Absolutely take a sick day. 2. Start documenting everything. Your coworker asked you to a 9am brunch on Saturday? I wish people understood that our country has to do this because literally people (and lots of children!) Many of us work in professions where we are obliged to work on the weekend, and there are some benefits to weekend work such as higher pay, and more freedom from your boss. Agreed those, and other things like kids figuring out to hand out scissors, bother me too. Follow Alisons advice to talk to someone above her. Basically a small org thought they were getting a powerpoint presentation and instead someone showed up with a real gun shooting blanks. Given the reaction youve gotten from trying to push back, I wouldnt bother trying to explain why this is a problem. On top of that, everyone was ordered not to use their cell phones. Cookie Notice Some of them can be a lot of fun if the team already works well together, but I dont think any of them are useful if the team dynamics are bad. Shop hundreds of premium Divi products like Divi child themes, Divi layouts, and Divi plugins on Divi Cake, the community-driven Divi Marketplace. I rarely wish for a like button. In a real event, it takes a long time for law enforcement to secure each room. This sounds like the episode Emergency Response from Parks and Rec, so interesting to hear about a real-life counterpart of it/how true to life that show really was. This means there needs to be a fair balance between times where you work, rest, and do what makes you happy. If you miss your drill weekend without contacting the Reserve unit and securing permission in advance, you incur an unexcused absence. Theres no need for public participation. I had been there. This is basically a formal warning letting you know that if you miss another drill weekend, there will be consequences. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 34% of people work on the weekend. I worked here for over 6 months before I finally found a colleague who knew the phone extension for security I couldnt find the security phone number anywhere, and no one else seemed to know either (I wanted to commit the number to memory for emergencies). I didnt have notice of this one, and I think the most disturbing thing was that my kids have been conditioned to just accept that someone trying to kill you is a situation they should prepare for. This includes a family event, religious obligations, volunteer work, having a side hustle, or simply needing to rest. Agreed. Is that the one that takes place in a bar? You have a family emergency. The Drill Army Reserves is not active duty, so you wont be deployed overseas or see combat. Assuming I cant get additional details about the itinerary or assuming I do, and it includes a simulation or other modules that I know will be extremely triggering to my mental health what do I do? (They literally had us hiding in our offices while the public was still in our spaces creating a safety hazard while doing safety training!) Having worked near a major train station in London, we had briefings on what to do in the event of a terrorist attack, invacuation training etc. And if my boss gave me grief about it Id jump straight to calling a lawyer. If you are in the military, or a reservist, there are times when you will be required to attend drill. I said That was pretty intense. If you graduated high school in the last 15 years, youve done active shooter drills. (everything turned out all right and he actually used the time to talk about chemical reactions, Because Teacher, but it was not a happy day for him). It is also a less confrontational and frightening way to approach those issues, putting the onus to explain on him rather than on you. As I'm boarding the plane I thought for sure I was going to die or wanted to. 4 is not just a valid option but a truthful one. Jonathan Sandahl Former Private First Class at US Army National Guard (1996-2002) Author has 503 answers and 4.3M answer views 4 y Depending on the circumstances, yes. I really cant imagine what benefit they are to adults. What in the actual hell? But I watched the required active shooter training video so I guess thats all I need <- sarcasm/ Oof. SEVEN HOURS? Now sit on the couch and sink into that feeling of freedom. It was investigated, law enforcement believed it was just a rumor, and there would be extra police presence at school the next day. Also: Now after 30 years, trying to get out of teaching. The UK is having a heck of a lot of problems, and every so often we wonder if wed need to head back Stateside, but active shooter drills keep it crossed off the list. 3) Train everyone! Before starting this site, A.C. has 10+ years of experience as management professional in a Fortune 500 Company. And weve had a former employee fired for making death threats, who did come back to cause trouble at least once, who would know where all the exits are if he was going to do something worse, I also have been dealing with bomb threats and shooter drills since middle school. (You say you dont have traditional HR, but in a large organization theres probably someone youd go to if you needed to request medical or religious accommodations, report harassment or discrimination, or turn in paperwork for FMLA. Id been through a training so I found the safest (not safe, safest) spot in the room and went to it. I can give you your card then. Everyone knows how to call 911. I would be looking for another job immediately if my boss said that to me. I actually now feel I did not stress enough that this is an exceptionally dysfunctional and terrible approach, and should only be used if a) LWs knowledge of their boss says it will work and b) theyre out of other options. I understand how are hard this is and cant imagine having to deal with a unsupportive supervisor on top of it. So a UTA 4 would be four drill periods. them how you need to