About 12 years ago I was medical director of an inpatient facility and we had a family member come in with a holstered gun visible. If you have the sick time I would call in sick the day before the training as well. This means that even though the weekend has traditionally been a time of leisure, modern workplace trends mean that a lot of people work on the weekends. Because when you get out of working on the weekends, someone else will take your place. Ive got a serious case of womens issues. I totally relate to the letter writer. Two toddlers during Sandy Hook. Law enforcement response was more organized and confronts shooter relatively quickly. Forcing people to pretend theyd died???? This workrelated excuse is only going to work if its not a work gathering. And so on. (everything turned out all right and he actually used the time to talk about chemical reactions, Because Teacher, but it was not a happy day for him). I hope it goes well, and click send. But Alisons advice is great. Seven hours is unbelievable, but sounds more like a training event for the police than your workplace. So, as you can see, its very important not to miss a drill weekend. Dont want to be one of those flaky people anc cancel last minute on them. Im so sorry youre in this position, OP. That means if you click and buy a product, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As a result of that experience and the PTSD that it caused, my elder kid takes a sick day any time there is an event or training or other triggering occurrence at work. I dont see whats gained by including all the waiting/hiding time. https://bit.ly/3SDoQpc. Do I normally condone lying? The waiver was problematic in many ways and I declined to sign it (and to participate). Pretty much this. Oddly enough I think my boss would have been receptive to the OPs situation and absolutely understood if an active shooter drill was too much for some people but she would have never understood my objection to the mandatory fun (which she was super excited about). Here are some tips: Fast forward to this current moment in your life, (. -You are sick or injured (documentation from a doctor may be required) I havent read all the comments, but this makes me truly ill. To be fair, I was already angry on your behalf before reading this letter. Im looking around to get away cause Im scared of gun being pulled. What action should OP expect to be taken, as a result of this call? I was the first person they tried to take as a hostage, it was something new. Something tells me the response on the other end of the phone wont be get well soon.. I am lucky in that my dean is sympathetic. If you have a valid reason, such as work or school, you can request an exception to miss a drill weekend. What in the actual hell? Which brings me to active-shooter training. Agreed, why is this training seven hours long? -Use your weekends wisely. Yup. "My parents." The blanks are left for you to fill, as you indirectly blame your parents for standing in the way of your weekend plans. bradley james child facebook; girl jumps off bridge 2021 twitter; leonard flowers disability instagram; pickled green tomatoes italian style youtube; gary richardson rate my professor ucla extension mail Theres always That Guy who feels the need to comment. Hope you dont get cornered! Assuming I cant get additional details about the itinerary or assuming I do, and it includes a simulation or other modules that I know will be extremely triggering to my mental health what do I do? That sounds awful. You Have a Home Delivery or Are Moving 12. Not a drill, but my church employer, with school and preschool attached, had us all watch a video of a shooting simulation at a school. Ive been doing lockdown drills since kindergarten, which changed to explicit active shooter drills when I was 11. Hey [Name], Im going to stay home tonight as things just ended with [Insert Your Partners Name]. I hope it goes well, and click send. If you do not own a car, you might be thinking that you got to pass all the car excuses. Hi [Name], Im so sorry but weve been out all day and weve found out that the train is suspended from [Your Location], the journey would be a nightmare/ we would probably miss the whole event by the time we arrived. Just try to get through it and then enjoy your weekend! I told them the way you prevent that is to click their heels together and wish real hard. The employer would be viewing and treating it like drills for other types of emergency. You are sick. Everyone is tired of climbing down multiple floors of stairs to stand outside in the cold in their pajamas. this isnt an Im calling my lawyer so I can sue knee-jerk thing, its consultation on employment law and options when the obvious ones are made inaccessible for one reason or another. Jesus. Can you handle yourself under the pressure? And I hope that people above your boss can reign in his asshattery towards you. Basically it was a whole thing staged as if some classmates had gotten in a car with a drunk driver and died, involving the local law enforcement, paramedics, etc., and framed as if it was actually happening and not a drill. When staff brought this and other safety concerns to upper management, these were brushed away, even though 1) they hired the trainer to come and say these things, and 2) we had violent threats and probably at least 1 or 2 lockdowns per year. OP, if you were to talk to your boss, and he says again you wouldnt be able to take it or something else similarly egregious, you can use the time-honored response, Im not sure what you mean.. By the same token, a person who cant deal with guns being