Phone It In

Good Tuesday morning, everyone.  Have you heard the phrase, "Just phone it in."  or "He's just phoning it in."?  This means someone really isn't giving it his all.  It's just a half-hearted effort, at best.

Well, in this day and age, the social mores of the workforce have apparently changed.  I didn't get this memo, but I'm finding out as I go along.  It is now apparently considered acceptable to phone in your tardies, your sick leave request, and your resignation.  I didn't know this.

When I was working for other people, even a part-time job for Elaine during college, it was customary to tell someone face to face that you were quitting.  Usually accompanied by a letter.

In the "Ice Age" a week's notice for a part-time job or two weeks notice for a full time job were also customary.  Not any more.  Once again, I didn't get the memo, but I'm learning.

As a quick aside, let me say, if I phoned in my resignation to Elaine, she would have hunted me down.  She would have strangled me for being so ungrateful.  When someone gives you a job, it's a privilege.  You're supposed to behave that way.  You came asking them for work.  They didn't ask you.  Remember that.

Tardies weren't taken so lightly when I worked for other people.  Apologies were expected for your tardy once you arrived.  You could phone it in so they'd know you were on the way, but once there, go apologize in person.

Yes, I used to be tardy a lot.  But, I made up for it by staying late without asking for extra pay.  I also gave 110% when I was there.  It kept my bosses from wanting to throttle me. 

This isn't so anymore.  They are late and they don't care. They are surprised if I'm mad about it.  Huh?  What's going on?

Sick leave?  Ok, well, you are sick.  I guess you can't come ask me in person about that one.  But, folks, listen-up.  There is something called "job abandonment."

It is a legally accepted term and practice in Human Resources Land and the courts.  If you don't call in again after three days of being sick, you've just abandoned your job.  Your boss can terminate you then and there.  Bye-bye, you're done.

It is good form, when you're sick, to call in each morning at the beginning of the business day to let them know you won't be in.  Yes, you should do this for the duration of your sick leave.  Or, if you're going to be on long term medical leave, call once a week at least.  Now, that's if you've given prior notice of your surgery, or whatever.

Even after my big accident six years ago with my bashed in head, my mother called my boss for me--because of course with a head injury, I didn't make a lot of sense.  She did it regularly.  Even though we knew I'd be laid up at home for two months.  You call in, people.  It's the professional thing to do.  Be considerate.  They are paying you, remember?

I could have been rid of Mindy sooner than I was on the "job abandonment" one.  She took eight days off for a twisted ankle.  Said she was having it x-rayed.  The x-rays never manifested.  She just had to wait at home, in that case.  Come on!

She didn't even phone it in.  She sent me text messages.  If I had counted Sunday among the "three days and you're fired," she'd have been a goner.  Damnit!  Why am I such a pushover sometimes?

Last week, good ol' Phil, my new employee, phoned in his resignation with no notice.  Thanks, Phil.  It was a very kind voicemail.  Yes, friends, you read that right.  He didn't even phone it in to me personally.  He left me a voicemail resignation with no notice.

Yes, he was very kind.  He thanked me for the opportunity. He used his manners. He said it was nothing against me or the farm.  He just needed to focus on his school work.

Of course, Phil only worked for five hours on Friday afternoons and one Saturday a month.  I'm not sure how much focus that could take away from his school work, but apparently it did.

Believe it or not, this is not the worst resignation I've ever received here at the farm.  I've also had people never show-up again.  I assume they are still alive.  I never saw an obituary in the paper.

I had one guy who was up on DUI charges. The day after his hearing, he didn't show up for work.  He'd done this twice before--just no showed.  I told him if he ever did it again, not to bother coming back the third time.  I was such a pushover back then.

Finally, he called around lunchtime.  Just woke-up from his celebration party after having the DUI dismissed, I guess.  He said he wouldn't be in.  My mother was working the office for me on Saturdays then.  I had her convey my message, "Don't bother coming back."  He didn't. 

I had another young woman who had been a wonderful employee voicemail it in, too.  She'd been having some medical problems--the kind I don't encounter in my Bible College employees.

She was going to move back in with her parents, but she said she'd work a week's notice.  Nope, a few days later, I got a voicemail.  Never coming back.

I called her the day before she said her parents were coming to pack her up, to remind her her saddle was still here.  No returned call.  But, over the weekend, her saddle disappeared from the farm tack room.  See why my stuff is in a separate place?

There was no note saying she'd been here and taken her saddle.  Nothing. Yeah, I started changing the combination on all the locks even after amicable departures, then!

I even called her cell phone and left a message about the saddle disappearance.  Just to confirm it was her, you know.  She never returned that call, either.  Surprised me.

She was a great employee.  I was very sympathetic about her problem, too.  Didn't matter apparently.  Gone with no note and no forwarding address.

I sent her W-2 to her parents' home address.  Never received it back.  No word from anyone.  Guess she's fine.

I had one guy just disappear in the middle of work one day without a word.  I was riding Merry while I taught a lesson from horseback.  I noticed I hadn't seen him around the property in a while.

I asked Cowgirl Slim if she'd seen him.  She said she hadn't.  I rode over to where I could see the parking area.

His car was gone.  He never came back.  I called the person who had referred him to me.  He hadn't seen or heard from him either.

I wonder if he was abducted by aliens?  If they got him, they got his car, too.  Didn't Sammy Hagar say just last week that he'd been abducted by aliens a few times?  Wasn't that on MTV?  I wonder if he saw this guy while he was on the mother ship?  You know, wonder if they passed in the hallway or something? Strange.

So, what did I do about Phil's voicemail resignation?  I sent him a text saying simply, "Good luck."  I thought it was an appropriate response.

Have a good day, folks. If you're going to quit your job, have the decency to tell your boss in person and at least offer to work a notice.  It's just nice manners.  I know you have nice manners, right?

Thanks for reading!