At least it wasn't John Preist.

When I was manager of large call center - 350 people per shift, four shifts - I required a picture of the employee with the deceased.

When I was at my first real job after passing the bar, within 4 weeks of being there, I had two funerals.  One great-grandmother and one grandmother.  When my aunt dies two weeks later, I didn't ask to go to the funeral, but mentioned it to someone in the office.  At my 90 day review, they let me go because of all the time I missed (and a genetic predisposition to dying).

I used to work with a guy,God rest his soul, who we always got a kick out of how many times one uncle could die Man I miss that sap.

Not getting a kick out of this. I'm flying down to Southern California in a few days for my dad's memorial service.

scottydoesntknow: When I was in 8th grade we had 7 family members pass away in a 1 year timespan. Four great-grandparents from old age, two from cancer, and one from a heart attack. By the 5th one the school kindly asked for us to bring some proof back (just the funeral handout or whatever you call them), as it was pretty astonishing I had already missed around a week of school because of funerals.

We didn't mind because, yea 7 funerals in year is a lot.

My family's luck is bad enough that I could see something like that happening, except we don't have enough members left for it. Unless you count my sister's kids, but I hardly expect... no wait, I'd better not jinx them.

To be fair people did seam to die a lot around her.

I just popped in here to see who would win the race: Klinger or Epstein. Expected Klinger by a nose.

Pud: spentmiles: When I was manager of large call center - 350 people per shift, four shifts - I required a picture of the employee with the deceased.

It would have been fun to see your reaction after seeing me and my mother's corps. She had been dead for at least 3 months (she had been missing for 6) rotting in the summer sun. We probably could have gotten most (but not all) of the pieces of her together for one last family photo. At least I might ...might have kept my degrading, minimum wage job at your call center. But at least you would have gotten a good laugh out of it.

You must be new here.  Welcome!

spentmiles: When I was manager of large call center - 350 people per shift, four shifts - I required a picture of the employee with the deceased.

As well as that day's newspaper. And a shoe on their head.

texdent: A social worker has been struck off

That seems an odd an odd term for being let go.

I don't think I've heard it outside of Rightpondia usage.  As a Leftpondian, I hear that and I think somebody's been beheaded.

I don't care if all you could hold up was a jawless head with a dangling, wet brain stem, dripping with ejaculate.  If you went to the doctor, you'd bring back a sick note.  If you went on vacation, you'd have a signed permission slip from me to authorize it.  Why wouldn't you be required to provide some proof that you attended a funeral?  I'm the one that has to scramble around and find someone to fill your shift.  The calls don't stop coming just because your sweet dear mother passed away.  Perhaps she would've lived had she possessed the simple dignity to teach you how the world works.

the place I work gives 3 days bereavement pay for deaths in the immediate family (on top of whatever vacation/sick days you want to take) and 5 days if the dead family member services are going to be more than 350 miles away....a former co-worker had a brother in Arkansas that died (we're in California), so he took the 5 days bereavement leave....now, he didn't travel to Arkansas for the funeral mind you...no, he just took the 5 days off....I thought that was a little odd.

chevydeuce: the place I work gives 3 days bereavement pay for deaths in the immediate family (on top of whatever vacation/sick days you want to take) and 5 days if the dead family member services are going to be more than 350 miles away....a former co-worker had a brother in Arkansas that died (we're in California), so he took the 5 days bereavement leave....now, he didn't travel to Arkansas for the funeral mind you...no, he just took the 5 days off....I thought that was a little odd.

We all grieve in our own way, I grieve with whiskey and hookers, it's a healing process.

texdent: GalFriday: When I was at my first real job after passing the bar, within 4 weeks of being there, I had two funerals.  One great-grandmother and one grandmother.  When my aunt dies two weeks later, I didn't ask to go to the funeral, but mentioned it to someone in the office.  At my 90 day review, they let me go because of all the time I missed (and a genetic predisposition to dying).

How did future employers react when they learned of the reason you were let go?

I told future employers that I wasn't a fit for that job.  No one ever questioned it and because I stayed at my next job for five years, I never made a reference to the first law firm again.  It all worked out.

They tried to recruit about 7 years ago, so there were no hard feelings.

My sister used to work as a claims adjuster for workman's comp. She had a truck driver with a claim in for hemorrhoids, which is hard to prove work related. The guy would call every day for 6 weeks asking for his money. Finally, my sister told him that she needed a Polaroid picture of the injury, and one of his face...preferably in the same shot. Never heard back from him.

scottydoesntknow: When I was in 8th grade we had 7 family members pass away in a 1 year timespan. Four great-grandparents from old age, two from cancer, and one from a heart attack. By the 5th one the school kindly asked for us to bring some proof back (just the funeral handout or whatever you call them), as it was pretty astonishing I had already missed around a week of school because of funerals.

We didn't mind because, yea 7 funerals in year is a lot.