fill up for one of your colleagues for an extra shi. *Deep breath* Many triggering statements made below, please be advised. . Whatever. What do you do for seven hours? Below you'll find way to get out of a date, based on your situation. If you call in sick and they run this drill again in a year or two, youll be in the same position, and making yourself sick with worry. I didnt wear makeup one day because I didnt feel like it. Now, chill and relax. The next year they just showed a video, called Run, Hide, Fight. We started calling it Run, Hide, Die as a joke, if only because if we didnt laugh at it we would all have gone insane. There are many good reasons why you might not want to work on the weekend. I know he isnt *always* a jerk, but hes really being a jerk about this. And I am of the generation that didnt have mass events constantly, Im 51. I skipped out a couple times for various reasons, then had to go in at night, or serve with another unit. Lost colleagues and students. (I mean, safety is great, but this person is hilariously the most accident-prone person we all know, and always has a story about falling down the stairs or getting a ticket for speeding on the way to work. Please save yourself from living through a trauma unnecessarily. You should absolutely opt out if you want to. Our population is very low-functioning, so having them do an active shooter run-hide-fight type of drill is pointless. Soldiers who are problems are not put out the correct way because the paperwork takes to long. Weve at least got an HR. Is there any way you could volunteer to assist the people running the drill? You can also request a leave of absence for personal or medical reasons. But last summer I had to attend one of these trainings at work (though much shorter) and I completely melted down. In fact, many units have had to cancel their Drill Weekends due to budget cuts and other constraints. Thank you for sharing this; Im sorry that this has to be a continued topic and continued trauma. Protagonist is South Asian or possibly Middle Eastern man who is meeting a woman for a date? Because they want to LARP like something out of a movie. In two weeks, my workplace is hosting an all-day active shooter training, conducted by law enforcement. I still have really distinct memories of what I can only imagine was my elementary schools first-ever armed intruder drill after Virginia Tech. Im so sorry and I hope that things can change, because this is so cruel and unfair to OP, to the kids, to you, to everyone. We should be marching and burning government buildings and performing citizens arrests of corrupt politicians and 1%ers over this. She was fine, thank goodness. and stick to your story. And its so much worse now than it was then. It was on my mind constantly. The number of are you feeling ok questions made me never skip it again. 12 Examples Of Texts You Can Use To Cancel A Date, Based On - Bustle The fact that there is no apparent option besides hands-on training is deeply concerning, as is the length of the training. Building layouts is easy and fast, making it ideal to create mockups and wireframes, prototyping a design, and creating the website itself. All The Best Squid Game Memes For Those Still Reeling After That Twist Ending I know the whole flight/fight/freeze thing. Oh Heck no, no, no. We dont need to be afraid, we need to be prepared. they understand that all you need to do is stay in bed (and watch a movie you just bought). Even though technically I graduated from HS pre-Columbine, guess what? All we can do is raise awareness, look out for safety hazards, and hold fire drills and practice our escape routes once in a while. If youre in the National Guard, youre required to attend one weekend of drill per month. Your boss isnt a nice person who is cruel to young people, people with disabilities, and anyone he considers liberal. Our wallet holdsall ofour important things, including cash, id, and credit cards. I hope that, some day, no child anywhere will ever have to even think about doing something like that. It demystifies mindfulness and shows you the many simple ways to be mindful while carrying on with your life. I always see college as a priority for soldiers, they are taking the time to progress themselves. And as others have pointed out, experts question whether they drills really help anyone anyway. Now, were reminded at church that in the event of an active shooter, there are three options, in order of preference: 1) RUN! See, thats what I wonder about. Copyright @ Azentek Online Inc | All Rights Reserved, How to Convince Your Wife to Get Breast Implants, Talk to your commander about your concerns, They may be able to work with you to find a solution that doesnt involve attending drill weekend, If you have a medical condition that prevents you from participating in drill weekend, provide documentation from your doctor to your commander, If you have a family emergency or other pressing engagement, talk to your commander about getting excused from drill weekend, In some cases, they may be able to accommodate your request, If you absolutely cannot attend drill weekend for any reason, talk to your commander about the possibility of being placed on inactive Reserve status, This would exempt you from attending future drill weekends until you are able to reactivate your Reserve status. My last workplace did the hide in your office training, which was lackluster in different ways I definitely found it mildly triggering due to experiences Ive had, and we received no training on how to protect our customers. Even so, the vast majority of cops who do carry spend their whole career without firing a shot except on the range. I will have to miss 1.5 days of the conference to make it to drill on time. Empowering for LW, maybe. Where the repetition is frequent, not annually at best. One of each type of emergency drill a year is plenty. But some gossip can cause harm to your team and the organization. Ive been tasked with figure out an active shooter training for my work and fitting it in with our regular drill schedule, but I justI get upset every time I go through the materials. They youd be able to get your note without having to have an excuse, you legit had to miss because you had an appointment that day. 