and that's assuming they reimburse me in a timely manner...which they never do.

Here's part of your problem. You need to talk to someone at the corporate level, find out what they are willing to reimburse for, and start from there. Right now you are making assumptions based upon third party information that may or may not be accurate.

If they won't reimburse you for the entirity of your expense, I believe you can take a tax deduction for the unreimbursed portion. But don't quote me on that as I am by no means a tax expert.

 

[Kirk's_Tights]

That sounds absolutely retarded. I'm not sure it's illegal, but I would do all I can to try and get out of it. Or hell, just don't show up.

But *gasp* I'll be...be..written up!

Actually, what's really fucked up is this. The logical means of us all getting there is a carpool. However, none of the other 3 people I work with have reliable transportation. Hell, my manager doesn't even have a car. The other two have cars that can only be described as "rolling death traps" and seeing as mine is all shiny and new, guess who is the logical choice.

I really am considering just...not going. Go ahead, write me up. If all goes well, it won't mean shit in 3 months.

I am curious...if my refusal to attend this crap ended up with my being fired...would that not be grounds for a wrongful termination suit?

My job did the old "we'll write you up" shit if we didn't show up on our Physical Inventory weekend. A few people didn't show up and didn't get written up.

Could be just an empty threat.

 

[Misfit Toy]

That's my main issue here: the miles being put on my car and the gas used. I'm basically feeling forced into being the one who drives for the carpool. I'd be putting about 100 miles on the car and using 1/4 of a tank in one day. My coworker says they only reimburse after the first 20 miles and at 55 cents a mile. So basically I get royally screwed, and that's assuming they reimburse me in a timely manner...which they never do.

You are not obligated to provide transportation for anyone but yourself. The company cannot force that on you.

 

[Kirk's_Tights]

My coworkers and I have considered calling HR, just weren't sure who's side they would be on.

I'm curious though, what would keep me from getting unemployment if I was terminated?

That situation depends. My HR got paid by my company so of course they would be on the side of the company because the company gives them their paycheck.


My company wasn't with a union so if yours is, I think you might have a better chance of getting something done with HR.

 

[An Officer]

Wow. I can't believe they aren't paying you the full gas costs. And how can they force you to share what is essentially your personal property? Just say no. I wouldn't want strangers filling up my brand new car everyday. I figure they'd have to put chauffeur in your job description first...

 

[Tiberius Jim]

Here's a little update: I agreed to go to this thing because yesterday my manager told me he'd be renting a car and would be able to drive.

So, this morning I wake up early around 5:30am, crawl out of bed, throw some clothes on, down some breakfast and leave. We were supposed to meet up at our store at 6:20am, giving us 40 minutes to get to this meeting. I got there around 6:15am. My coworker Stacy got there about 5 minutes after me.

And then we waited for my manager.

And waited.

And waited some more.

I text messaged him a couple of times. Once telling him Stacy and I were at the store, and once asking him if he was on his way.

No reply.

We waited half an hour, at this point its 6:45am. No manager, no call or text. At this point even if we both were going to go to the meeting ourselves, we'd be late, and would have to explain why we were sans manager. So we said "Screw this" and went home.

It's now 7:12am and I'm back home, having wasted 2 hours of my morning and a few gallons of gas, depriving myself of sleep and still getting no reply from my manager.

 

[Vulcan Princess]

Wow. Be sure to document that just in case your manager tries to tell a different story.

 

[Captain Ice]

Yep. I may even be tempted to call the person who called thie mandatory meeting.

 

[Tiberius Jim]

Nah, turns out my manager did take full responsibility for missing the meeting and let the districtmanager know we had been there on time and that he was the reason we didn't make it. He also gave us both some money for lunch...although he only gave us $11 to split between us, so I'm not sure what we could even get...but whatever.

 

[Trekker4747]

Why 40min to get to the meeting? Didn't you say upthread that it was a 90 minute drive?

Anyway, I feel sorry for you Fluxie, this is the kind of BS that companies just like to pull on people. I doubt that the "meetings" are even really meant to even imbibe you with any extraordinary selling knowledge but to get your people to sell harder just to avoid the pain in the ass nonsense of this.