I had a year like that as well. Every other month we had to go to Ohio for another family funeral, it was a very depressing year.

Too many employee benefits is not a good thing.  When an employee can steal 15k+ by lying, get caught, and as punishment, be reassigned somewhere else....you have a problem.

The Evil That Lies In The Hearts Of Men: This is why I throw out every second resume without reading them - it weeds out unlucky people.

That explains why I never get a callback.

Needs three days off from Winky Dinky Dog. His grandmother has died again.

I'm reminded of the manager of an optical I used to work at.  The company had policy of three days or something like that if an immediate family memeber died.  One of the opticians had her father in law pass away and needed the time off to help her husband settle his affairs.  The manager got really angry, wouldn't allow the three days because it wasn't technically an immediate family member.  (IIRC, the employee only managed the time off because she was able to take some of her vacation time)

A couple months later, the manager had to put her dog down.  She took over a week off because she couldn't handle it.

Eirik: I'm reminded of the manager of an optical I used to work at.  The company had policy of three days or something like that if an immediate family memeber died.  One of the opticians had her father in law pass away and needed the time off to help her husband settle his affairs.  The manager got really angry, wouldn't allow the three days because it wasn't technically an immediate family member.  (IIRC, the employee only managed the time off because she was able to take some of her vacation time)

A couple months later, the manager had to put her dog down.  She took over a week off because she couldn't handle it.

So you're comparing the death of a man the woman probably saw half a dozen times in her entire life to the death of a life long companion, held at birth, cradled at death?  I thought I was a sick fark for making this Pakistani dude at the call center open mouth kiss this horrid Indian man-woman to get enough time off to have his cleft pallet repaired.  You are something to aspire to.

I've probably had a dozen grandmothers die throughout my school and uni career, for various holidays

spentmiles: Eirik: I'm reminded of the manager of an optical I used to work at.  The company had policy of three days or something like that if an immediate family memeber died.  One of the opticians had her father in law pass away and needed the time off to help her husband settle his affairs.  The manager got really angry, wouldn't allow the three days because it wasn't technically an immediate family member.  (IIRC, the employee only managed the time off because she was able to take some of her vacation time)

A couple months later, the manager had to put her dog down.  She took over a week off because she couldn't handle it.

So you're comparing the death of a man the woman probably saw half a dozen times in her entire life to the death of a life long companion, held at birth, cradled at death?  I thought I was a sick fark for making this Pakistani dude at the call center open mouth kiss this horrid Indian man-woman to get enough time off to have his cleft pallet repaired.  You are something to aspire to.

You forget that many daughters-in-law have prolonged sexual affairs with their fathers-in-law.

over_and_done: texdent: A social worker has been struck off

That seems an odd an odd term for being let go.

I don't think I've heard it outside of Rightpondia usage.  As a Leftpondian, I hear that and I think somebody's been beheaded.

"Struck off" is more severe than your average firing - as (hypothetical) you were in a position of trust to the general public quite a few things are bad enough to cost you your job and ban you from re-applying in another public service for an indefinite time period / until you can prove your trustworthiness / for good.

texdent: A social worker has been struck off

That seems an odd an odd term for being let go.

It doesn't directly relate to being fired, it means someone has lost some form of professional registration. You more often hear the term in relation to Doctors where being "stuck off" the medical register (and thus not being able to practice medicine). In this case the woman has has her registration as a social worker removed, so it's not just that she's lost here job, she probably isn't getting another one as a social worker again.

chevydeuce: the place I work gives 3 days bereavement pay for deaths in the immediate family (on top of whatever vacation/sick days you want to take) and 5 days if the dead family member services are going to be more than 350 miles away....a former co-worker had a brother in Arkansas that died (we're in California), so he took the 5 days bereavement leave....now, he didn't travel to Arkansas for the funeral mind you...no, he just took the 5 days off....I thought that was a little odd.

One place I managed we gave 3 paid days for some relatives (Mom / Dad / Siblings / Kids) and 1 day for lesser relatives (grandparents / etc).  This was a new benefit when implemented so the bet among managers was which employee would off a relative to get paid time off

Also people biatch that Granny was like a mom to me, I want 3 days.  Good times.  We did ask for the obit for the paid time

Damn, took too long writing that...

Plus the grammar in the second sentence is a bit broken as well. "You more often hear the term in relation to Doctors, with them being "stuck off" the medical register (and thus not being able to practice medicine)." Is slightly better.

Please excuse these faults, I am a little distraught by the recent death of my beloved great aunt. Honest.

Thanks to sephjnr and fredoralive for the language lesson!  The article makes more sense now.

Anything about America-speak that I can explain in return?  Pants versus trousers is always fun, or where exactly is the "first" floor of a building.

/just what *is* in brown sauce anyway?

over_and_done:
/just what *is* in brown sauce anyway?

A vital ingredient in a bacon sandwich,