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. Im so sorry your workplace is putting you through this. The best way to make the most of your time in the Drill Army Reserves is to get involved with your unit and fellow soldiers. Exactly. asthma? I suspect he died chomping on a fire alarm wire. The babysitter just called and told me she c. nt make it today Thats all you need to say to them. Somehow, the solution is always more guns. Soif anyonewants to talk about it later,; you got yourself a listener. If you have a doctor's note stating that you are too ill to participate in drill, this is a valid excuse. First, try to schedule any conflicts well in advance so that your unit has plenty of notice. He looked at me with a big grin on his face and said " I got sick,too! This happened in effing Silicon Valley with the VTA shooting just 2 years ago. Its horrifying to me that newer humans get exposed to this from day one and that some people think this is fun and games. We finally did get robbed. 1,614. Here are a few ideas: But what on earth could take 7 hours for active shooter training alone that would actually be useful? But the last one was letting us know that there were rumors of a violent event being planned for the next day. What could they possibly need seven hours to cover? Im very pale, so my under eye half moons have a purplish tone. Our local high did one that lasted several hours. Which is even stupider than forcing everyone to do active shooter training in the first place. 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. These partnerships help fund this site. Call in sick and dont ever apologize for it. They dont call us a generation of flakesfor nothing. Talk to your units First Sergeant or Commander if you believe you have a valid reason for being excused from an upcoming drill. When I voiced my concerns, he made a few jokes about how he would simply redirect the shooter to a younger person.. So our poor security guard is stuck with trying to clear the error before the fire department responds. Agreed, why is this training seven hours long? To assist you in this challenging situation, weve written 25 fantastic excuses to get you out of an unavoidable social gathering that you dont want to attend. What if theyre going to do it several times? That would be my guess too, but we cant know. Question regarding missing drill weekend. There is no value in this type of training. Because Labor Day is around the corner and we're all thinking about that coveted three-day weekend, we thought we'd come up with a list of the Top 10 Excuses to Get Out of Work, brought to you by Bloodsucking Bastards, a comedy/horror film featuring the one office you'd like to work in even less than your own. As most millennials in the US here can attest to mass shootings are incredibly tough subject and quite traumatizing. Wed also be delighted if you shared this article and joined us on social media too! That way, you have the documentation if you need to go to HR. He sounds gross. Regardless, if you want to tell your boss you dont want to work on the weekends, you should be honest and genuine, oftentimes your boss will not force you to come to work as it will be bad for the teams morale and productivity. Did no one think any of this through? Edit: please understand I am NOT a highly motivated soldier. Even if it isnt, its going to take a while,and you may not be able to make it up. This LW has done THIS TYPE of drill so has met her obligation and should have no guilt or issue dropping out of this particular drill. He doesnt sound reasonable, and I dont think the conversation would go well. No pressure if you cant! Which will be entirely true. You're Sick 2. I could see someone thoughtlessly approaching it like rehearsing a play. I have AT starting Aug 7. But since you happen to be the person whorenegesquite frequently,havent you already used that one? Id feel the same way. Plus,no one wants to hear the details. Weve had enough fires in our building (five during 2020-2021) that everyone knows the fire sprinklers go off and the big problem is flooding. Try Grammarly Premiums AI-powered assistant here. Im so sorry you are dealing with this. 5) Dont take drill too seriously. I personally would quickly follow it up with oh no, hold on *RETCH* I really have to go *RETCH* and hang up. Im older woman, early 50s, white, living in Texas where no permit is needed to carry a gun. Ive opted out of CPR training because I cant tolerate being on my knees for any length of time (5 seconds is my absolute maximum). You are sick. "My parents." The blanks are left for you to fill, as you indirectly blame your parents for standing in the way of your weekend plans. It really hit home how different of a world these kids are in even from the one we were in. It is usually best to work these issues out with the chain of command or have someone do it for you. But I was wondering how can reasonable accomodations include opting out of mandatory safety related training? Hes a nice person but has very deeply entrenched ideas about mental health, anxiety, young people, and triggers, and I dont want to have to disclose my own mental health diagnoses to him, make him think Im simply not tough enough to handle it, or come across like a millennial snowflake, etc.. Yeah, hes insensitive and unempathetic. My high school did that as well. You should be wearing whatever you would normally be wearing at work, which just further underlines to me the uselessness of the training other than to provoke anxiety and fear. Many of us tried and we were told we would be written up if we did not attend. They don't call us a generation of flakes for nothing. (Like Alisons proposed it wont be possible.). My employer has Active Shooter Training videos, but the intro states that if the viewer doesnt want to watch for any reason, you dont have to and heres a transcript. Call out sick. Know both your annual drill schedule and your college course schedule. 