Bert is very lame.

Lets hope Bert doesn't need many more appointments in the next few months. He has had loads recently but 1 phyiso, three vet, 1 farrier and 1 saddler in the last 2 weeks. That is 5 appointments in 11 days.

I don't think it is unreasonable for employers to ask you not to take leave on days when you have agreed to attend a meeting in advance or if you are working at an event.

When my parents were in crisis they did let me take time off when I was meant to be working at an event for 4 days. Someone stepped in and did extra hours to cover for me at the event and do their own job and we gave some extra days AL as a thank you.
 
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Even in 2005 I could work remotely provided there was a phone socket for me to plug my laptop modem into. I wasn't beyond answering emails on my blackberry from horse back either.

But I also spent a fair amount of time in hotels and airports so it was give & take from the employers perspective.

My responsibility to get the job done - where I did it from wasn't hugely relevant.
 
AmyMay said:
To be fair, if you’re supposed to be working, you’re supposed to be working. Not attending vet visits, farrier visits, saddler visits….
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Although, if you get your work done and can do all the rest, then you’re still meeting your obligations.

AmyMay said:
Exactly. People need to understand that swannng off at the drop of a hat, or sitting on a bale of hay (whilst working 🙄) isn’t possible in all (most industries). Entitled attitudes aren’t attractive.

You clearly work very hard @SO1 and do what you can, when you can xxx
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If the hours of work are done, and the tasks are done, then I don’t think it’s swanning whatsoever.

I will get up at 4.45, do the horses, then do some emails, then go into the gym, come back and reply to emails, have breakfast, then it’s 8am. And then I drive down to work, spend some hours there, drive home, do horses, cook supper, go to dance classes, do a few hours of work, go to bed. Get up a couple of hours later and start again.

My 3pm physio appointment or 9am vet appointment isn’t swanning off, it’s perfectly timed within the demands of my working day.

I understand if you are in a service job or something where you are operationally required, like nursing. But in an exec job or an SMT job, as SO1 is, then the demands might mean overall longer working hours than most - I’m on 12-16 hours a day if I count it all up - but the balance of that really should be (in my opinion) being able to step out for the odd vet appointment or to see one’s mother for lunch.
 
SO1 said:
Lets hope Bert doesn't need many more appointments in the next few months. He has had loads recently but 1 phyiso, three vet, 1 farrier and 1 saddler in the last 2 weeks. That is 5 appointments in 11 days.
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Hopefully he'll be back on track now you've got shoes and saddle sorted
 
LadyGascoyne said:
Although, if you get your work done and can do all the rest, then you’re still meeting your obligations.



If the hours of work are done, and the tasks are done, then I don’t think it’s swanning whatsoever.

I will get up at 4.45, do the horses, then do some emails, then go into the gym, come back and reply to emails, have breakfast, then it’s 8am. And then I drive down to work, spend some hours there, drive home, do horses, cook supper, go to dance classes, do a few hours of work, go to bed. Get up a couple of hours later and start again.

My 3pm physio appointment or 9am vet appointment isn’t swanning off, it’s perfectly timed within the demands of my working day.

I understand if you are in a service job or something where you are operationally required, like nursing. But in an exec job or an SMT job, as SO1 is, then the demands might mean overall longer working hours than most - I’m on 12-16 hours a day if I count it all up - but the balance of that really should be (in my opinion) being able to step out for the odd vet appointment or to see one’s mother for lunch.
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Thank you for summing it up far more eloquently than I could!
 
I guess it’s very much industry dependent. In my experience working for a charity is very one-sided and I would therefore not choose to work in that sector again. Good organisations that want to attract and keep talented people offer true flexibility and work/life balance. I may not be available tomorrow between 12 & 2 because the saddle fitter is coming, but I’ll still be working at 6 in the evening to meet with a client that can’t do 9-5. I started at 7.30 this morning for an early meeting so I finished at 3.30 and got to ride both horses in actual daylight. Why not? If I am being flexible why shouldn’t my employer be flexible too?
 
AmyMay said:
Exactly. People need to understand that swannng off at the drop of a hat, or sitting on a bale of hay (whilst working 🙄) isn’t possible in all (most industries). Entitled attitudes aren’t attractive.
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I mentioned working from a bale. I wasn't supposed to be working that day but I was project managiing and trying to set up a meeting between the dev team in LA, the client in Leeds, support in London and the consultant who was on site in Nairobi. The only day/time they could all do was one of the days I wasn't working for that client so I set it up and dialed in from the stables.
 
criso said:
I mentioned working from a bale. I wasn't supposed to be working that day but I was project managiing and trying to set up a meeting between the dev team in LA, the client in Leeds, support in London and the consultant who was on site in Nairobi. The only day/time they could all do was one of the days I wasn't working for that client so I set it up and dialed in from the stables.
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Who cares if you want to sit on a bale whilst working anyway lol, probably better than slouched at a desk!
 
