Rush inside? No job is worth having coworkers or your boss threatening to put you in harms way, joking or not. I have mild to moderate claustrophobia, and theres absolutely no way Id ever participate in an escape room. Also, your boss is a horses ass. Sorry, I got a bit over-emotional here, but anyways you got what wemeant. Unfortunately, David is your work colleague, and this party is a big deal for him. Between the GUN SHOTS outside the classroom, and the unbelievably unqualified instructor who gleefully talked about all the times his hyper-vigilance protected his girlfriend on the mean streets of our farm state, it was too much. Both my former Commander and XO attended both drill AND law school. Good Reasons to Call Out of Work (Physical Jobs) 1. If you are in the National Guard or Reserves, you may be required to participate in drill weekends. But does it require the full drill, or can you do a security discussion instead? Id been through a training so I found the safest (not safe, safest) spot in the room and went to it. Also if this bunghole tries to make you feel weak for not being up for it, remember that standing up to him is a strong choice in itself. The adults should be taking care of the problem way before our children are in danger. That would be my guess too, but we cant know. Its horrifying to me that newer humans get exposed to this from day one and that some people think this is fun and games. People in hiding should expect to be there for hours. Just flat out no. The LW said this drill was being run by law enforcement. Im in charge of working with our local law enforcement to conduct an active shooter training. I cried, honestly, because even though it was very low key and not big budget, it was very effective at showing what its like, to have a normal work and school day completely turn on its head. Call in sick is what I would do. you may be) and youve found that youve hit a certain point where things have taken a massive swing. Pretty much this. There are many good reasons why you might not want to work on the weekend. Thats such a heartbreaking thing to hear and yet, I understand why shes thinking about it. As someone who has been in an active shooter situation all the training you do doesnt mean anything when the threat is real and all that training is going to do is disrupt the workday and traumatize employees. excuses to get out of drill weekend - zirpp.org Some of these excuses are a little ridiculous, others are genius (if we do say so ourselves)! Fast forward to this current moment in your life, (. the fact that we cant talk about that but have to do all this security performance theater instead AND cause additional trauma for questionable results makes me rage. I totally relate to the letter writer. My problem is my unit has decided that not enough people will show up so they moved Sept's drill to Aug 5-6 and made it mandatory. If you have a valid reason, such as work or school, you can request an exception to miss a drill weekend. Its not that he cant understand. This site does not constitute as legal, mental, or medical health advice, please consult a competent licensed professional. Sick of this a-hole you work for! And WTF is a pencil going to do against someone with an AK47. When I voiced my concerns, he made a few jokes about how he would simply redirect the shooter to a younger person, then asked if I was saying I wouldnt be able to take it.. Whether or not your weekend work is a regularly scheduled shift or some overtime thanks to work that was not completed during the week, asking for time off to attend an important family event is perfectly justifiable. by Some years back, my company was adjacent to an active-shooter event it happened at another organization that rented space in the same building. Frankly, its upsetting enough leaving them behind at daycare 4 days a week even though I know they both love it, and they are extremely safe. LW, I know youre worried that your boss will call you triggered or a snowflake or otherwise weak, but it is in fact very strong a brave to calmly stand firm at your limit. If approved, you will be given permission to miss the drill and will not face any penalties. Your boss isnt a nice person who is cruel to young people, people with disabilities, and anyone he considers liberal. For staff, we simply review our active shooter policy at our annual inservice which mostly amounts to lock-down and hide and pray. One year we had an active shooter trainer come in who said anyone in the lobby would be killed right away, including our receptionists (we didnt have bulletproof glass)! If you decide to go with one of the previous options, I wish you luck, strength and eloquence. Hey [Name], I think the snows probably going to ruin any chances of me being able to make tonight. I have a perfect non-attendance record for the last 10 years of active shooter training at my firm. She knows what to do. That kind of multi-hour practical drill strikes me as very useful. This means if you click a link and/or buy a product, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Lost colleagues and students. Absences from the Reserves - GI Rights Hotline I dont want to teach my kids to be afraid, but also dont want to misjudge a safety situation. if your boss asks, just say you woke up feeling too sick to work that day. There are still plenty of ways to stay sharp and keep your skills sharp. I have a hard time figuring out how a small company with no HR jumped to the conclusion they need to train for a mass shooter. