Am I wrong to be ticked off about this?

[bullylover21]

I am new to the grooming business and I have a great job at a boarding kennel. I love it, but today I really had a bad day. We had a HUGE snow storm here today. I got to work by 8 and started to set up for the day. I had only 3 three baths to do so I figuered I could get them done quickly and get home before the snow got really bad. Its about 10 and my last dog is done and the kennel hands had already gone home. As I'm cleaning up the kennel manager yells to me "That was my girlfriends parents on the phone and they're bring their 2 goldens for a full groom!" So I had to stay. Luckily for me they decided to only bring one, but he was such a mess. Fat, filthy, matts galore! The bath alone took me 45 min. He was bad on the table and dragged me around the whole time. I finally finished him at 12. UGG! Now we had about 8-10 inches of snow and I could no longer see the roads! I could see the cars sliding around on the road from my window. The manager know I have a rough commute and all about the snow storm. What would have normally taken me 45 min, I took me 3 hrs to get home. I thought I was gonna die. It was so weird. We get along fine and I've been doing great there. I dont know why he thought it was necesary for me to stay and do him a favor. And no I did not get paid for it. I work on salary.

Should I be so mad about this? Has anyone eles ever had this kind of thing happen to them?
Please let me know I just need to suck it up...

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

While your boss could have been more considerate, you DID get paid for it: with your salary. And salary means you get to do the dogs that you are given, even during a snowstorm, apparently. He probably just didn't think about it.

I know how it feels to have to drive in that. My 30 minute commute became FOUR LONG HOURS on crowded snow-storm roads, accidents galore (people can't drive here, they're like 3 year olds behind the wheel). It was a NIGHTMARE.

But I can't complain, my husband worked even further away and didn't get home until after 9 pm that night.

Tammy in Utah

[Poodlefluff]

I have been in a similar situation before. I was 9 months pregnant, and was going to finish my day up fairly early, I was actually already moping the floor and would have left in 5 minutes, When my boss comes in and says Mr so n so is leaving his great pyreenes for a bath and trim. I was in tears that I had to groom this enormous dog so late in the day, and I was probably emotional due to hormones as well. But I did it. Here I am out to there, pregnant, and sitting on the floor brushing out this dog till 5:00. I later found out, that I may have been working too hard so late in my pregnancy causing some complications later. Luckily everything turned out ok, My boss got the hint when she saw me in tears and didn't do that again. And I recommend to you that as soon as you find out you need to leave early let the managers know if it is OK to stop taking in appointments, so you can leave by a certain time. That way everyone is happy. Your boss probably didn't even think about the weather being an issue, since they are probably staying until closing anyways.

[baddog]

If you get a salery , you get paid for it! I do not agree with what your mgr did today, however, sometimes you need to have a backbone and stand up for yourself. You teach people how to treat you, today you taught your mgr you'll put aside your personal safety for this job. I would talk to him/her tomorrow and explain what a scary experience your ride home was , and if it storms like that again you are going to leave early to get home safely and in a timely manner. Why didn't you say no and go home?? You must learn to stand up for yourself, no one else is going to !

[Dawn125]

If you got there at 8 and were done at 10 it isn't really unreasonable for him to add a dog or two. Sucks that you had bad weather but I doubt he really thought about that. I can't imagine dealing with inclement weather. I don't live in an area that gets snow. At least is seems like you must have been home by 3:00 or so so not too late of a day really. If you are salary, how late do you usually work each day?

[sheilabgroomer]

Sorry but I agree w/the others. You were paid for this technically, you just had the "ready to go" feeling and were irked because the plan changed. Been there done that...lol... Now if it were 3:00 in the afternoon......

I hate it when I think I am getting leave early and something happens that I end up staying later. The bitch of a commute just added to your frustration I bet and didn't actually cause it (am I right?). I bet when you were mopping the floor you were thinking of your unplanned free afternoon and what you would be able to do w/it. (Snow day, crawl back in bed w/a book and a bag of cookies....hehe) Like I said, been there done that!!!

I would, however, in the future if you think you are getting an early release...lol...go and ask your boss something like, "can I go after I finish the floor"? This way maybe he will atleast ASK you if you would mind another last minute dog. If you were really worried about the road conditions, it also would have been appropriate to bring that up to the boss and ask him if you could do his GF's dog on another day.

So, in other words I understand why you were irked, I just don't think the boss technically did anything wrong. JMHO

[DAPER DAWG]

I know how it feels to have to drive in that. My 30 minute commute became FOUR LONG HOURS on crowded snow-storm roads, accidents galore (people can't drive here, they're like 3 year olds behind the wheel). It was a NIGHTMARE.

Tammy in Utah

LOL -- Tammy it's not just in UTAH that people can't drive right it's here in Connecticut and all over the world, now there's even a hundred accident's every time it rains.

Everyone is the next Mario Andretti waana be or something. Everyone drives so close to each other bumpers like that wlll make the person in front of them go faster or something.

As far as your situtaion Bullylover - no offense but like others said you should have let him know that you were uncomfortable driving in the snow and wanted to get going, some people probably don't think about it.

If you were just commission and all packed up and ready to go, I would've been upset but being on salary would make him feel the right to keep adding em on unfortunately.

I have had that happen that there were no more dogs on my schedule so I would clean and pack all my stuff and have my coat on and keys in hand and then my boss would take a call and go "want to do another one" Ah no, I'm halfway out the door put it on the empty schedule for the next two days. Of course I only got paid commission. Then I would get a tude but oh well.

Although I do feel for you cause even though I've lived in the snow all my life it really stresses me out to no end to drive far in it and I get home all tense.