fired in their vicinity is unlikely to be able to work as a law enforcement officer, particularly in the US. See if you can ask around about who started this training idea. Good luck! Afterwards, I refused to go down there alone again, and thankfully none of my shift supervisors gave me a hard time about that. Its stupid and sexist, but it works. My daughters friend since pre-school was killed in a mass shooting during her freshman year in college. and our Is there something about your workplace that makes this a particular concern? Youre very charitable in your interpretation of dark humor, for me thats a line that shouldnt be crossed. LW didnt really mention it as an option, though, so Im wondering if both her PTO and Sick leave is limited. Im sort of lucky, in a way, because the school I work at is a non-public school serving children with Autism and Intellectual Disability. What possible benefit is there to be gained from crouching and hiding for hours? Not a lot you can say to that. These drills are not helpful! If you feel you need to address it with your boss directly, you could do that while being vague. Here's a list of foolproof excuses that are sure to get you out of any weekend plan. BS on that one! Good Reasons to Call Out of Work (Physical Jobs) 1. I planned out my escape routes the first time I walked into the office and figured out which things on my desk would make the best projectiles by week one. However, there will be times when we would rather not work weekends and have the weekend free to pursue other interests. Now, chill and relax. My workplace does building-specific workplace shooter training and it lasts maybe 30-45 minutes tops. Dear god I have done this too. You can offer a better alternative 5. It happens so much and theres nothing we can really do about it (other than vote and organize), so \_()_/. Ask for Forgiveness, Not Permission: The best way to be convincing when calling or emailing for a sick day is to TELL them you're ill and cannot come in, rather than asking if it's okay. Your sweet, naive brain thought it was a good idea to make plans to fill every second. Its all for workplace harmony and best if everyone signs onto it rather than facing the truth. Ive even had to go so far as to use a very light dusting of a slightly purple-y matte eye shadow to emphasize the dark circles under my eyes for one job (company was populated by a LOT of ex-military). Theyll probably be asking if youre okay the second they see you. Its a nightmare. If you're looking to develop your communication skills for professional environments even further, we think youll like the following video course from LinkedIn Learning. Pretty sure I called in sick that day. Parents regularly talk about sending their kids with headphones so they can plug them in and divert the alarms to something much less likely to be overheard in the event of an active shooter situation. BS on that one! It wasnt really an active shooter simulation, but for some reason, the approach at the time was Its really important to stay silent, so try to imagine that its real as you cower in this corner. (Spoiler alert 20ish seven- and eight-year-olds are REALLY bad at playing silent sardines, even when the imaginary stakes are high.). I am fairly traumatized by all this, because what if it IS a fire and/or flood this time and not just a glitch in the system? 4k Images Added per Hour. A seven hour training would be insane for any work place that isnt on a military installation or the Capitol/Pentagon/etc and EVEN THEN it would be bananapants crazy. Should issue directions? (ex. Even reading the emails about it made me so anxious that my hands started to shake. Another employee came in and joked that with the door wide open, she could have killed them all if she was a shooter and didnt they learn anything about locking doors from our recent drill? That sounds horrible and not at all like a good use of time. In Quiet by author Susan Cain, the reader is shown how the brain chemistry of introverts and extroverts differs, and how society misunderstands and undervalues introverts. 2. The Drill Army Reserves is not active duty, so you wont be deployed overseas or see combat. She was very kind about it, didnt even make me use my leave for it, and sent me info to our EAP. Bloodsucking Bastards is out on in select theaters and On Demand this Friday . Sometimes you just dont want to go to event and thats okay, we get it. With a subscription you get 24/7, unlimited access to over 13,000 business, design & tech online courses and with a free month. Thank you for sharing them! Weve had active shooter trainings, but no drills in any of the universities Ive worked at (thankfully). My kingdom for sensible, trauma-informed, non-security-theater workplace safety training. For example: Due to some past history that I dont want to go into at work, I am going to opt of out Tuesdays training. If he again says something ridiculous like asking if you wouldnt be able to take it, you could say, Yes, so I wont be attending. If he tells you its mandatory and you need to attend, you can say, Then I need to request a formal, legal accommodation to opt out. Its a little trickier because youve already told him youd rather not attend, but if this is the easiest of the options for you, you can do it. I wouldnt outright say it was a mental health day, since this boss almost certainly wouldnt consider that a valid sick day given his opinions on mental health. - Short answer, no. It also can depend on what training is going on. And you know theyll treat it all as a big game because its all fake anyway. You can report an