If you have a family or work obligations that conflict with your drill weekend, there are a few ways that you can get out of it. Im going to put out there that people often laugh in situations like this to diffuse discomfort and emotionally distance themselves from the situation. She was very kind about it, didnt even make me use my leave for it, and sent me info to our EAP. I was very glad to not witness that or it would have left me in tears again. That is the point. -Use your weekends wisely. 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. For some unknown reason, my school decided to get all the terrible feelings trainings done at once, so wed be subjected to trainings on school shootings, teenage suicide, and abuse and neglect issues all in a row. Your sweet, naive brain thought it was a good idea to make plans to fill every second. Also want to say: I hear that there are differences between younger folks experience and us middle aged people who grew up prior to mass school shootings being so frequent. So feel free to call in sick. You can offer a better alternative 5. Joinover 3,000+ achievers who are committed to achieving their career goals! Sorry, I got a bit over-emotional here, but anyways you got what wemeant. Its not worth getting worked up over. My kid survived by diving under their desk and huddling there, shaking, as the shooter stalked the room looking for more targets, listening to the screams of their colleagues who had been shot, and expecting to die in the crossfire once law enforcement arrived. In one, most of it occurred in the park across the street from campus (which was lovely, and we always had to tell new students that it looked nice, but it was Not Their Park), and wed get a text alert to stay away from the windows on that side of campus. Many of us work in professions where we are obliged to work on the weekend, and there are some benefits to weekend work such as higher pay, and more freedom from your boss. Id like to nominate this man for worst boss of the year for this sentence ALONE. And sad no, more angry, I think that you had to go to such lengths to get excused from that training. Three cups of black coffee and a gas station burrito will do the trick, too. if your boss asks, just say you woke up feeling too sick to work that day. I called my doctor and explained the situation, and she wrote a letter stating that attending the training would be detrimental to my health, with the recommendation that I be excused. With Katrina, it was a mix of local ordinances & state laws which essentially banned communications on specific frequencies. I have no polite words about your boss. I dont think this automatically makes them unfeeling people. It makes it less obvious that it was about the training. Your email address is only used to send you NTRW updates. If your employment requires that you work on the weekend, organizing a spontaneous weekend away might not be possible. one of her students went to the supply closet and distributed scissors and protractors to his classmates during a suspected active shooter event. Do they set real fires for a fire drill? 3. All The Best Squid Game Memes For Those Still Reeling After That Twist Ending I didnt end up having to attend the training, but I was never able to respect my grandboss in the same way after that. Typically blanks are fired inside of the building (sometimes without specific warning) to simulate real scenarios. Her lashes arent jet black! Ive been fine since then knowing in advance it would happen and simply closing my door. I thought I was the only one to do this lololol. Im sorry you have to deal with this. As most millennials in the US here can attest to mass shootings are incredibly tough subject and quite traumatizing. The Drill Army Reserves is not active duty, so you wont be deployed overseas or see combat. I cant fathom why that level of training would be required for active shooter response. training is going to be useful, sensible, or anything besides a nightmare. Often the service of someone so discharged will be characterized as general under honorable conditions or under other than honorable conditions. As a USAR CDR I'd approve an excused absence and call it a day but really depends on what you ask for an if you have a good chain of command. And if you are not looking up for one, have a detailed conversation with him. Elegant Themes have been building the world's most popular WordPress themes for the past 10 years, and rest assured their products will always be improved and maintained. My workplace had an active shooter training session prior to COVID that included several drills. Only if you think the person will understand. I am going out on dinner with him. Are there board members who are pushing for this? When my grandkid was 5 their school was involved with an active shooter, luckily, it was resolved fairly quickly, but thinking about how it could have happened still makes me shake. https://www.everytown.org/solutions/active-shooter-drills/ I full stop do not trust any training that requires multiple hours and comfortable clothes. I had a med student with me and I took her into my office afterwards to check in. If you miss a drill weekend, there are a few things that could happen. Im usually okay with this kind of dark humor; but not in this case of a very real and traumatizing event. (Like Alisons proposed it wont be possible.). You Had a Flat Tire 10. Additionally, if you are pregnant or have recently had a baby, you may also be excused from drill. Im sorry. The drill was ultimately canceled after my employers legal counsel also reviewed the release and advised that an employer should not be asking employees to sign it. Youve successfully canceled every plan you had for this weekend. Personally I think if there are ways to prepare people that dont involve trauma, then we should do those. 