[Helly]

I have made it abundantly clear to the front staff (including the kennel owner) that they are to ask me before taking a same day appointment. For one thing, it's common courtesy. For another, sometimes when I come in I look at the appointments I have, see that I'm going to be finished really early, and call to make an appointment of my own. It irks me to schedule a chiropractic visit only to have to cancel it because someone took another appointment without asking me. So they've learned to ask.

In cases of inclement weather, I make a point of mentioning it as soon as I arrive at work. I come in stomping and snorting; "It's NAAASTY out there. Going home as soon as I can, while I can still get home. Don't ask if I can take another dog, because I can't."

Around here, people panic if we get 3 inches. Anything more than 3 inches is a blizzard, and there's a rush on the grocery store for the essentials...like they think they're going to be snowed in for weeks. And no one knows how to drive in snow anyway, so many times half of my appointments call to reschedule. Nobody calls for a same day appointment except people like me. People who moved down here from the frozen north, and a little snow doesn't phase them. But I still say "Nope. Going home early due to the weather."

[furrybestjob]

For those who have never had to drive in snow, its not fair to comment on having to drive in it. Being paid, sometimes is simply not worth it. No one would expect people to stay at work in the middle of a category 3 hurricane, because its just not safe. To drive 3 hours in a snow storm, when you are terrified makes it all the more dangerous. Even the autobody place working on my van this week sent everyone home. In our area all of the airports were closed, it was too dangerous to fly. All the schools were closed. People are encouraged to stay off the road. The highways can be extremely dangerous.

When I worked for a company in Massachusetts they actually closed down the whole company for 2 days because of the huge impeding storm we were suppose to get. It was explained to us that if they forced someone to stay at work, and they got in an accident on the way home they could be held liable and that was a big risk.

I definitely would have said something to my boss. There is a possibility that she didn't realize how bad it was or that driving in the snow would be nervewracking to you. Maybe she has an SUV. Sometimes those who have them don't realize that some of us drive around on sleds with wheels, lol. I know as a mobile groomer, if the roads are bad I am not going to work. Getting paid to do it certainly wouldn't make it better or worth it. There's always another day to do the dog.

when you say salary, do you mean hourly, or do you get a set pay for the week?

Never, never, do I feel that a persons safety be comprimised for bathing or grooming of a dog, especially when it comes to the weather. Its just not worth it.

[Mary1980]

I've been in that situation twice and it's sickening. When we had a snow storm all the other companies were aloud to leave early because they cared about there employees. Not mine, we had to stay even later then usual. To try and grab all the business the other companies were losing due to closing early.

I would say something to your boss about how scared you were and if there's ever another storm, if you can please leave early. That you were so afraid for your safety.

[k9stylist1968]

I had a similar thing happen to me at a veterinary hospital a few years ago. but it wasn't a snowstorm, I was SICK. I dragged myself in to work congested, coughing, achy, 102 fever... and planned to do the dogs on the book (there were 6-7) and go directly to the Urgent Care after. Well, a client called and asked if he could get his Golden in for a bath/trim. I said no--plenty of openings on Thursday. This was Dec 30, and I was full for the half-day NYE and of course we were closed on New Years Day. So the guy books for Jan 2 for bath/brush/trim and his annual vaccinations. The vet had a fit, saying this guy was too good a customer to "turn away" and had the receptionist call him back and tell him that yes I would groom him that day. And yes she knew how sick I was. But even though he made the appointment (for just THREE DAYS LATER, not a long wait) she was worried that he'd call the other vet in town and their groomer would get him in.... When I finally finished and went to the Urgent Care, they weren't taking any more onto their wait list; it was 3:30 pm, and there was a FIVE-hour wait, mostly people with the same symptoms I had. So I went to the ER. 3 hours later, I was diagnosed with severe bronchitis and a sinus infection and told in no uncertain terms NOT to work the next day. When I called the vet to tell her, she was actually mad and said, "it's just a half-day four dogs but their owners are expecting them to be clean for New Years." That was one of two times in my life that I seriously considered quitting a job without notice.

[bullylover21]

Now that I have had time to calm down about the whole thing I realize that it could have been worse. I know that I got paid for it in the long run, but it just didn't feel like it at the time. When I came into work today I did mention to the manager about how bad the drive home was, but he just shrugged it off. He didn't really care. He lives at the kennel so I know he doesn't think about other people haveing to drive home.
I don't know what crawled up his butt, but he is being really cranky towards me. I've worked for the past 2 weeks straight! no days off. I looked at the schedual today to see when my next day off would be. He has me booked for the next 2 weeks again. No days off for a month! Uggg... I don't mind working weekends, but for a whole month!??! We're not even that busy next week. I have only 1-2 dogs each day. It's like he spread all the dogs out just so I would have to come in every day! Now i'm just venting sorry.... thanks for all the good feedback...

[rapuzzled]

Now that I have had time to calm down about the whole thing I realize that it could have been worse. I know that I got paid for it in the long run, but it just didn't feel like it at the time. When I came into work today I did mention to the manager about how bad the drive home was, but he just shrugged it off. He didn't really care. He lives at the kennel so I know he doesn't think about other people haveing to drive home.
I don't know what crawled up his butt, but he is being really cranky towards me. I've worked for the past 2 weeks straight! no days off. I looked at the schedual today to see when my next day off would be. He has me booked for the next 2 weeks again. No days off for a month! Uggg... I don't mind working weekends, but for a whole month!??! We're not even that busy next week. I have only 1-2 dogs each day. It's like he spread all the dogs out just so I would have to come in every day! Now i'm just venting sorry.... thanks for all the good feedback...

Are you working seven days a week?!

[bullylover21]

Yup...

[rapuzzled]

Yup...

Wow!! That really sucks! You're salary, but don't you have any stipulations about days and hours you work? Man, I don't think that I could work 14 days straight, and not get burnt out!