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regular physical activity improves your brain health, helps you to maintain a healthy weight, and reduces your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and even some cancers. If not, I would call in sick the day before and after to solidfy the excuse. Amazing- they hire someone to assess risk, then ignore what they have to say about risk to staff in the lobby. If you're looking to develop your communication skills for professional environments even further, we think youll like the following video course from LinkedIn Learning. Thank you! Read More 9 Best Practices for Career Success in Your 20s, no.7 get you PromotedContinue. -Get together with some friends and head to the range. Same with mine; customized by law enforcement but the only customization was Oh yeah all your doors are glass so hiding isnt an option! We didnt have ours as often, and the threat seemed a little more distant, but some of those early ones were poorly handledand (given what weve read about the boss in question) I think letter writers office one sounds like it has the potential to be as well. This was not that, its just callous. I work in a large hospital. A headache isntsevere enough to render you useless for a long period of time but its bad enough that itll get you out of a social engagement. My boss and his wife were directly behind me! We also dont call it an active shooter drilll, because wed have lockdown for any intruder. I really dont know what to say to that. I am in my twenties, and I grew up in the modern era of mass shootings. And, even calling 911 can be difficult in a real emergency. nationak guard how do you go to a non drilling status (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. I would go with calling in sick the day of the drill. Seconding the idea that there is an industry built around these things. It doesnt need to replicate the emergency as realistically as possible. His work has been featured in Medium, WikiHow and Chron and is currently authoring his new book on overcoming procrastination and achieving goals. The day she got back to the office, there was news of multiple mass shootings in the States and she was so unaffected. My middle-schooler was completely ho-hum while describing how their orchestra room is actually the best place to hide because it doesnt have any windows (to deaden sound.). How to Get Weekends Off at Work: 17 Excellent Tips - Wisestep #2 "I Have The Runs" You'll only hear from us when we have something we think you'll want to hear about. These drills are not helpful! ] (which is, essentially, the adult version of the fire drill) and an active shooter drill (which, in my understanding, usually implies some level of re-enactment beyond what Ellis Bell (the teacher above) was describing as lockdown drills at school). It makes it less obvious that it was about the training. This is horrific. Is it a valid excuse to miss national guard drill if I go to - Quora However, there will be times when we would rather not work weekends and have the weekend free to pursue other interests. Unexcused absence from an annual training or from nine or more training units in a one year period often results in a discharge from the reserve component for failing to meet the training requirements. should I be so emotionally drained by managing? It was a practical tour of the various ways out of the building and a review locations of fire extinguishers, first aid kits, and defibrillators. And leaving them alone would be a big question mark to the whole face of humanity. That said, we have surprisingly few firearm-related incidents here, given that Finland has the most guns at home per capita after the US and Yemen. Call in sick. And if my boss gave me grief about it Id jump straight to calling a lawyer. But since you happen to be the person whorenegesquite frequently,havent you already used that one? Hey, apologies for flaking, but my babysitter just called and told me she couldnt make it today. Full stop. I already think about mass shootings every single day, including every time Im in a crowded public place, and while I would be happy to read about the hiding protocol or do a self-defense practice, the idea of experiencing a full-scale active simulation makes me feel physically ill. Regardless, it may be worth a try anyway. Is there any way you could volunteer to assist the people running the drill? It ruined my entire week-end. Doing what it takes to make these shootings stop happening. Get the paperwork in place for legal accommodations. Ive done that, although, not often but it works & it doesnt look suspicious when you call in next day. That makes OP the expert here, and Im sorry OPs boss doesnt respect that. Good luck! Same here. 3) Train everyone! So why not plan this up again someday?. elizabeth baptist church pastor oliver. Ive never been through any kind of shooter drill. This will make the time go by faster and itll be more bearable. related excuse is only going to work if its not a work gathering. 3. BUT I also think theres a major difference between walking through lets all identify the doors wed need to lock and the spaces wed want to hide in [our offices / work spaces we frequent / etc. These are typically held one weekend per month, and they can last anywhere from 8 to 12 hours. An excuse thatshuts down anypossible follow up questions. What could possibly take seven hours to cover for one topic?? Re-traumatizing everyone is just so very much not the answer here to any of this. Fast forward to this current moment in your life, (whereveryou may be) and youve found that youve hit a certain point where things have taken a massive swing. Personally I think if there are ways to prepare people that dont involve trauma, then we should do those. Show you videos of mass shootings and discuss what you should do compared to what the victims did. 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). My cousins little kids all speak so matter-of-factly about the drills. smdh. For example: Due to some past history that I dont want to go into at work, I am going to opt of out Tuesdays training. If he again says something ridiculous like asking if you wouldnt be able to take it, you could say, Yes, so I wont be attending. If he tells you its mandatory and you need to attend, you can say, Then I need to request a formal, legal accommodation to opt out. As a side comment, if you have not yet sought out a mental health professional who is experienced in dealing with PTSD, you may wish to explore that at some point. Someone (I think it was Maya Angelou) said that when somebody shows you who they are, you should believe them. Everytown has some great resources and statistics you could show your school about these trainings. MP00 PEB Forum Regular Member PEB Forum Veteran May 21, 2012 #9 Thanks for the info You must log in or register to reply here. 11 Ingenious Ways To Get Out Of Plans, From A Professional Flake So it just doesnt arise as a thought in the way