However, life happens and there may be times when you cannot attend. This particular teacher was really big on collective responsibility for classroom behavior and (even though Id been pointedly holding my finger to my lips at people when I wasnt huddled in a very small and silent ball) I just remember feeling so guilty. Theyll probably be asking if youre okay the second they see you. Doing what it takes to make these shootings stop happening. Ive always thought stomach flu was the best excuse. Additionally, if you are pregnant or have recently had a baby, you may also be excused from drill. There is no value in this type of training. There is a debate you can maybe find evidence of online as to whether this is effective. It waits till the last minute to give Soldier's orders which makes employers upset as well as Soldier. This article may contain affiliate links. If you decide to go with one of the previous options, I wish you luck, strength and eloquence. It was redic overall and yes it is a way of coping. We just went through a mass shooting event at my university, and I can tell you the only information we really needed was to follow campus alerts, and to know the safe locations in our building to lock down. Just in case. They know what has been happening and alsoif you say you dont want to participate, that should be good enough. It doesnt matter whether youre needed to babysit your grandchildren, godchildren, or your best friends fur babies, lending a hand when its needed is a fundamental part of living in a caring society and being a good friend. If he again says something ridiculous like asking if you "wouldn't be able to take it," you could say . Call in sick and dont ever apologize for it. If she calls out sick, she can just insist Im sick; cant come in regardless of what the boss says. Seven hours at work, doing not-work how much of a backlog will there be the next day? Ugh you mentioning the scary videos just reminded me that my old jobs (fairly long) active shooter training involved straight up showing us footage from Columbine. And I hope that people above your boss can reign in his asshattery towards you. There is a huge possibility that they wont remember asking you later in the hustle of all the guests,and in case they do, pick up any otherexcuse from this list. Seven hours?! Im just old enough to have gotten out of high school with very minimal active shooter type worries. There are many reasons why you might just not want to work on the weekend, such as: In this instance, you can propose a better alternative. I suppose on some level I feel like, there is nothing I can do to prevent it if its going to happen, and I dont have the reflexes that drilling would train into me to be assessing or thinking about what I might do if it did. They dont even have scissors at their desks. I like the idea of getting a doc note and or calling out sick but if OP does wind up going to work that day I would simply leave if/when an active shooter simulation starts. What if theyre going to do it several times? I know you dont want to do that, being the only woman and all, but I find that sometimes I spend too much effort holding myself together, and an honest reaction sometimes solves the issue. that just sounds unrealistic. 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. Send her home before she kills us all with her germs!. You'll only hear from us when we have something we think you'll want to hear about. 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. The one I attended was for an outbreak of Avian Flu. Somehow, the solution is always more guns. Yup I was going to do this pre-pandemic to get out of a (much more minor) mandatory fun activity that happened to involve one of my anxiety triggers because I knew trying to explain why something most people think is at worst annoying makes me shake with nerves was just not worth spending political capital on. Im sorry you have to deal with this. While participating in this @#$% drill would be doubly-triply horrible for you, it is not good for anyones mental health and, as Alison mentioned, most likely wouldnt do any good. If people ask questions, you may just have to answer them. Ive seen it enough years that I opted to just skip past the video in this years training module. Hey [Name] I think Ive got to stay in tonight and take care of [Insert Roomates Name]. I would go with calling in sick the day of the drill. I vote to call in sick. 3. Turned out that was the best way to surround himself with friends to help remind him he was safe. Did no one think any of this through? Because of course.). The trainings I have had have been locally-created garbage not based on evidence. We were there for hours, literally, while they searched for the possible gunman, then after they caught him, clearing the university to be sure he didnt have an accomplice. Hey, would love to come tonight- would you mind picking me up? Hey Im really sorry I cant make his evening. Some years back, my company was adjacent to an active-shooter event it happened at another organization that rented space in the same building. My 1st grader and her classmates knew all the hiding spots in their school and when they built a model school classroom as a project, insisted they put several into their creation. The kids at that school KNEW A SHOOTING COULD HAPPEN. 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. We have to let the videos play and take multiple quizzes to get a certificate, but Ive now done them enough that I can let the video play while not really paying attention, and my anxiety has disappeared over the trainings. If this were a short (10-20 min) drill, Id say you might be out of luck. I started a new job recently, one where I wanted to impress and have significant imposter syndrome. It is easier to dump them into the IRR and then some 79V has to put them back into another unit to make his numbers and repeat the process. Those chatty folks? If your employer or client asks why you can't or don't want to work on the weekends, you are not obligated to provide a reason. 