Work blaming me for something I couldn’t avoid!

George.jh · 12 February 2018 at 8:08AM

So I wake up at 5:30am for work get read to leave and gone by 5:50am to where I get picked up by a colleague which my work place know about as they arranged it. Unfortunately he never informed me he wasnted going to be in on that day. So I waited until 6:30 which is when I start work and decided to walk back home, once there I called my boss and she’s saying it’s my fault and it’s my responsibility to get to work and won’t let me have it as a holiday? Firstly I know it is my responsibility but when the person that takes me to work doesn’t turn up what can I do? I called family and friends but they were either asleep or at work. If I knew he wasn’t coming I would of arranged a lift not walk to the pick up point and wait for half hour.

Where do I stand or is my boss right even tho considering the circumstances I was in ?

Thank you

Diamandis · 12 February 2018 at 8:13AM

They can't have two people off every day the other person isn't going into work. You need to look into options to get to work by other means. If you're not paying travel the rest of the time can't you keep money for an emergency taxi aside?

haras_nosirrah · 12 February 2018 at 8:22AM

They are correct that it is your responsibility to get to work

I would definately make sure you have this persons phone number so that if they are 10 mins late arriving you can contact them and check where they are so if they aren't coming you can arrange alternative transport - people do get sick, go on holiday etc so there must be an alternative way of getting to work when your lift isn't going to be there.

GwylimT · 12 February 2018 at 8:47AM

If they didn't turn up within ten minutes I would have booked a taxi.

elsien · 12 February 2018 at 8:52AM

Isn't it better to get in late than not at all? So how far is work and could you get there by taxi, bus, or (in future) cycling?

TELLIT01 · 12 February 2018 at 9:00AM

How would you have got to work if the person who normally gives you a lift had called to say they were sick and nobody else was available to give you a lift?
If you are totally reliant on other people in order to be able to get to work at all, I'd suggest looking for another job.
I do appreciate that we don't know the full situation, but are you in a rural area with no bus service for example. How far is it to your work? Could you have got there late by using public transport? Did you offer to do that and your boss refused to allow it?

motorguy · 12 February 2018 at 9:27AM

George.jh wrote: »

So I wake up at 5:30am for work get read to leave and gone by 5:50am to where I get picked up by a colleague which my work place know about as they arranged it. Unfortunately he never informed me he wasnted going to be in on that day. So I waited until 6:30 which is when I start work and decided to walk back home, once there I called my boss and she’s saying it’s my fault and it’s my responsibility to get to work and won’t let me have it as a holiday? Firstly I know it is my responsibility but when the person that takes me to work doesn’t turn up what can I do? I called family and friends but they were either asleep or at work. If I knew he wasn’t coming I would of arranged a lift not walk to the pick up point and wait for half hour.

Where do I stand or is my boss right even tho considering the circumstances I was in ?

Thank you

Yup

Your responsibility to get to work, not someone elses.

If you're relying on a lift, have a backup plan such as a taxi or pubic transport.

agrinnall · 12 February 2018 at 9:59AM

The law says that you can be required to give twice as much notice for holiday as the period you want to take off, so your employer is quite within their rights to deny you that day as holiday. So your absence was unauthorised, and a disciplinary would not be unexpected.

George.jh · 12 February 2018 at 10:17AM

Thank you all for the reply!!!8217;s, currently where I work to where I live is 40 minutes away cycling. I used to cycle but unfortantley it was stollen so my work place arranged the lift as they also didn!!!8217;t want me cycling due to distance and bad weather. Bus isn!!!8217;t an option and and first week of the month the whole wage goes on bills so taxi wasn!!!8217;t an option. I genuinely had no way of getting to work.

LilElvis · 12 February 2018 at 10:40AM

It looks like cycling is your only back-up for your colleagues holiday/sickness days. You can look on sites like Freecycle and Gumtree to pick up a free/cheap one for you to use in emergencies. You should also get a cheap (£10) mobile with a couple of pounds credit so that you can contact your colleague to ask where he is and to tell work you will be a bit late as you're going to be cycling.

sammyjammy · 12 February 2018 at 10:44AM

Perhaps you should try and mitigate this happening again by checking with your colleague about the next lift when they drop you off....

Work blaming me for something I couldn’t avoid!

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