that, say, the possibility of sexual harassment or sexual violence is always part of my situational awareness. And a huge waste of time too. Im sure its some package a security company sold someone. Gosh, I relate to this so much. Its a nightmare. Each year the US Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its data on volunteering in the United States. Forums At the time, I had an employee for whom the video would be too much. But it might be helpful to do so. They're basically faster, safer, and more supportive- you can check them out here. This was a school-sanctioned event!! So a UTA 4 would be four drill periods. For anyone to work in a position where they may have to do non-violent restraint and not have hands-on training in a controlled environment is INCREDIBLY dangerous and would open your facility to a huge amount of liability, both civilly and criminally. Im surprised at the number of commenters who seem to reject calibrating reptilian-brain thinking. However, you will be expected to train regularly and participate in drills and exercises. But really, call in sick. Can you handle yourself under the pressure? This is all scary and horrible. If you know WHO is conducting the training maybe they could give info about what is happening that day. Everyones Crying Over Adams Poem From Season 3 Of Sex Education The session before it was about what to have in your desk emergency kit in case of an earthquake. This is awful, and overboard, and I want to have some firm words with your boss. Move away from windows? Never the Right Word is a participant in the Awin Affiliates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to participating merchants. Whats your advice?. 2) Bring snacks and drinks with you so you dont get hungry or thirsty during drill. While participating in this @#$% drill would be doubly-triply horrible for you, it is not good for anyones mental health and, as Alison mentioned, most likely wouldnt do any good. they understand that all you need to do is stay in bed (and watch a movie you just bought). I really cant imagine what benefit they are to adults. Its all for workplace harmony and best if everyone signs onto it rather than facing the truth. Self-defense probably included too. Is there a way to get the instructional content without going to the most triggering parts, which I cannot imagine will outweigh the psychic cost this is going to take on me? Hes that cavalier about mass mayhem?? I got volunteer hours and free pizza, and I was 12 so I was very excited to mess around with fake blood and brains. And if that fool makes another joke, look him in the face and say Did you just try to joke about me being murdered to save yourself? There is no generational excuse. You are studying 7. 4) Bring a book or something else to occupy your mind if you get bored during drill. Ill clear my head first, get in a better place and come to the next one. I hope it goes well, and click send. Yes, its a well-known fact that the most effective way TO LEARN is during a state of abject terror maintained over multiple hours. Be sure to provide your commanding officer with the note as soon as possible. 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. Nope. Because they want to LARP like something out of a movie. They are not going to find out; unless they know your father very well. The Drill Army Reserves is not active duty, so you wont be deployed overseas or see combat. With 58th BfSB, it looks like i only have one drill in conflict with this semester. how do you handle soldiers and college? Talk to your units First Sergeant or Commander if you believe you have a valid reason for being excused from an upcoming drill. I was out the day the training happened, but apparently it was just a cop lecture interspersed with scary videos. We like them because we get expert-led courses that we can access anytime, anywhere. Thanks for that i now have the Byker Grove theme tune stuck in my head, which made me think of 90s Ant and Dec and now ive also got Lets Get Ready to Rumble looping around in my stupid, sleep-deprived brain! [M]onkey. excuses to get out of drill weekend The OP could ask about if theyve done day long trainings on other disasters and how those were handled if that would make a difference, but Im guessing theyd need to opt out regardless. The social aspects of man-caused tragedy (shooters/bombings) aside (which I agree with others that acceptance this is the new reality is wrong, will require better funding for mental health/social support/etc that I can vote for), it has been demonstrated time and again that reading about what to do is NOT the same level of preparedness as drills. This is one of the saddest things that Ive ever read online. And I am of the generation that didnt have mass events constantly, Im 51. And if they press you too hard, start crying. Im sorry. I work in a clinic that serves LGBTQ+ patients and I live in a state that is very second amendment and extremely not LGBTQ+ friendly. I work for state government and am my agencys safety coordinator in addition to my regular, full-time role. Privacy Policy. Could you tell your boss that you already have expert-level knowledge on active shooter drills (and that goading the shooter to kill someone else constitutes a failing grade)? Your Child Is Sick 5. You can only use this one if its raining there. They also handwaved off the fact that we work in a giant glass fishbowl and cant remotely lock the doors like you can with many other buildings on campus. First responders and EM do exercises to improve our side of it. I thought I was the only one to do this lololol. Speedy Search & Discovery. My 5th grader needs to start practicing scaling the tall fence. have to leave your house if they say yes. In my 20s and 30s would have loved to have got a job living in NYC and generous vacation leave meant i used to visit multiple times a year. This means that many people who are working full time are also studying. It wasnt really an active shooter simulation, but for some reason, the approach at the time was Its really important to stay silent, so try to imagine that its real as you cower in this corner. (Spoiler alert 20ish seven- and eight-year-olds are REALLY bad at playing silent sardines, even when the imaginary stakes are