'The shift was completely cancelled': Snow day blunder results in mass employee call-outs

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Feb 8, 2024 11:00 AM EST

Adults don't get to have snow days nearly as often as they should. 

Kids used to have snow days all the time in decades past. There was nothing better than the feeling of waking up for school to a blanket of snow coating every surface. In the past, you'd have to turn on the TV and watch the scrolling ticker at the bottom of the screen to find your school's announcement (but these days, there's an app for that). When you got to see the name of your school with the word "closed" next to it, it was time to jump for joy! You suddenly had an entire weekday to spend playing in the snow, making snow forts, and having snowball fights with the neighbor kids. 

As an adult, snow days look a little different. They involve cleaning off your car's windshield and shoveling your driveway enough to get your vehicle to the street. But imagine if you had a snow day where the weather was so bad there was no way you could get to your place of business. Then, you could spend the entire day curled up on the couch drinking hot chocolate while you watch the snow fall from your window. That is the kind of rejuvenating day we all need every now and then. 

Scroll down to read u/gloggs' story of what happened when their company sent out a mass notice. Then, check out some stories of workplace foolishness, like one person who "photocopied a slice of pizza." 

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  • 01
    'Don't try to make your workers miserable, or they will be more petty than you could imagine'
    via Kei on Unsplash
  • 02
    Multinational company makes a blanket rule S So I work for a company that employs thousands of employees, at my location alone, and many more world wide. Last year we (southern Ontario residents) got a crazy snow storm that hit right before the early
    via u/gloggs
  • 03
    morning rush hour. People were calling into work like crazy and we didn't start on time due to a lack of bodies (probably fully operational about 20 min late). Many people who work here have an hour or more commute, and usually rely on back roads to get out/in their rural areas. So the next day corporate (located in the United States) sends out a notice.
    via u/gloggs
  • 04
    'Call ins due to weather will only be accepted if the 400 series highways are closed in your province'
    via u/gloggs
  • 05
    For those of you unfamiliar with Canada, the 400 series is a vast beast that you can basically drive across the whole province on. Two days after this notice goes out, there's a roll over on the highway about 4 hours north east of our place of work. To be clear, this doesn't effect any of our employees, even slightly, because it's so far away.
    via u/gloggs
  • 06
    We had so many people call in, that the shift was completely cancelled (eight full hours lost). I've never been so proud of my coworkers commitment and unity. The next day an email went out to our management stating that 'weather' call ins would now be dealt with by our in house management and not corporate.
    via u/gloggs
  • 07
    PN_Guin Looks like management actually learned something. Nicely executed.
    via u/PN_Guin
  • 08
    RandomStranger456123. Don't try to make your workers miserable, or they will likely be more petty than you could imagine.
    via u/RandomStranger456123
  • 09
    Shadowy13 Tell that to retail and fast food companies
    via u/Shadowy13
  • 10
    Chex420 Companies tend to forget something. The power is with employees but sadly we forget our own right/power sometimes and allow employers to walk all over us.
    via u/Chex420
  • 11
    ✪ [deleted] Well done. The roads here have been garbage the past couple days. I've been stuck in traffic going 60 down the highway and it's brutal. Thankfully my boss is pretty laid back
    via u/[deleted]
  • 12
    morgan423 Sometimes corporate leadership just needs a little bit of training.
    via u/morgan423
  • 13
    smzd1 I didn't think it was possible for corporate to learn 7 Reply Share gloggs OP You've got to make a critical and direct hit to their bottom line. Rarely can you get so lucky.
    via u/smzd1

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Canada boss workplace-stories jobs job snow day malicious compliance snow bosses work coworkers malicious-compliance-reddit workplace malicious compliance reddit
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