I'm a lot less stressed and more productive with flexible working hours which enable me to get other stuff I need to do done. It is one of the saving graces of current job and why I'm still there.

It always works both ways, if the work needs me to I stay longer, if I need to go home for something I do. My hours get done, the work gets done and no one really cares when (though I have been shouted at through the cameras to go home 🤣 )
 
Michen said:
Most companies are not like SO1's. I've never had a company dictate when I can or cannot take annual leave.
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You've never worked in a factory or a school then. I'll bet the school teachers are all rolling their eyes at some of the advice SO1 is being given.

Every organisation I worked in had a booking system and you couldn't just take time off when other people were off, and I think the vast majority of employers have that rule, that cover must be maintained.
.
 
ycbm said:
You've never worked in a factory or a school then. I'll bet the school teachers are all rolling their eyes at some of the advice SO1 is being given.

Every organisation I worked in had a booking system and you couldn't just take time off when other people were off, and I think the vast majority of employers have that rule, that cover must be maintained.
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My husband has to book his leave when there aren’t too many other people off, but he can get it. Especially the odd day here and there. He also starts early and is home by 3pm, so we just book farrier etc for later in the afternoon. Work doesn’t need to get in the way of life to the extent that you can’t have a hobby.

I also taught in schools for years -13 weeks of holiday a year was plenty of time for farrier visits, vaccinations, saddle fitter etc. Finishing work at 4pm also gave flexibility as you could book appointments for 4.30pm, ride in the afternoon etc before settling down to mark books in the evening.
 
ycbm said:
You've never worked in a factory or a school then. I'll bet the school teachers are all rolling their eyes at some of the advice SO1 is being given.

Every organisation I worked in had a booking system and you couldn't just take time off when other people were off, and I think the vast majority of employers have that rule, that cover must be maintained.
.
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But the point people are trying to make, given that SO1 doesn’t work in a factory or a school, is that flexibility can and should work both ways and that other employers do offer this. So it might make it possible for her to have a better work/life balance if she worked somewhere else. SO1’s employer restricts when leave can be taken, where she can work and doesn’t offer flexibility around working hours. Other employers do.
 
Upthecreek said:
But the point people are trying to make, given that SO1 doesn’t work in a factory or a school, is that flexibility can and should work both ways and that other employers do offer this. So it might make it possible for her to have a better work/life balance if she worked somewhere else. SO1’s employer restricts when leave can be taken, where she can work and doesn’t offer flexibility around working hours. Other employers do.
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Maybe SO1 is quite happy in her job…..

And all of this conjecture about what work places should or should not offer compared to what (most) work places offer is just piling more pressure on an already stressed out poster.
 
AmyMay said:
Maybe SO1 is quite happy in her job…..

And all of this conjecture about what work places should or should not offer compared to what (most) work places offer is just piling more pressure on an already stressed out poster.
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I hope she is happy, but it sounds from her posts like her job makes it difficult to manage other important aspects of her life. It’s not piling on pressure at all, it’s reminding someone going through a tough time that they have choices because it’s very easy to forget that and waste years in a job that sucks the life out of you.
 
AmyMay said:
Maybe SO1 is quite happy in her job…..

And all of this conjecture about what work places should or should not offer compared to what (most) work places offer is just piling more pressure on an already stressed out poster.
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I agree with you, it's up to SO1 how she deals with work/her parent's situation/Bert/livery/life in general but sometimes you can be so in the middle of something you can't see the forest for the trees.

Anyway, I hope Bert's saddle fitting went well
 
AmyMay said:
Maybe SO1 is quite happy in her job…..

And all of this conjecture about what work places should or should not offer compared to what (most) work places offer is just piling more pressure on an already stressed out poster.
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She isnt though. Shes stressed and worried and being pulled from pillar to post. She has meetings set to suit other people so cant take annual leave, she cant take annual leave for huge periods of time as her employers say so, she cant work from home for animal care. And tbh I'd be thinking that was a direct shot aimed at me, given the "flexibility" she was given to deal with Homey and now Bert.

There are a handful of industries that cant be flexible, but the vast majority can and are. The people saying they cant haven't worked in a corporate job since Covid. Things have changed dramatically, and for the better thankfully. And that's why people are so stunned that SO1 thinks this is a good deal. Its not.
 
