[quote author=mikkej2k link=topic=81910.msg845595#msg845595 date=1278834977]
A driver working at an FAC a few nights ago had a forklift go off the dock. Thankfully , nobody hurt. ( the driver was not on it). The lift was checked , driver taken out of service and had to cushion home. Going by company policy the driver will be let go. Will the appeal process give the driver a chance? Does the process take into account years of accident-free service? If you are let go due to something like this , what gets reported to other trucking companies?
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The termination will be automatic.
It is the company's way of clearing the desk. Everyone is guilty til they prove themselves innocent. It absolves the company from any real investigative responsibility...plus it looks good in court in case of any legal action. Case in point...the XDY driver terminated after being involved in a fatal accident even thought the State of Indiana absolved him of any guilt.
This kind of stunning abuse would make Joseph Stalin blush.
Plus the Safety Dept. is staffed by people who have absolutely no idea of what truck driving and the LTL business entails.
Just a bunch of college grads with a policy manual and the power to assert blame. And an edict from the company to freely use that power to the detriment of the driver. Case in point Steve D. from the XCN district...completely and utterly clueless!
Guilty till proven innocent.
(And AA wonders why they aren't getting many applications...DUH!!!)
There is an appeals process...it works like this.
If the offending individual is someone they would just as soon be rid of then game over...
On the other hand if the offending individual is someone who is perceived as an asset...someone whose departure would be viewed as a loss...then all will be forgiven. The person may lose a week or two of pay but they will retain their job.
Your associate should not count on the latter response...this will only happen if he is in excellent standing with his SC's TM.
One can be with this company for over 20 years and make one mistake and they will fire you no questions asked as it looks good to OSHA, the insurance companies, and lawyers.
This is how the company views your dedication and years of service.
So the question comes mind....are you willing to put your trust and your family's financial livelihood in the hands of a bunch of abusive neanderthals whose perception of your skills and abilities falls something short of a stray cat.
Make one mistake and your tenure is erased without the slightest regard for you, your family, or your future.
No can do.
This is an organization on its way out. Many in the employ of the company will deride me for saying it...but it is the truth. They have systematically and with prejudice removed any desire to continue one's employment and have patted themselves on the back for having done so...high fives everywhere...and with blind ignorance think of themselves as innovative, progressive, and on the rise. Sounds much like the rantings of the Third Reich!
People are leaving...it is being kept quiet as possible...but nonetheless the exodus has begun.
Rat