Had to come into work today despite UK red alert weather warning. I work in community care with our own bus drivers. Drivers protested and did not want to drive in storm but they were made to still drive to pick up clients and bring them to centre. When arrived a huge tree fell on four of our buses damaging front windows breaking glass etc, I and a few clients were still in one of the buses and were trapped in for half an hour luckily unharmed physically. When we got out I was made to call all clients families and they were then sent home – due to safety and severe weather, but we (staff) were told we were not allowed to go home despite branches flying everywhere and our huge weak windows which could break and covid bubbles/ zones mixing as upstairs was too “unsafe”. Staff protested and were then threatened with disciplinary if we tried to leave and nothing they could do because message was coming from “above”.
not much to be done really just wanted to vent too emotionally exhausted to process what really went on today but really got to know how much my care based setting really “cared” for their staff.
tl; dr Red alert in UK, work not cancelled, huge tree fell at work on buses but work still not cancelled and staff threatened with disciplinary if we tried to leave …