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. Every person is different, and in the LW case I would agree she has done active shooter drills, so her choice to do something to avoid and additional drill of this type (talk to mgmt or call sick, I have my opinion but irrelevant to her choice). To effectively use these excuses, avoid any unnecessary long details, and stick to your story. - From a Soldier perspective. That kind of multi-hour practical drill strikes me as very useful. Thats it. It was redic overall and yes it is a way of coping. (Unless maybe it was kitty snuggling trainingmight be up for 7 hours of that.). Anyway Ive been thinking about it a lot recently because of the Oxford and MSU shootings. Then you can avoid the worst of the after-event commentary. I feel similarly to the O0: If it had been an active shooter drill I would have eaten the takeout. But it might be helpful to do so. Frankly, its upsetting enough leaving them behind at daycare 4 days a week even though I know they both love it, and they are extremely safe. Interestingly, this attitude has prevailed even at the two urban campuses Ive worked at where gunfire outside is a not-entirely-uncommon occurrence. My middle-schooler was completely ho-hum while describing how their orchestra room is actually the best place to hide because it doesnt have any windows (to deaden sound.). When I voiced my concerns, he made a few jokes about how he would simply redirect the shooter to a younger person, then asked if I was saying I wouldnt be able to take it. Absolutely nothing about this is funny to me, and this made me feel even more alienated. For staff, we simply review our active shooter policy at our annual inservice which mostly amounts to lock-down and hide and pray. But does it require the full drill, or can you do a security discussion instead? Im not sure I agree with Hes a nice person.. No matter how frequent people use it,this one never gets old. If he again says something ridiculous like asking if you "wouldn't be able to take it," you could say . We had one on site drill each year that was conducted by security. For example, you can offer to work when others would rather the time off such as during the school holidays, on public holidays, and days when people would like to be away from work such as New Years Eve and Christmas Eve. What could possibly take seven hours to cover for one topic?? Calmis about simple, achievable habits that workwith the demands of your busy life instead of pretending those demands don't exist. He took one look at me and sent me home, I was obviously in no fit state to work. What interests me is this is a mass shooting drill, not an active shooter drill. I didnt want to go to the active shooter training (not a drill, a presentation) but went anyway to be a team player. Never the Right Word is a participant in the Awin Affiliates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to participating merchants. If its that sort of training day, it would be way more involved the typical quick drill or watch Run/Hide/Fight theyd be going over all the logistics, what processes to set up to prevent it, etc. According to the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, approximately 44% of people in postsecondary education are adults over the age of 24. If you are in the National Guard or Reserves, you are required to attend one weekend of drill per month. And I hope that people above your boss can reign in his asshattery towards you. 2. i would also call in sick to this. Stuff like this is why Im glad I always bring up early in any employment situation my chronic history of migraines; its true, but its also a convenient excuse as needed if not used too often in that fashion. (That said, I worked at Planned Parenthood and we had bomb scares, which I know isnt the same but was pretty creepy until we realized it was the same wingnut calling in the threats from hundreds of miles away.). Dear god. My husband once sat in a darkened classroom with his kids hoping not to die once. Im so sorry. Thanks to experiencing a variety of traumatic violence, I tend to escalate immediately to threat elimination mode. So why not plan this up again someday?. If youve been in the Army for more than a year, you know that every unit has their own unique traditions. Don't be caught in an argument with someone, be calm and friendly with everyone. One time my office decided to do an escape room as a team bonding exercise. Either way the teachers are required by law to reschedule for the service member. In the military, missing 4 hours of a required training equals one unexcused absence. I would say that the same principles apply as the LW. Hey Im really sorry I cant make his evening. For many units, one of these traditions is Drill Weekend. Drill Weekend is a chance for soldiers to get away from the daily grind and focus on training. See also so many links and comments above on why these do not work. Maybe they dont want to relive their experiences either? Everyone knows how to call 911. 