Okay, so as most of you likely know, last Thursday, the 6th, my car's engine threw a piston rod, the engine was shot, and I needed a new car. Or at least I'd mentioned that I might need a new car, and now I have one, a 2013 Ford Focus. The old car is now is a scrap yard.

So anyway, the following Tuesday, my employer asks for the towing receipt. Reasonable enough request, just to have proof that I indeed had car issues that day and wasn't using it as an excuse. Today, I got written up because I did not call in an hour ahead of time for the personal day they gave me on Thursday.

Really?

How in the bloody hell could I have possibly called in an hour ahead of time when it's a 25 minute drive to work and the engine died on the way there? Do they really believe all their employee's are precognitives? If so, they sure as hell wouldn't be working at a plastics manufacturing plant. But by the letter of the union contract, you have to call in an hour ahead of time to take a personal day if you're not going to be in for work. There are no exceptions, and no clauses for extenuationg circumstances. If, for any reason, you don't show up for work and don't call in an hour ahead of time, but call within that hour period, it's half a personal day and half a day unexcused absence, no punch in, and a write up. Sure, it takes more than one for any serious disciplinary action, but that's effing ridiculous. I got written up at work because my car's engine died on the way to work. I wasn't dodging work, I wasn't trying to get over a hangover, no, I was making an effort to get to work and the engine died. I had no means to get to work. What was I supposed to do, hitchike? Seriously? Next time I get in traffic, I could potentially get another write up because I was late, even if I call to say I'm going to be late becaus I"m caught in traffic.

By the letter of the contract, on technically, I fell into disciplinary action. By the spirit of the rule, I just got slapped in the face and told "to bad, so sad". Total, complete, BS.