ad, tech, or typo issue here. There is a debate you can maybe find evidence of online as to whether this is effective. Exactly. I am glad we did because we learned they fancy themselves a superhero who can run through and put out fires and can stop a bad guy with the power of love. Most workplace active shooters are targeted. My mom worked for a large company and has to deal with several (not at her location, thankfully, but as HR she had to deal with the aftermath). You have a medical issue an active shooter drill is detrimental to your mental health. In some cases, you may be able to do individual training on your own time instead of attending the full weekend drill. It was horrendous to experience. My all-women department once went to a shooting range for a super fun team building event at one of their self-defense courses. Not sure if you can find information about it in English, but here in Japan we have frequent fire and earthquake drills; there is also a very loud and scary alert that goes from the earthquake detection center to your cell phone. The peak factor was approaching 4.5 or I couldnt find a single driver in my area will work. That sounds wildly excessive thats the kind of time spend on drills for issues you deal with every day, like chemical release training at a chemical storage facility. Do they work in a higher-risk area or industry? Between the GUN SHOTS outside the classroom, and the unbelievably unqualified instructor who gleefully talked about all the times his hyper-vigilance protected his girlfriend on the mean streets of our farm state, it was too much. Heck, my dad worked in the Pentagon post 9/11, D.C. Sniper, and Virginia Tech and threat training was like an hour. They will likely require documentation supporting your request. My workplace had an active shooter training session prior to COVID that included several drills. Happy Me time! Agreed, the boss here is an arsehole with a thin layer of affability on top. It still felt stupid, though. Then laughed. But looking back, that was not normal. (And as a 6th grader at the time of Columbineoooof I am so sorry for all of us that literally nothing has changed since then). Ive done Portal of Safety Drills in martial arts when I was younger. Whatever. My direct boss fought it and tried to get me excused, but her boss was firm that it was required. The fact that there is no apparent option besides hands-on training is deeply concerning, as is the length of the training. I always see college as a priority for soldiers, they are taking the time to progress themselves. I grew up in the era of mass shootings. Additionally, if you are pregnant or have recently had a baby, you may also be excused from drill. If youre a party person, in your teens or early twenties, a party at Davids is news that will stir a lot of excitement. Just flat out no. Dont they do drills and practice?. The drill was short, and we knew it was coming. There have been several studies that have shown that the methods used in many trainings end up causing PTSD and trauma. Your boss sounds like an as**. Ive been there on a college campus, and, as such, soak up all the training I can get, especially because its a good way to find out about new data, like the fact that run-hide-fight might not be useful; that its good to keep a supply of water nearby; and to not hide in restrooms anymore. So I can see the value of having people exposed to, and not react to, something like a helicopter or other distraction. Each year the US Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its data on volunteering in the United States. Definitely. And if we get it wrong, we will talk out ways to stay quiet and not fidget after. I had a stalker threatening to kill my family / loved ones for (years? Finally we learned they had just been required to offer an active shooter training by their insurance. LW, I know youre worried that your boss will call you triggered or a snowflake or otherwise weak, but it is in fact very strong a brave to calmly stand firm at your limit. I supervise a manager who falsified an employee write-up but I dont think she should be fired, getting out of shared intern housing, why are so many executives condescending, and more. They pointed out there is no way to think of and train for every scenario, and doing so could create a false sense of safety, not to mention costing a lot of money and raising anxiety among staff. And, even calling 911 can be difficult in a real emergency. [M]onkey. Its always on the government to do something, never on the 99% to effect change by living up to their rebel ancestors they sure do love bragging about. And if my boss gave me grief about it Id jump straight to calling a lawyer and what should OP say to this lawyer? Never give a straightforward "yes" when someone tries to make plans. Call in sick is what I would do. My husband cant eat in public with his back to the door. Youve already got a serious medical condition, and now you get to worry that if your blood sugar plummets or your pump fails during an active shooter situation that it will get all your friends killed. Im sure that wont hurt kids mental health at all. I full stop do not trust any training that requires multiple hours and comfortable clothes. Sign up to our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook so you always know where to find us. I didnt wear makeup one day because I didnt feel like it. *Deep breath* Many triggering statements made below, please be advised. excuses to get out of drill weekend Either way the teachers are required by law to reschedule for the service member. However, life happens and there may