A little background: my husband has been working for the same HVAC company for 15 years. He’s been there since it was a fledgling company, now employs over 100 technicians. The pay is great, double time on calls after four, they cover benefits, 100%. He has seniority, he gets five weeks of vacation a year. Bonuses out the wazoo.
One of those weeks he always takes is after Labor Day. It’s a time to see our kids off to school, close the pool, basically get ready for the fall.
Now that the kids are older and away in college, and I am retired, we still utilize that week for a final summer vacation. In 15 years, it was never a single problem with this.
At the beginning of the year, the company was sold to a large monopoly. All bonuses were eliminated, no longer could you accrue vacation leave, maximum leave was two weeks now, cut down from five for those who have been there 10 years or longer. Seniority no longer matters.
My husband was off his usual Labor Day week. When he is off, he shuts his work phone off. Apparently they were extremely busy during the heat wave, they looked in his records for an emergency contact and came up with my number and called me to tell him to report to work. He told them he was away on vacation and would be happy to report to work on Monday. He was told if he did not come in, then it would be assumed he refused work, he would face disciplinary action, possibly termination. He has another experience to find a job immediately. Morale is in the toilet, and this just doesn’t help.
I wish he could retire early.
/rant over