This is going to be long.
So my office job was a really casual one. Show up on time, do your work, everyone is happy. Have to call out, come in late, or leave early for some reason? Perfectly okay as long as it doesn't become a constant thing and you let your team lead know.
When I heard we were getting an HR person, I was indifferent. But all of a sudden, policies are getting stricter, there's a sudden obsession with culture commitment (which I had never heard of at any job before), and it's starting to feel like a robotic, corporate workplace.
Have to leave early to take a sick child to urgent care? That's now an unexcused absence and you get a verbal warning. Have to leave tiny bit early a few weeks later due to a family emergency? Written warning. Have to call out a month later because you're sick? Suspension of all PTO, unpaid time off, put on a short leash, be constantly monitored. Have to leave early again in that 90-day period because your child is sick and you have to get them from daycare? Termination.
Im not even exaggerating, it's all explained in our employee handbook. I understand not making a habit of being late, leaving early, and calling out, but it used to just be judged on the situation and at the managers discretion. The manager would normally just be like oh that sucks, see you tomorrow.
And culture commitment?? I'd never heard of it before, but it sounds like “you need to sell your soul to this company and die for this company” to me.
The example I listed before was specific to leaving for personal issues, but the “first incident- verbal, second- written, third- suspension of time off, fourth- termination” applies for attendance, tardiness, CULTURE COMMITMENT ISSUES, and any other small violation.
Things are changing fast and my instinct is to prepare to get out. What are your opinions?