Monday, January 7, 2013

Ridiculousness

Ok so I usually don't post anything very specific about my job but this ridiculousness is exactly that.

I answer incoming calls. Sometime one of our employees calls in to speak to a supervisor to call in sick.

This entails taking out a pink missed call memo pad and writing the employee's name, date, time of call and the word "Sick" in the notes. Then this note is posted on a pole where the supervisor's desks are with the thought that they will see it when they come to their desks for work. I mean seriously? My dog could probably be taught to do that. Not a huge project you want to assign to someone making $75k a year right?

On our particular shift the on duty Shift Commander takes these calls. The Shift Commander is the highest ranking officer on duty at the time. This could be the Lt. or the Sgt. When the call is transfered the Shift Commander can either fill out the pink memo himself or he can call dispatch and tell us to do it for them. If the call is transfered to the Sgt. on duty because the person asked for the Sgt. on duty but they are calling in sick the Lt. usually lectures you about how these calls are to be transferred to him.

Usually in the real world the employer treats the employee as an adult and accepts e-mails for sick calls. Not here. You have to call the on duty Shift Commander to speak with them so that they can judge whether you sound sick so that they can comment on that to the next Shift Commander. For, example, "Hey, Just so you know Sickly Sick Girl called in sick again and there was a lot of background noise and she didn't sound sick at all." Some of us also have to notify our direct supervisor as well. There are others who also have to find someone to cover for them. Oh and you also have to have your current address on file because your on duty Shift Commander could possibly make a home visit to ensure that you are sick and unable to come to work.

Now, what happens when the on duty Shift Commander is too busy to answer his phone? Well, it goes to voicemail and they usually don't know how to check it. The sick employee calls me back and says they were unable to get through. Ok so we transfer to the desk phone. If the on duty Shift Commander is "out and about" they don't answer that either. The sick employee calls me back again and advises me that no one answered. So then we go down the list of supervisors until we finally get one. Then the Lt. calls back to inform us that all sick calls are to be sent to him.

C'mon people I am not making this shit up!