be times when you cannot attend. CALL IN SICK. I didnt end up having to attend the training, but I was never able to respect my grandboss in the same way after that. You Had Other Car Issues 11. Same. I could have written this post myself. I was there for maybe 20 minutes in total before my shift supervisor missed me and came along to investigate. I wanted to go to school and cared about awards. Thats such a heartbreaking thing to hear and yet, I understand why shes thinking about it. My only other thought is, that if this simulation might happen more than once, it could be useful to go the formal accommodations route so you have a standing reason to not attend any sessions. This happened in effing Silicon Valley with the VTA shooting just 2 years ago. Sending my best wishes to you. SEVEN HOURS? Call in sick and dont ever apologize for it. **Several other events over a long time including the loss of a police officer in the line of duty at a traffic stop at the organization, a murder at the organization, a supervisor I knew dealing with a suicidal worker (despite all of his training, I had to order him to inform the police) and many false alarms. This isnt going to be the first time someone tries to tell him that people have traumas and mental health needs. Nice people care when someone is distressed. Sorry, I got a bit over-emotional here, but anyways you got what. Below you'll find way to get out of a date, based on your situation. Thanks for your practical, even-minded comment. the fact that we cant talk about that but have to do all this security performance theater instead AND cause additional trauma for questionable results makes me rage. But if thats not the case, tell them you were here (at some distant place) to pick up some work. We did an active shooter drill at my organization and I thought it would be similar to the same drills I grew up doing (also a millennial) but it was so much worse than I imagined. Thank you for sharing this; Im sorry that this has to be a continued topic and continued trauma. Dont worry about not looking tough. How did we let our country get to this point? Weve had enough fires in our building (five during 2020-2021) that everyone knows the fire sprinklers go off and the big problem is flooding. I dont worry about gun violence in my daily life, like, ever. Really, you could. Warning mentions simulated situation and actual shooting. I have never ever called in sick for any reason other than actually being too sick to leave my bed. Did no one think any of this through? Asking not to be contrary but because Im genuinely curious what you mean by this comment. Oh Heck no, no, no. Well I thought a good excuse would be to call in sick which I did. You already know so much more about what to do in this instance than any of us Olds who didnt do this in school. A text like this will save you up from any long unnecessary, especially if you cant come up with any other genuine sounding excuses at that moment. These are done periodically at the large state university I work at. Im now almost 36 and Ive never held a gun, and aside from police (who have it bolstered), Ive never seen a gun in real life. Speedy Search & Discovery. Lets Deal With Quiet Firing In The Workplace, 8 Signs of Quiet Firing You Should Know Now, 10 Good Excuses for Not Working on Weekends, 1. As for how to do it, realistically youve got four options: 1. As someone whos been in pretty much that exact situation, your 2-for-1 euthanasia comment made me CACKLE. To this day I can remember everything about Columbine and it felt like there was this huge shift that altered the rest of my school experience. But I like a little theatre. Even worse was what they advocated we teach kids they expected that we would teach 5-year-olds to run in a zigzag pattern across the playground and show them a safe location to run to (like the next school down the street), or discuss the possibility of an active shooter with them every fall. Save yourself the heartache and the stress. But if thats not the case,tell them you were here (at some distant place) to pick up some workrelatedstuff,and it will be late till you reach there. LW, your boss is being extremely blas about his staffs mental health. And 1 drill type is not sufficient: tornado response is different than responses to fire or ; so the more, the better. My supervisor (largest waste of space ever) still talks about how much fun she had getting shot at with foam disks. (They literally had us hiding in our offices while the public was still in our spaces creating a safety hazard while doing safety training!) Well,we got one for you too. by The trainings I have had have been locally-created garbage not based on evidence. I have 2 young children, not quite school aged. From my vantage point at the organ console, there are no close exits; so should I hide behind the console, trapped in a corner?? In my 20s and 30s would have loved to have got a job living in NYC and generous vacation leave meant i used to visit multiple times a year. I found out by accident that our in person Non Violent Intervention training at another facility was PHOENOMENALLY triggering for me and I am keeping all of these in mind because I would have to get an accommodation. Because Labor Day is around the corner and we're all thinking about that coveted three-day weekend, we thought we'd come up with a list of the Top 10 Excuses to Get Out of Work, brought to you by Bloodsucking Bastards, a comedy/horror film featuring the one office you'd like to work in even less than your own.
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excuses to get out of drill weekend