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. Does this count as an excuse if its likely true? Only if you think the person will understand. As a former company commander in the NG I routinely let my personnel miss or make up drills. Yeah, plans with MYSELF to do nothing but LIE ON THE COUCH with a family size packet of LIGHT & TANGY CHIPS. When the drill ended, they came back, all laughing how they had been shot and if they were dead, could they go home for the day. If you feel you need to address it with your boss directly, you could do that while being vague. Hes a cruel person, who happens to be nice to you. 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. This is almost enough to make me start using makeup on a regular basis! When you are in charge of leading a class of kindergarteners into a hiding spot for their drill its a little hard to be removed from the situation. Never had a garish, clashing lip color since I learned that trick years ago when I worked in department store cosmetics and was a model for make up/hair when my friends went through state boards for their cosmetology licenses. 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. Have a great night. NTRW is supported by adverts and affiliate marketing links. I empathize. I am not quite old enough to properly recall the gun buyback of 1996. I have never ever called in sick for any reason other than actually being too sick to leave my bed. OP, Im sorry you have to deal with this. The next thing that could happen is getting an official reprimand. SEVEN HOURS? Hey you! To enhance the dramatic effect, you can fill up your voice with tears and can have a catharsis you were longing for. Ive been a high school teacher and used to absolutely dread the mandatory yearly training on school shootings we do in the week before school begins. I felt so absolutely enraged and panicky by the first 5 minutes of this asinine presentation by a law enforcement officer that I just left. Agree. Also on the 7th floor so its not like we could break a window. As a side comment, if you have not yet sought out a mental health professional who is experienced in dealing with PTSD, you may wish to explore that at some point. A chemical material handler from HAZWOPER? Understanding how to tell your boss you are not working on weekends professionally can help you to say no, with confidence and courtesy. However, there will be times when we would rather not work weekends and have the weekend free to pursue other interests. 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. Its not that I dont care or think its fine: I feel very grim when I read about the latest shooting(s), in a f this country way similar to how I react to new abortion bans or anti-LGBTQ+ bills, and I hate the online active shooter training module I have to do yearly for my job. Along with multiple growth options, free site transfers and domains, built-in Content Delivery Network integrations, WordPress support, AND human support we wouldn't go to anyone else. how do I get out of an active-shooter drill at my office? Took a grand total of an hour and I was crying furiously by the end. Move away from windows? But its a good skill to have that will serve you well in your career. They also handwaved off the fact that we work in a giant glass fishbowl and cant remotely lock the doors like you can with many other buildings on campus. That is worse than no training at all. This training is insufficient for that goal but its not worthless. This website is supported by adverts and affiliate marketing links. Previous years, the school sent an email ahead of time to the parents and I would keep my kids out that day. Others believe that you should use your weekends to relax and recharge. Well, the car seemed like it was fixed so i drive to work and back the last couple days with no issues. Its much, much better. I am stuck on *seven hours. A.C is the editor-in-chief & career development expert who writes about real-world career advice on job search, interviews, career success, and hiring the right people for the team. This means that many people who are working full time are also studying. From my recollection, they never talk about peoples legit reactions in the moment. Im in charge of working with our local law enforcement to conduct an active shooter training. How did we let our country get to this point? I was there for maybe 20 minutes in total before my shift supervisor missed me and came along to investigate. (gag). Best case, that employee will now have even more inside information about strategies, hiding places, and escape routes. While the Army does provide some financial assistance for drill weekends, you may still incur unexpected costs like travel expenses or new gear. Literally had preschool orientation for the older one the month after to the day. If your employer doesnt want you to opt out of the subject matter entirely, they can provide alternatives to a shooter simulation like reading training materials or creating an individual safety plan. Sign up to our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook so you always know where to find us. My friend DID die. Ours was a few days long, they played a sound over the PA every [whatever number of minutes it is that someone dies from drunk driving], and they staged the crash on the football field and made us all go look. also, to clarify, it needs to be an employment lawyer. But theres no reason why you cannot ask in advance for a weekend where youre not rostered on. Because yes the event itself is life and death but an employer should be held accountable for not re-traumatizing the survivors or the deceaseds family with nonsense about health insurance coverage or pressure to return or paying out of pocket for funeral expenses to be potentially reimbursed later after a bunch of paperwork. Its probably an insurance thing. -Your job prevents you from attending (you must provide documentation from your employer) Works a treat every. Exactly. This scenario sounds like