I am the hostess at a restaurant attached to a hotel. Let me preface, I actually really like my job, the pay could be better but it's not bad but the hours are great, even in the off-season, and they have really great benefits, and management has always been straight with us.
I hate our Call-Out policy.
Ours is 2 hours advance, minimum. Our restaurant opens at 7:00am, my shift starts at 6:30 am. I get up at 5:30 am. The manager for the morning is also scheduled at 6:30 am.
If the 6:30 person calls out we're supposed to call front-desk so they can leave a message with the time of our call and then we also email to GM of the restaurant as well.
Today, and I mean right now, my bowels have decided to go all Ark of the Covenant on me and I've been stuck in the bathroom since 5:30 and it doesn't look like I'm going anywhere anytime soon, I feel like crap (pun not intended but intended) so I called out. Granted it was 5:30am, an hour before my shift starts.
I was asleep at 4:30 am and I couldn't know I was going to wake up and start a chocolate factory in my bathroom.
I know that I'm probably going to get a write-up for my one-hour call-out time but the alternative is going to work and spending part of my shift in the toilet, meaning someone else is going to have to watch the hostess stand. I've already been in here for 30 minutes and it's getting worse.
What bugs me is even if I call out at 4:30 am, the manager working that morning doesn't find out until 6:30 am, no one is at the restaurant until 6:30 am. The manager that we're supposed to email doesn't get in until 3:00 pm. So, what is the purpose of a 2 hour call-out time for the 6:30 am person when no one who works at the restaurant knows until 6:30 am. You can't always predict getting sick. 45 minutes ago I was asleep, not aware of the awfulness to come.
I was just looking to vent but if anyone has any advice for me on this subject (the calling-out not my bowels) I'll welcome it. Not like I have anywhere to go (pun totally intended).