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. we had to watch those run-hide-fight videos at the old job and the entire time Im like how is this going to work for us. Several of their colleagues/friends were injured, and the shooter (another colleague) died. Oh, I just had a horrible thought. BS on that one! And we have false alarms all the timeeither people are doing something clueless like venting burned toast to the hallway instead of the windows, theyre pulling alarms on purpose, theyre tampering with the wiringor the system is just glitching. I decided to take charge of my horrific dating life and go on an actual date. Are they tenants in a building that is having this training for all businesses? SEVEN HOURS? 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. training is going to be useful, sensible, or anything besides a nightmare. Even ignoring personal history, seven hours is enough to upset anyone! Your goal should be TO LEARN during the drill, not avoid it. I got upset, started crying, and had to ask to leave. Get the paperwork in place for legal accommodations. He remembers Columbine and Virginia Tech and Aurora and Sandyhook and Parkland and Pulse . 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. Here are some tips from some of the worlds best mentor for you to jump-start your career to get that sweet promotion and excel in your career. Im in Finland, and the situation isnt nearly as bad as in the US, but we have had school shootings here, too. Federal and State Laws Protect Military Students on Orders Absences from the Reserves - GI Rights Hotline I didnt want to go to the active shooter training (not a drill, a presentation) but went anyway to be a team player. Also, your boss is a horses ass. You might still be able to get them to modify how they do the drills, and who they choose to be the instructors, etc. Theres probably a very long, very poorly formatted slide deck theyll go over for at least several hours. Read More 7 Common Types of Spam Emails and How to IdentifyContinue. No one in management cared. and our Since the official communication didnt call it mandatory Im guessing its not deny PTO-level mandatory. I definitely think Id go the call in sick route. Were going to have people sit in a conference room and a deputy will speak. I can not imagine what possible justification there is to spend an entire workday on this. I feel you, OP. Some of that context may help OP decide how they want to push back. Take care of your mental health first. Ive never been through an active shooter drill. It can absolutely be traumatizing and upsetting as a participant. excuses to get out of drill weekend. There isnt a traditional HR department here, and this is an office where were really subject to the dictates of our boss. But this comment made me want a like button. I think Im about same age as you. But if you feel all roads lead to a conversation with your boss, this is the best way to handle it. From my recollection, they never talk about peoples legit reactions in the moment. Im so sorry this is happening to you. So, as you can see, its very important not to miss a drill weekend. A total of 27.2% of working people volunteered, compared to just 21.4% of unemployed people. When you miss nine drill weekends in 12 months without contacting your commander or the Navy Operational Support Center to which you report, your commanding officer can declare your . The fact that we landed on lets continually traumatize victims as a preventative measure enrages me. **Large scale mass shooting at organization. 4. But youve already established your workplace isnt likely to be reasonable. I have done this several times throughout my career. Im so sorry. Hearing it makes me think well, of course but I might not have thought of that when telling my staff about it. That is egregious and worth taking seriously imo. For example, if you have more than three unexcused absences in a row, or more than six unexcused absences in a year, you could face disciplinary action. Burying your head in the sand wont change reality. You need to see that your fear is that a single instance will make you one of the people he isnt nice to, and that is terrifying. Agree late 40s without kids, and I can totally picture this being really hard. Nothing viral, but it was a great indicator that I wasnt feeling super great and thats why I wasnt my usual cheery self! During the week, you were full of hope and motivationfor the weekend ahead. Whats your advice?. I mean, there are so many reasonable and sensible and logical ways to respond to being told to toughen up, and theyre all better than this, but sometimes If youre making me do this I want it in writing that when I forget this is a drill and deck somebody you pay my legal bills and I dont face any disciplinary action whatsoever is the way to their dear little dinosaur brains. Heck, my dad worked in the Pentagon post 9/11, D.C. Sniper, and Virginia Tech and threat training was like an hour. Seven hour long training/drill? This is one of the saddest things that Ive ever read online. I would not talk to your boss in your shoes. So boss will sacrifice OP to save himself. His video gave at least one employee a panic attack at her desk. I always break down and cry when they get to the part where it tells you to, if need be, abandon your patients so that you can save yourself and live to help others later. 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.