Although people are trying to help SO1 l think some of these comments aren’t very helpful to SO1 and are probably adding to her stress. It’s obviously a very difficult situation but hopefully now Bert is shod and the saddle fitter has checked the saddle things will improve if it stops raining things might be even better. SO1 has been given lots and lots of advice on here and probably also from friends / colleagues who are totally unaware of this forum. Sometimes one tiny incident enables change to be made and until then things will just chug along as they’ve always done. Although many of us wouldnt choose to live in London and wouldn’t be happy paying London prices for livery and accommodation especially when there are other options available leading to a better / different quality of life maybe SO1 should be left to enjoy her pony without having to make any life changing decisions for a few months.
 
ycbm said:
You've never worked in a factory or a school then. I'll bet the school teachers are all rolling their eyes at some of the advice SO1 is being given.

Every organisation I worked in had a booking system and you couldn't just take time off when other people were off, and I think the vast majority of employers have that rule, that cover must be maintained.
.
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I was referring to jobs in the corporate world really ycbm, desk jobs if you will. Indeed I have worked in a factory, packing meat at my godparents company!

SO1 I can only apologise if anything I wrote made you more stressed, that was absolutely NOT my intention. I guess I just feel very passionate having read your other posts that you shouldn’t have to give up something that is a huge part of you when there are other options out there work wise which can make everything easier.

I hope everything settles down with Homey now.
 
Michen said:
I was referring to jobs in the corporate world really ycbm, desk jobs if you will. Indeed I have worked in a factory, packing meat at my godparents company!

SO1 I can only apologise if anything I wrote made you more stressed, that was absolutely NOT my intention. I guess I just feel very passionate having read your other posts that you shouldn’t have to give up something that is a huge part of you when there are other options out there work wise which can make everything easier.

I hope everything settles down with Homey now.
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I worked in a factory making lipstick cases. Not even lipsticks, just the cases. Most boring, soul destroying job I have ever done in my life!
 
My boss is pulling a face because I'm going to a view a horse this weekend, and if it fits the bill I've told him I intend to get it vetted some time next week but can't tell him until Monday (when I ring the vets) when that will be.

Anyone would have thought I've asked for the time off for free. I don't get paid holidays as I am temping on this contract through Umbrella.
When I asked him if that was okay he said "I can't say". We are talking about half a day, horse is only an hour away. I am a temp, I have had not annual leave since I started in November. I was told I could work over if I wanted at my interview and then was told when I had started that I couldn't. I am a temp. I don't owe them anything. It drives me mad. I'm always in early, always leave a bit later than I need to, so an extra hour probably most weeks unpaid.

I can get another temp contract tomorrow, if he says no I will just go ahead and screw the job.
 
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YO called he is lame under saddle. Vet saw him on the lunge on Wednesday. Saddle got adjusted on Thursday and instructor rode him yesterday and he starts off fine and then starts to take some lame steps in the front.

Vet has asked her to lunge him today to see how he is on the lunge and will come back to see him Tues to see him under saddle and nerve block.

I have meetings 3 meetings on Tuesday 2 are internal one to one support calls with team members I could possibly move to another time and one is with Trustees which I can't. YO is waiting to find out what time the vet is coming as he has to rearrange other appointments to fit Bert in.

I am on my way to my parents for my mum's birthday weekend so it is a bit of a downer.

My main concern is controlling Bert's weight if he ends up on field or box rest. He is muzzled and on soaked hay. He has been sound on the lunge.
 
I don't know how close you are to a hospital SO1, or whether Bert travels, but I think you'd be far better off booking a whole day off work whenever you can get it in the next month, and taking Bert to a hospital for a full workup to identify (hopefully) what his issues are once and for all.

I'm so sorry this has turned out this way for you.
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So sorry that he’s still lame.

I echo the call to take him to horsepital for a proper lameness workup. There are transport companies who will do vet trips, maybe you could look into that if you can’t get time off?

Your vets should have at least nerve blocked him long ago. I’m pretty cross on your and Bert’s behalf.
 
Second full work up in your closest big hospital, Rossdales or RVC? depending on who your vets refer to.

The other advantage of going to a big hospital is they have all the diagnostic equipment on hand so they go down a certain path depending on what the initial work up finds or doesn't . If it's not something that can be done immediately then you can leave them there as you don't need to be there after the initial bit.

I left Frankie for the bone scan and went through tbe results when i collected him. It was the end of the day for pick up so technically outside work depending on how long it takes you to get there though i have also done this via phone for other things.
 
ycbm said:
I don't know how close you are to a hospital SO1, or whether Bert travels, but I think you'd be far better off booking a whole day off work whenever you can get it in the next month, and taking Bert to a hospital for a full workup to identify (hopefully) what his issues are once and for all.

I'm so sorry this has turned out this way for you.
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I agree with this. No more dribs and drabs of appointments with you getting second hand info, book a day off when you can and take him to a hospital for a proper work up and everything doing in one day.
This isn’t an urgent case so if this can’t be coordinated for another 2-3 weeks then that’s fine. Turn him out in the meantime.

I’m sorry he’s still lame.
 
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