I always wanted to post my story, and figured now was a good time.
About 8 years ago, 2014, my wife and I (20 years old) had our son in March. Knowing I would need to provide, I went job hunting. I settled on a chip factory that my mother-in-law had been at since the doors opened. I started as a packer, working my way to a cook by years end. I took on every responsibility I could, even going as far as being the trainer, even though I was essentially the newest cook. I would have to rewrite the entire training course and continually ask for my trainers pay, but that's not the main point of this story.
Fast forward to 2019. I've put in 5 years at this point, I've given up some of my afternoons (normally a 6:30 AM to 3 PM, but OT went 6:30 AM to 7 PM). And half of my weekends, usually working 12 days on 2 days off year round. We were allowed 7 points, get to 7 and you would point out. I always rode the fine line. My wife and I had 1 car, so everything ran through me, and honestly I would often feel burnt out. But I had never pointed out, we would get points back, year to date.
I had told a number of high up people that my wife, who had been a stay at home mom for the last 5 years, was getting herself a job, (one that she still has as of today) and that because I get off at 3, it would be my responsibility to get him from school, which would be 3:30. No big deal. Until it was.
We were always short staffed, due to over work load, and little recognition. So as a cook we were forced to pick 2 days a week to have to stay until 7 PM. I had Tuesday and Thursday. I finally got my points down to about 4, and was feeling pretty good. I found that I would call in less because no one was home, so I had no reason to not be at work.
We always got front loaded vacation and sick time. My wife being so new at her job, hadn't yet gotten her time. So I would take our school calendar and request off the days my son was off school, outside of summer vacation, never got far enough to figure out what that would have been like.
So when someone new started, even if it was October, they would get the same amount of vacation as everyone who had been there for years. Kinda strange in my eyes.
This is where the end of my time at this factory comes.
It was August, my son has been in school for 1 week. The 1st Tuesday, I had off to take him on his 1st day. The 2nd Tuesday, I'm calling all my family at 2:55 PM, to see if someone can grab my son because I just found out I have to stay until 7:00 PM, 5 minutes before my shift ends. No one could get him, so there's my 5th point. The next week, same thing. I did set up for my mom to get him, but last minute she went to the doctor because she felt a bit off, (she's had a lot of medical issues) so there's my 6th point.
When I get back on Wednesday I thought I should talk to HR and see if there was anything I could do, this one guy is calling in every Tuesday and he's doing it consistently. The all but laughed in my face. So I decided to talk to the 2nd shift cook. I was basically told he wasn't going to stop because his wife was off on Tuesdays and he had all this time he could take. Wow, that sucks.
The next Tuesday the same situation. I called my supervisor back and let him know my situation. He talked to me for about 45 minutes just letting me vent. He told me how he was sick of everything too and had just accepted a new job and reminded me that it would be beneficial to have something lined up. I agreed. So I stayed until 7 and thankfully my grandma picked up my son.
I filled out an app for a moving company in the area and was told the job was mine if I wanted it. But I made decent money and had already put in 5 years but something had to change.
At this point it's the middle of September, it's a Tuesday, and he calls in again. I text my wife and told her the situation and that I'd be leaving at 3, essentially pointing out and being without this job. She agreed with me.
My lead cook, a guy I trained, (I was offered the lead job, but didn't want to commit to working a 12 hour system they implemented that ultimately lasted 3 months) and a friend of mine was devastated. He knew how much I did and how much responsibility I had within the company. He took me to talk to HR and he sat in. We explained my situation, how I always had to stay because of this one guy. HR proceeded to tell me how she was a single mom and how she can't just leave to get her son, but that her boyfriend picks him up and keeps him until she gets home. Which I responded to by saying I didn't have that luxury. I also couldn't afford child care, which essentially would have been once a week at most, for 2 hours, and wasn't guaranteed, and it would have cost me a full weeks worth of money anyway, because you can't just pay for 1 day.
She told me there was nothing I could do but stay, so I told her that I was going to point out. At this point it was only 2:00 PM and I went back and finished cleaning my area. I could have left then, knowing I was leaving for good anyway. But I wanted to finish it out. I kept it low key, only telling a coworker of mine who I was to train the following week. I grabbed my things at 3:00 and I went home.
I tried out the moving company for about 8 months but then COVID hit, and it was shut down for a bit, and the schools shut down, so I stayed home with my oldest.
2 and a half years have passed since then, my mother-in-law still asks me to come back, at the request of the company. But I'm a stay at home dad to a surprise baby we had in 2021.
The day I got to stand up and tell them they were no longer allowed to tell me when I could and could not be a dad to my son, was one of the best days I've ever had, at least professionally. I recommend not letting companies who claim to be family first, put their families before yours. I could go on for days about the shady stuff I had seen and heard. From employees coming in drunk, on the wrong shift, and crashing their car into a light pole but keeping their job or the plant manager telling me she didn't care about me trying to help simplify some of our tasks.
Thanks for reading.
TL;DR Pointed out at a job, due to someone not coming in for their shift every Tuesday.