the boss just wants to live out some of his first-person shooter video games and wants to drag everyone along with him, regardless as to their comfort level with shooting games. Add to the fact that you shouldn't be U'ed if the SM provided a valid excuse. Im very pale, so my under eye half moons have a purplish tone. Calmis about simple, achievable habits that workwith the demands of your busy life instead of pretending those demands don't exist. Its almost perfect. Federal law and regulations (in some states) protect active duty, guard and Reserve military personnel who are attending post-secondary education schools if they must miss school due to military orders. People in hiding should expect to be there for hours. OP, feel free to call out sick. Its all for workplace harmony and best if everyone signs onto it rather than facing the truth. But its hard, if not impossible to learn anything when in the throes of a panic attack or PTSD symptoms. Its just telling the kids that if a lockdown gets announced, then we lock this door, hide here, be quiet, the door handle will get tried by the headteacher, and this is the announcement that its over. There is an entire industry built around mass shootings. To effectively use these excuses, avoid any unnecessary long details, and stick to your story. 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. The number of are you feeling ok questions made me never skip it again. We had one at my former workplace. That made a huge difference in everyones mindset regarding the training. So, maybe next time? When you break this figure down further, this includes 58% of people who work more than one job and 31% who are single jobholders. If you have kids use them as an excuse. Id either lean into something genuine and chronic (back pain? or say youd been experiencing extreme menstrual/PMS symptoms. Anything for a buck is pretty disgusting sometimes. Take this as the valuable information about him that it is and think about how long youre willing to work for someone who is totally okay with causing you this kind of harm. But in my opinion, your older colleagues have ZERO excuse for not empathizing with your concerns. Thats a totally reasonable length for something so complicated and so intertwined with our everyday work, especially where we may be needed to provide specialized assistance to professional EMS/Fire personnel who have less experience with the particular hazards involved. 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? One of our locations had had an employee shot and murdered in the block between the facility and the bus stop: another experienced a shooting in the street while an adjacent outdoor facility was full of children and families. single. If you look at the links other commenters have posted, theres actually little evidence that making people go through traumatic active shooter drills teaches them anything that they can put in practice if it really happens, so the usefulness of these drills is questionable at best. Im just so tired of worrying. A person can seem nice on the surface without actually being a truly caring and empathetic person. Endless sympathy to you, OP. I always see college as a priority for soldiers, they are taking the time to progress themselves. At their large school, the directive is that 3rd+ need to get off campus and run out to the neighborhood by any means possible. This was a school-sanctioned event!! Add me to the chorus of people saying #4 is both legitimate and honest. Democrats Use Every Excuse to Disarm the Good Guys. Relax away. Law enforcement continues to train others and practice drills. All-day training puts it in a very different category. Sadly, its not a very exclusive club. The whole experience just changed the entire trajectory of their career and also the field of emergency preparedness. 2) Probably wont happen hereright? Ive been doing lockdown drills since kindergarten, which changed to explicit active shooter drills when I was 11. Ive never had (or heard of before now) building-specific active shooter training which is really sad because that would be so useful! All of these take about ten minutes. Gosh, I relate to this so much. I understand how are hard this is and cant imagine having to deal with a unsupportive supervisor on top of it. I know he isnt *always* a jerk, but hes really being a jerk about this. The statement Repeated [high-quality] training hones reflex actions is true. If something comes up that requires your immediate attention (such as a death in the family), this is considered a valid excuse for missing drill. Read More 10 Effective Ways to Deal with Gossip at WorkContinue. Christians, similarly, typically attend church on Sundays. Logistics, communications, chain of command, etc. 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. You can only use this one if its raining there. If you are sick, you must report to your unit and be evaluated by a medical professional. should I be so emotionally drained by managing? There's something wrong with your stomach, something pukey. Have a good gaming night! There is no value in a seven hour training for something that would last from 5-30 minutes, realistically. Joking about the shooter choosing another target is horrifically awful. I saw on other comments that some, like Snarkus Aurelius, had something presented by non-emergency responders. You got aninvitation to go for a hike on Sunday? How about we reschedule? 