I've debated writing this for a while. Using a throw away account.
I work in a union shop. The stuff that I read about on this sub blow my mind because they simply cannot happen where I work.
For example: When someone outside of your daily department calls you, for any reason, the first question they ask (after, hey, good Morning) is, “Are you working today?” If the answer is no, then, corporate culture is to apoligize for bothering someone and hang up. Period. If they're not working, then, by definition, they can't be bothered. They don't exist. (and this is if someone answers their work cell phone, most don't. If they do, they're subject to call out rules, see below).
If you need to take a day off, then you simply let someone know, preferably before your shift starts. Since there's no repercussions to this, and no-one has any reason to lie, I've never personally known anyone to not do this before the shift starts. I've personally emailed my supervisor 30 minutes before I was scheduled to let him know I wasn't feeling well and that I wouldn't be in today. We're given just over 3 weeks of leave our first year so when I take the day off I don't lose money. (leave increases every year after that and is bankable and cashable.) If someone isn't feeling up to work that day, we take them at their word, and do our best without them. It's not the end of the world.
I work in the operations department of my company so everyone is by default 'on-call'. We use an automated system to call after hours and if you want to take the call you press 1 to accept and 3 to decline. No repercussions. If you don't want to take the call you don't. No-one is obligated to be on 'standby' except management. Standby management gets paid extra to be 'available' (not drinking basically) and 'if' they get called they get paid more. It's simply. You pay people to work. If you're management, every three weeks you're on 'standby' get paid extra, and if the phone rings, you get paid more. BTW, if you're management and you do take a call, your main job is to get the worker (us) to take their call outs and actually do the work. Management can't work with tools. AT ALL. If we (the workers) take the call, then it's automatically considered 2 hours and double our regular rate. Whether we work 5 minutes of 1 hour and 59 minutes we get a 2 hour double time minimum. It stays double time until we finish. And if we finish within 10 hours or our next shift we're paid to be 'on rest' until we have ten hours between the next shift.
To add to this, on a call out (double time) or on a long day (after ten hours, two of which are also double time) we get a $25 meal allowance, plus 30 minutes of double time to eat a meal, every four hours. Everything outside of our regular 40 is double time. Holidays are triple time.
If there's a discrepancy with our paychecks they're to be corrected within 24 hours or it's 8 hours of regular pay per 24 hours of the discrepancy not corrected. To be clear they never mess up our paychecks, and the very rare times they do they are cut a check by payroll within hours.
The only time leave requests would be denied (and I've never seen this is 13 years there) would be if we couldn't 'operationally' function without said individuals. If that occurred, leave would be awarded to the senior individual. Like I said, I've never seen it. Leave (with reasonable notice) is always granted. (for example, someone couldn't email 30 min before their shift to say they're leaving for the next 4 months. There are limits, but they're clearly laid out).
Edit: our contract lays out how much everyone is paid for the work they do. There is no mysteriousness as to who gets paid what. We have clear wage transparency. And under federal law, we can't be reprimanded by management without our shop steward there to represent us. End edit.
I want to be clear here. This place isn't the best place to work. There is still drama, and management (within bounds) does hella stupid stuff.
I write this only because I read so many violations of the people on here and I want you to know there's something better. It may or may not be a union position but unions fight for our rights to be treated well. If you're being mistreated at your workplace FUCKING LEAVE. Life is too short for bullshit. Stand up for each other.
Be well all.