Not my first issue with a boss/manager/HR, but I just wanted to relate 'that' moment that truly made me think, “Fuck…we mean nothing to them.”
TL;DR Company HR person says they don't make exception's for unexcused absences even for death
Back in 2016, I worked for a medical parts manufacturer called Cook. After having worked there for 6 years, achieving new quota efficiency records due to taking control of my area, and all around never having a major issue with the company beforehand (though plenty of unrelated ones to this subreddit), I was finally on the verge of getting my first year of perfect attendance which came with several cash bonuses. The literal last day before I would have gotten that bonus, while I was at work I got a phone call from my father saying that my mother was being rushed to the E.R. due to a complication with a surgery and was not expected to make it so I needed to leave then and now to ride to the hospital. After telling my manager and being told to just go deal with that matter and that they would handle it, I followed protocol and clocked out.
That was on a Friday so after dealing with that mess and coming back the following Monday, I asked my managers about my perfect attendance pay and was told that I would not get it because I had clocked out and instead should have just left while and stayed clocked in. Now, I know, and they know, that these clock systems can be manually adjusted to 'bend the rules' when called for as it had been necessary several times such as when the system was down and people needed to sign in/out and it takes just a couple of minutes to do. But, because it was due to no fault of their own, I was told I would need to speak with my buildings HR person and appeal it. Now the part that sticks out about this particular HR person is that she was also the same one that had hired me so I always had been cordial with her and viewed her with a bit of respect when I met her in the hallways over the past 6-7 years (due to temp work); thus I thought my chances were good.
But to sum up how our meeting went, I was told that not only would I not get the bonus, which was only about $75 at that time, but that I also needed to make up 5 hours by the next week otherwise they would be deducted from my available unpaid time off. When I asked her why they couldn't make an exception for me in this case, considering it was the literal last day I needed to get the bonus on top of the fact I had left due to a life or death emergency in my family, along with my great work rate record, I'll never forget her response.
“If we made an exception for you, then we would have to make one for everyone. Two years ago, Mrs. (Identity hidden) had a similar situation to yours, she left her station after her husband called her to tell her that her son had been killed in a car accident. She had 18 years of perfect attendance and we didn't make an exception for her when she asked us then, so we are not going to make one for you now. She had to start over just like you will.”
After taking a moment to digest that, I asked her why she thought that this was somehow appropriate to even say, or how it even explained her reasoning in my case, she just gave me a weird look and said it was because, “Your mom didn't even die so your case isn't as bad as hers.” She also told me that she didn't know why I cared so much about the perfect attendance award anyways as the company doesn't care if I put down on my resume that I had perfect attendance or not as they won't tell anyone that asks about it, so if I cared that much then I could knock myself out and say I had it still.
To say that my desire to make rate for my remaining time there vanished would be an understatement and I quickly went from making above my areas rate to about 1/10th of it because, why should I care anymore? Soon as I spent my remaining paid time off hours, I left. All I can say is that hearing that the place went from being one of the top medical companies to recently being on the near brink of bankruptcy has given me no small amount of pleasure.