I'm surprised so many at your store, including your manager, don't have cars. I know LA has a decent PT system but I guess I still assumed that many had cars.

But, yeah, it's not "legit" in terms of how a company should act but it IS "legit" in what they can do to you. Sad, but true.

It's the tough selling economy right now that's making tycoon, over-educated, types pull BS like this. Even in MY level of retail I'm had to deal with a lot of nonsense and silly stuff from management in the name of increasing sales. None of it changes the fact that people, simply, are not spending money. All of the agressive sales tactics and silly stuff isn't going to give people more disposable income to spend.

But everyone is still all running around with their heads cut-off trying to push more sales! Sales! Sales! And doing the silliest stuff possible to make it happen.

I know how you feel about your job, and I can understand that. I would reccomend that you simply find another job to bide your time until you get your career-based job. (I'd also caution you not to quit your job until you have one in your career established. )

 

[Venardhi]

I believe Flux is already commuting to the store he works at.

 

[Tiberius Jim]

Why 40min to get to the meeting? Didn't you say upthread that it was a 90 minute drive?

Well the meeting was actually moved to a closer location, about 30 minutes away. My manager gave us an extra 10 minutes of buffer time. The 90 minutes I mentioned earlier was round trip time for the previous location

Anyway, I feel sorry for you Fluxie, this is the kind of BS that companies just like to pull on people. I doubt that the "meetings" are even really meant to even imbibe you with any extraordinary selling knowledge but to get your people to sell harder just to avoid the pain in the ass nonsense of this.

I'm surprised so many at your store, including your manager, don't have cars. I know LA has a decent PT system but I guess I still assumed that many had cars.

I wouldn't know about LA's public transit system since I live near San Francisco. My manager is the only one without a car, the other two either don't have reliable vehicles or don't have access to a car at all times (Stacy shares a car with her parents). I don't know why my manager has no car...he makes a decent salary, more than we do, yet he's the only one without wheels. *shrug*

I know how you feel about your job, and I can understand that. I would reccomend that you simply find another job to bide your time until you get your career-based job. (I'd also caution you not to quit your job until you have one in your career established. )

The problem with getting a new job is that I have less than 3 months left before school is over...at which time Iplan on finding a "real" job. I doubt many businesses would want to hire me if I'm going to bel eaving in 9 weeks. My school does have a job fair on Tuesday...so I may be able to find a field-based job then, which would be awesome. I definitely plan on this being my last retail job. Ever.

 

[Trekker4747]

Why 40min to get to the meeting? Didn't you say upthread that it was a 90 minute drive?

Well the meeting was actually moved to a closer location, about 30 minutes away. My manager gave us an extra 10 minutes of buffer time. The 90 minutes I mentioned earlier was round trip time for the previous location

Anyway, I feel sorry for you Fluxie, this is the kind of BS that companies just like to pull on people. I doubt that the "meetings" are even really meant to even imbibe you with any extraordinary selling knowledge but to get your people to sell harder just to avoid the pain in the ass nonsense of this.

I'm surprised so many at your store, including your manager, don't have cars. I know LA has a decent PT system but I guess I still assumed that many had cars.

I wouldn't know about LA's public transit system since I live near San Francisco. My manager is the only one without a car, the other two either don't have reliable vehicles or don't have access to a car at all times (Stacy shares a car with her parents). I don't know why my manager has no car...he makes a decent salary, more than we do, yet he's the only one without wheels. *shrug*

I know how you feel about your job, and I can understand that. I would reccomend that you simply find another job to bide your time until you get your career-based job. (I'd also caution you not to quit your job until you have one in your career established. )

The problem with getting a new job is that I have less than 3 months left before school is over...at which time Iplan on finding a "real" job. I doubt many businesses would want to hire me if I'm going to bel eaving in 9 weeks. My school does have a job fair on Tuesday...so I may be able to find a field-based job then, which would be awesome. I definitely plan on this being my last retail job. Ever.

I'd hate to say this -as it is at odds with my "beliefs"- you could always elect to not tell a prospective temporary hirer that you only intend to work there for a short time. It's a dick move, sure, but...

And, d'oh! I should've looked in your sig and seen you were in the Bay area. For some reason I thought you lived in LA.