11. Ahh, thats the stuff. Therefore, an entire weekend can add up to four unexcused absences. But for moments like this and in workplaces like this where there isnt a great way out this is what these lies, excuses, or pivots are for. For most permanent types of employment, workers in the United States are entitled to between 10 and 14 days of paid vacation per year. I spent a little time thinking about what I would do if we were robbed. I dont think this automatically makes them unfeeling people. This. This could potentially be another out for the OP. It was horrendous to experience. Seven hours?! See you in hell. Just send me the information I need to know and dont make me go through it all again. We still have not done a full security training or, to my knowledge, incorporated safety training into new hire onboarding. Make sure you have a plan for how youll cover these expenses before you sign up. I am lucky in that my dean is sympathetic. If a teacher or student has an issue then they should be removed from the situation. This seems to be a growing problem. I would argue that children shouldnt be doing these drills, either, and everyones time would be better spent working on reducing shootings overall. Your boss isnt a nice person who is cruel to young people, people with disabilities, and anyone he considers liberal. I have a parent in emergency preparedness who talks about how a lot of these simulated trainings came out after what happened during Hurricane Katrina. Cain gives introverts the tools to better understand themselves and take full advantage of their strengths. Just type I got a call from my father in the morning today, and he is here in town for some work business. What could possibly take seven hours to cover for one topic?? But I like this teachers perspective that it helps her to ensure her class is ready to allow her to concentrate on the best response to an actual emergency; so I assume emergency responders have the same belief. It could also make the shooter more effective because it could very well be an employee in this training that becomes the shooter. 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. They are known to induce anxiety in participants, and theres no evidence that they really help much if you find yourself in an actual active shooter situation. Oct 21, 2005 #2. Thanks, Tell the host a detailed story of how hectic your last week was with all the office meetings, official tours, and prepping up for the big seminar that went great today. When you want to enhance your professional skills with expert-led, online video tutorials, the only place to go is LinkedIn Learning (Lynda). I totally relate to the letter writer. If its that long Im going to insist that they outline their full plan for workers compensation, life insurance beneficiary process etc in the event of an active shooter situation. In the meantime, read through these comments and know we are all standing with you. We cover a LOT of material in one day. Just another site. My civilian job is very accommodating to me for any of my needs. I was out the day the training happened, but apparently it was just a cop lecture interspersed with scary videos. Im a teacher and this comment might be where I have to stop reading this thread for my own mental health. 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.). Updated: Monday, March 20, 2017. BS on that one! Excuse 2 | You Punctured Your Tire. I mostly worked the busy evening shift anyway because I was at college during the day, so there was always someone else who could go instead of me. Rush inside? I mean your boss sounds delightful so maybe he is concerned he may be a target, but the chances of you ever needing to use that mass-shooting situation at work is low. Ive been fine since then knowing in advance it would happen and simply closing my door. A few months later, my school staged this surprise mock car accident to discourage people from drinking and driving. I feel similarly to the O0: If it had been an active shooter drill I would have eaten the takeout. You are attending a religious event 4. Id been through a training so I found the safest (not safe, safest) spot in the room and went to it. Everyones Crying Over Adams Poem From Season 3 Of Sex Education I do NOT want to LARP a shooting. Oh my god. Most of them are rifles and shotguns that are used for hunting and kept locked up when not in use, with ammo stored separately, and civilians arent allowed to own semiautomatic weapons. A group of robbers had started robbing this particular chain, specifically. Your coworker asked you to a 9am brunch on Saturday? Ive been participating in active shooter drills since high school, know about run-hide-fight, and have friends who have lost siblings to gun violence. This is horrific. 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. You can consider this option as well. Its similar to gallows humor. We had fire drills when I was a kid; that was back in the 60s. Maybe they dont want to relive their experiences either? Also also- there is no way in heck a seven hour (!??) Is there something about your workplace that makes this a particular concern? except that some law enforcement dont recommend doing this because in the event of an active shooter, its a high probability going to be an employee or former employee. That said, there is a little bit of the risk involved because either you will end up making them feel bad or you will actually have to leave your house if they say yes. 3. So feel free to call in sick. But youve already established your workplace isnt likely to be reasonable. If Rainy Day was stressed by the drill, think of how they would have felt. It gets so much worse! Essentially, it is suppose to identify potential issues ahead of time; example, local, state & federal departments all using different radio frequencies and needing to figure out what they would use together in an emergency (this was an issue during Katrina). I cant imagine a full-fledged day with simulations. 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. date went to be described later to the party host. Or worse, maybe they know its going to happen sometime between those seven hours, but not when. Im so sorry you are dealing with this. 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. The only way to conquer your fear is to face it. Because then a bad guy could find them. You Need to Take a Mental Health Day 6. If you have a valid reason, such as work or school, you can request an exception to miss a drill weekend. 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.
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