high.). So yes, after a while you realize not much will change and there is nothing you can do about it and you dont understand why people dont careand you never see any photos of dead children so it is almost theoretical and what can you do so you just get numb. Oh, I just had a horrible thought. Which could be related to all the drywall replacement weve had to do after the fire sprinkler floods. My mom worked for a large company and has to deal with several (not at her location, thankfully, but as HR she had to deal with the aftermath). Ive done Portal of Safety Drills in martial arts when I was younger. The two are not the same. Your email address is only used to send you NTRW updates. The builder is intuitive. A book that finally understands introverts! Typically blanks are fired inside of the building (sometimes without specific warning) to simulate real scenarios. That's fine. Ugh. But its traumatizing for the kids to practice these drills, and honestly, if we just had some gun reforms, there would be literally no reason we should have to be subjected to this in the first place. Even though we always we given advance notice of a drill. The storeroom was in the basement, where the ceiling was low enough for me to reach without standing on tiptoe. Im so sorry youre in this position, OP. Being broke sucks and everyone knows it. 4) Events start to fade, we dont want to be known by that one day, we can slack off on training. You are sick. Yes, such a good suggestion to take 2 days off. Say you have cramps and start launching into period talk. Some people either dont want any gun laws modified as they think that is the start of taking away all gun rights and also now there is such hatred for the political partyso their representatives vote against it. Whatever. If you know ahead of time that you wont be able to make it to drill, try to work with your units first sergeant or commander to see if theres any way you can make up the training. Now that I think about it, my workplace gives building-specific info for other types of emergency preparation i.e., I know where were supposed to evacuate and gather in the case of a fire, I know where in the building we should shelter in the case of a tornado/severe weather, but the active shooter training module was only a generic video with a generic office building showing fear and the run/hide/fight scenarios. Hope you dont get cornered! Now that my eldest is in school, I am grateful every day that I married a British man and moved to his hometown. Dealing with Life Events or Advice, Texts and Messaging Templates. https://www.everytown.org/solutions/active-shooter-drills/ Because lets be honest, who does not want to have a hot mug of coffee on the terrace while watching the rain pouring onto the glass of your windows, making a thud sound and yet so calming? The shooters there werent interested in us as long as we stayed on our side of the street. Tell them how you were all dressed up for this party,butat the last moment,youfoundoutthat your car tireispunctured. But if you feel all roads lead to a conversation with your boss, this is the best way to handle it. Career success is just inches from your hands. Precisely, More Training Needed. A man that old fashioned is going to shut you down fast and tell you just stay home. Since its not one ofthefrequently used excuses, people are most likely to fall for it. If you have the sick time I would call in sick the day before the training as well. Perhaps it is the most powerful excuse and totally legit, but just imagine how lame you sound when your . In the United States, the First Amendment of the Constitution (namely, the Bill of Rights) proclaims that all citizens have the freedom to practice their religion and that there will be no laws prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Ugh you mentioning the scary videos just reminded me that my old jobs (fairly long) active shooter training involved straight up showing us footage from Columbine. For many of us, a side hustle allows us to: If you have the passion, stamina, and ability to have a successful side hustle, having your weekends free to pursue it is a legitimate excuse to avoid weekend work. I am tired and frustrated that my unit has decided to disrespect my schedule and time. Working from home have a lot of benefits that essentially make your work life happier and more enjoyable. 11. Id develop a migraine toward the end of the day before and call in the next day. Ive always thought stomach flu was the best excuse. I personally couldnt be a stay at home mum, as I love my career but I think if I lived in the US, I would very, VERY seriously consider homeschooling. and stick to your story. Its a good idea to discuss this with your employer so that they can arrange alternative working arrangements for you. 4. You do not need to hear gun shots or see people play dead or whatever simulated shenanigans people want to insist on. There is no value in this type of training. If there is valuable information being conveyed, I want to know it, but the toll on my mental health if I do this training is going to be immense, and I cannot imagine what content they will be teaching that I havent already heard and internalized many times before. Im 38 now and I still think about that day with anxiety and sadness. In college, we watched Run/Hide/Fight training videos and we all glanced at the massive glass windows in the classroom to the hallway. If youve been in the Army for more than a year, you know that every unit has their own unique traditions. Dont worry about not looking tough. It can absolutely be traumatizing and upsetting as a participant. Some people believe working on the weekends is bad for your productivity. The idea that active shooter training is effective at reducing deaths and injuries in the event of a real active shooter is not. My daughters friend since pre-school was killed in a mass shooting during her freshman year in college. Heres my example: I was working the midnight shift in a chain retail pharmacy. Wed sooner head for somewhere in Europe or Australia (where we have no ties) first. something to consider! Doesnt matter that the only reason that day is the only day available is because you told the office to schedule it only on that day.