5. (Even those who havent had personal connections to any of the many, many mass shootings in recent decades.). That means if you click and buy a product, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. On my stomach lining, which makes me puke, nearly immediately. Its stupid and sexist, but it works. In college, we watched Run/Hide/Fight training videos and we all glanced at the massive glass windows in the classroom to the hallway. Many religions have weekly religious events. And if my boss gave me grief about it Id jump straight to calling a lawyer and what should OP say to this lawyer? First responders and EM do exercises to improve our side of it. Ive opted out of CPR training because I cant tolerate being on my knees for any length of time (5 seconds is my absolute maximum). And if that fool makes another joke, look him in the face and say Did you just try to joke about me being murdered to save yourself? There is no generational excuse. There wont be chaotic running through the halls. Its one of the reasons (not the only one, but one nonetheless) I dont teach anymore. The introvert/extrovert divide is the most fundamental dimension of personality. Who should I talk to for that?, If he mocks you or implies youre a delicate snowflake, consider saying: You and I are coming to this with a very different frame of reference. I work in a hospital system. Its amazing how many men who dont know how makeup works will be like wow, are you okay, you look tired., Expectations around makeup in the office are unfair so I think its reasonable to use it to our advantage on occasion :P. My daughter had mono in HS and was going to talk to the guidance counselor to see if she could get out of quarterly tests I told her not to wear her makeup that day and she got out of those tests. Take care of yourself first and foremost. Be sure to provide your commanding officer with the note as soon as possible. The most serious consequence of missing a drill weekend is getting drummed out of the reserves. And where the training is done by people who are professionals *in the topic they are training*. I doubt it. We all live busy lives and we know that there will be times when we are called on to help out to babysit for a week, a weekend, or even half a day. We do this because it means that most of our friends and loved ones will not have work obligations and will be able to attend and share the event with us. Some say that the siren is extremely loud and frightening when it goes off suddenly, sometimes in the middle of the night, sometimes when there is no earthquake, and that the sound/experience itself is traumatizing. * I am at a loss as to how any sort of effective drill could possibly take that long. Their elementary school had a lockdown one morning when parents were there for an event, due to a situation in the community half a mile away. Also, your boss is not a nice person. All The Hidden Clues In Squid Game That Pointed To That Twist Ending I would call in sick, but Id also plan on having a doctors note ready. Its just easier that way, unfortunately. That sounds horrible and not at all like a good use of time. For the most part, the training most people will need in an active shooter situation will much less than a day people might have to hide for hours in a real event but Im not sure how much actually hiding adds to watching a five minute video. The social aspects of man-caused tragedy (shooters/bombings) aside (which I agree with others that acceptance this is the new reality is wrong, will require better funding for mental health/social support/etc that I can vote for), it has been demonstrated time and again that reading about what to do is NOT the same level of preparedness as drills. 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. What are you suggesting Americans do to combat gun violence and the wide availability of guns, other than voting and organizing? This is awful, and overboard, and I want to have some firm words with your boss. We have not been told the training is mandatory, but when I asked my boss and expressed some preliminary discomfort, he said we all need to participate. And I am of the generation that didnt have mass events constantly, Im 51. If you get any pushback, then escalate it to whoever has authority. Footage & Music Libraries. Even seasoned writers need a helping hand at times, thats why we trust Grammarly Premium. Its probably the post practical workplace safety training Ive had since the generic mass produced run-hide-fight videos are worthless in a real situation. And we allow guns! Ive seen it enough years that I opted to just skip past the video in this years training module. Bloodsucking Bastards is out on in select theaters and On Demand this Friday . Small brush and matte eye shadow that even slightly matches your under eye circles, like taupe. I would push WAY back on this, simply because theres no agenda. (Voting to change policies CAN help, but not the way were doing it.). Please keep me in mind for the next book club party!" The Fine Print: When you say that you miss your partner, the hostess could reply with a suggestion to bring them along. My civilian job is very accommodating to me for any of my needs. First, try to schedule any conflicts well in advance so that your unit has plenty of notice. As Alison suggested in bullet point #2, if there is a second-in-command at your job, even if you dont directly report to that person, consider talking to them. None of it was tailored to our facility. This LW has done THIS TYPE of drill so has met her obligation and should have no guilt or issue dropping out of this particular drill. 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. I grew up in the Seventies and Eighties in the UK with the IRA. Youre exhausted from your week and want nothing more than to collapse on the couch and watch an unhealthy amount of Netflix. Its a big box store, just a series of giant open rooms! Reading your letter, I immediately jumped to the call out sick recommendation. Nothing viral, but it was a great indicator that I wasnt feeling super great and thats why I wasnt my usual cheery self! This is all scary and horrible. If a teacher or student has an issue then they should be removed from the situation. Sorry, I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come follows author Jessica Pan's hilarious and painful year of misadventures in extroverting, reporting back from the frontlines for all the introverts out there. 4 You have religious obligations . Hell yeah, why not. Balance this wisely. Many of us tried and we were told we would be written up if we did not attend. OP, go to your primary care provider. Sorry, I got a bit over-emotional here, but anyways you got what. So its a surprise, but not TECHNICALLY because they told everyone about it in advance. 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. Im in my late 40s and Columbine happened very late in HS for me so I must admitId be a person who would not have anticipated this reaction. **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. Read More 9 Best Practices for Career Success in Your 20s, no.7 get you PromotedContinue. You were asked to attenda raging, booze-filled pub crawlon Friday? I worked in a call center. This is considered a valid excuse and your commander should work with you to find an alternate solution . It was a joke call. Its extra depressing and pointless when the core training package for a UK-based company with US offices includes active shooter modules. This training is insufficient for that goal but its not worthless. Now its Friday afternoon. Maybe, or maybe he just meant you cant opt out if you are at work. Its not a video game. Is there a way to get the instructional content without going to the most triggering parts, which I cannot imagine will outweigh the psychic cost this is going to take on me? I think Im about same age as you. Thanks for that i now have the Byker Grove theme tune stuck in my head, which made me think of 90s Ant and Dec and now ive also got Lets Get Ready to Rumble looping around in my stupid, sleep-deprived brain! I can say that Im unsurprised, and that thats an attitude that explains a whole hell of a lot that people write into this blog about, like flat wages, exploitative culture, and the constant fear of losing a job and not being able to afford food/exorbitant rent/anything else that was once upon a time attainable. Our population is very low-functioning, so having them do an active shooter run-hide-fight type of drill is pointless. My apartment building has so many drills (false alarms) that maybe 12 people out of 102 units (some with 2 people, so more than 102 tenants) bother to evacuate when the alarms go off in the apartment AND hallway. I am in my twenties, and I grew up in the modern era of mass shootings. Hey [Name] Ive got some stuff going on and I think that would make it difficult to be around me at the moment. Whats your advice?. Wishing you all the best with this difficult situation. Im sorry about your boss, OP. You might still be able to get them to modify how they do the drills, and who they choose to be the instructors, etc. Working too much will cause you to burn out, which will be detrimental to your productivity and mental health. They know what has been happening and alsoif you say you dont want to participate, that should be good enough. Never did an illness/epidemic one, which is too bad, because the covid response here was pathetically weak for the first year or so. That would be my guess too, but we cant know. What kind of work does this company do that they think theres such heightened risk of a mass shooting in their workplace that this over-the-top training is necessary? You are attending a religious event 4. Look at my complete answer. Regardless of that, though, opting out should be a reasonable accommodation for anyone with cause to believe the training will have mental health ramifications for them. Read More How to Write a Professional Email At Work (with Examples)Continue. Best case, that employee will now have even more inside information about strategies, hiding places, and escape routes. Seven hours is unbelievable, but sounds more like a training event for the police than your workplace. Sure, but like, a real fire evebt would also take a lot longer than a fire drill takes, and I dont think anybody ever suggests that fire drills should be lengthened to be more realistic. We hope that these excuses will help you get some much needed you time. Im a teacher and this comment might be where I have to stop reading this thread for my own mental health. And if we get it wrong, we will talk out ways to stay quiet and not fidget after. 5) Dont take drill too seriously. I was there for maybe 20 minutes in total before my shift supervisor missed me and came along to investigate. Your boss sounds like an as**. Communicate early and often with both your NG chain of command and also with your college professors. Seven hours of that ought to bring him to his senses and lead him to apologize, profoundly, with tears in his eyes, if he has any decency at all. 100% agree with Alisons statement that active-shooter drills are counterproductive. Wed sooner head for somewhere in Europe or Australia (where we have no ties) first. Id either lean into something genuine and chronic (back pain? Im Amy, and Im the person behind Never the Right Word. If your unit is one of the many that has had to cancel its Drill Weekend, dont despair! I am having a hard time seeing why this is even necessary for a company so small it doesnt have HR. Work from home dont only give you the benefit of only flexible working time and let you sleep a little later than normal. You're going to an important family event, 9. I was thinking this, too. Ill clear my head first, get in a better place and come to the next one. Hi [Name], my cab firm said there wont be any availability for an hour. 4) Events start to fade, we dont want to be known by that one day, we can slack off on training. There is no value in this type of training. Well,we got one for you too. Believe us,this works every time. You never know when that may be useful. If youre outside the immediate blast radius, being killed by a falling ceiling tile is preventable that way. My university installed Bleeding Control Kits on *every* floor of *every* building a couple years ago. Ever. If she calls out sick, she can just insist Im sick; cant come in regardless of what the boss says. I would call in sick. Not only does a well-designed drill help participants remember what to do in a real scenario, it gives you the opportunity to identify critical issues before an emergency. 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. If you have an awkward situation that youd like example templates for, request a topic here. A study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that in 2015, approximately 25% of adults regularly played sports. Call in sick. To assist you in this challenging situation, weve written 25 fantastic excuses to get you out of an unavoidable social gathering that you dont want to attend. I feel you, OP. We had emergency drill training (which did include a segment on active shooters), and from the get go there were multiple training options presented. I am not sure why the school wanted you to do this, but the drills are a regular thing for Emergency Services. Get involved in your unit. Im very pale, so my under eye half moons have a purplish tone. This workrelated excuse is only going to work if its not a work gathering. He remembers Columbine and Virginia Tech and Aurora and Sandyhook and Parkland and Pulse . A peer/fellow manager can say things in a much more direct way than you might be comfortable with doing with your own boss because of the power dynamics in play. Yet this person always wants the group to come up with brilliant ideas to keep people from having normal human accidents, such as twisting their ankle or getting a door slammed on their hand by some other careless person. It was a full hands on every emergency agency in our city was involved. This LW has already had a lot of training. If youre in the National Guard, youre required to attend one weekend of drill per month. We like them because we get expert-led courses that we can access anytime, anywhere. Know both your annual drill schedule and your college course schedule. So, maybe next time? My workplace has fire drills, tornado drills, etc. Minus the psychodrama? Someone (I think it was Maya Angelou) said that when somebody shows you who they are, you should believe them. How awful. No one wants to hear me out. The kind of situation that can easily develop really complex emergencies that take skilled professionals to safely respond. I spent a little time thinking about what I would do if we were robbed. Here are a few professional ways to deal with gossip at work! Plus,no one wants to hear the details. What I wonder is, if you all spend seven hours at work doing not-work, will you have a huge backlog of work the next day? Adults with postsecondary qualifications will earn significantly more than those with only high school education, so it is a recognized pathway to a more comfortable life with a stable income. Two weeks ago, we had our first active post-Covid drill, meaning we were meant to act it all out. Does this count as an excuse if its likely true? I am not quite old enough to properly recall the gun buyback of 1996. I feel for all of you whove been affected by this, any of this. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment. Thankfully my boss was fantastic and made sure I didnt have to attend an actual training. I was impressed with the tone of the announcements over the PA that communicated to the teachers that they should close their classroom doors, not take their classes out to recess, and so on (I dont remember the language they used) and the teachers just carrying on teaching as if nothing were happening. Those chatty folks? And if they press you too hard, start crying. However, your commander then has it in his authority to deny you attendance of drills. and if i got any pushback id say it was a mental health day. assigning women extra work to help them, calling out when youre in the ER, and more. (And get a pizza delivered to your address. The UK is having a heck of a lot of problems, and every so often we wonder if wed need to head back Stateside, but active shooter drills keep it crossed off the list.
Vintage Italian Ceramics,
Kehoe, Colorado Wiki,
Pechanga Arena San Diego View From My Seat,
Articles E