Missing work. "Flash Flood"

[Griffin1820]

A little advice on how to handle this please...
I work as a preloader part time and a Saturday/seasonal driver. The area I live in and my center is based in is very rural. My commute to work is 40 miles and has gravel roads which get flooded a couple times per year. It's not just puddles we are talking about making Swift 1 to 3 foot deep crossings. I was forced to call last Friday to earn them I was flooded in and the water may not receed by 4am Saturday "my start time"
Anyhow the rain has been non stop this week and I had to call in again today which didn't sit well and it looks like more rain is coming and I may be stuck all weekend. Which means I need to call in again and warn them I may not be able to make it this Saturday once again.
This only happens a few times per year and moving off my farm or staying in a hotel is not a viable option for an 11 dollar per hour part time gig. Do I have any retaliation protection? What would be the best way to handle this situation?

 

[542thruNthru]

So there is absolutely no way you can go to get to work? So if there was a emergency you'd die is what you're saying? Or is it you don't want deal with the hassle everytime?

If there is no way then you better save all your sick days and stuff for those times of year you get stuck.

I know my uncle deals with this stuff. He has to park his truck 5 miles away and walk to it certain times of year. Even after the rains the road is not drivable.

 

[rod]

Just when you thought you had heard every excuse in the book.

 

[over9five]

Yeah, but how's the fishing?

 

[Griffin1820]

A little advice on how to handle this please...
I work as a preloader part time and a Saturday/seasonal driver. The area I live in and my center is based in is very rural. My commute to work is 40 miles and has gravel roads which get flooded a couple times per year. It's not just puddles we are talking about making Swift 1 to 3 foot deep crossings. I was forced to call last Friday to earn them I was flooded in and the water may not receed by 4am Saturday "my start time"
Anyhow the rain has been non stop this week and I had to call in again today which didn't sit well and it looks like more rain is coming and I may be stuck all weekend. Which means I need to call in again and warn them I may not be able to make it this Saturday once again.
This only happens a few times per year and moving off my farm or staying in a hotel is not a viable option for an 11 dollar per hour part time gig. Do I have any retaliation protection? What would be the best way to handle this situation?

Correct although not entirely. 10 years ago we had to have the county cross it in a dump truck to get my grandmother to the doctor. Small town so you personally know all 10 county workers. Lol
I have no reason to desire missing work especially on Saturday as that one 8 hour day at 13.25 per hour makes a third of my paycheck. I could also cross in my tractor occasionally and have someone drive me but I leave my house during the week at 3:40 am and don't have any friends good enough to drive me that early and I doubt I could depend on them to actually wake up and be on time. I don't get any sick days until 1 year which will be may 7th so I'm guessing I have zero protection in this case and may lose my job and any chance of driving because I won't risk my life to show up even though I do my very best to give them ample warning. I'm a good worker always on time and do good work so hopefully that will count for something.

 

[Griffin1820]

Yeah, but how's the fishing?

It's a wet weather creek so no fish. Would be nice though. Lol

 

[Griffin1820]

This is the road now at a crossable level. It's a loose gravel pit but crossable with a 4 wheel drive.

 

[542thruNthru]

This is the road now at a crossable level. It's a loose gravel pit but crossable with a 4 wheel drive.View attachment 130735

So you can't keep your car parked somewhere that's safe and take the tractor thru the water to and from it?

 

[burrheadd]

I'd go with a Helicopter

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

This is the road now at a crossable level. It's a loose gravel pit but crossable with a 4 wheel drive.View attachment 130735

That's not a road.

Do you have a friend in town that you can stay with until the water recedes?

 

[Griffin1820]

So you can't keep your car parked somewhere that's safe and take the tractor thru the water to and from it?

Yes is some cases we do exactly that. This area was another foot deeper this morning though and I would not have done that. At 4 am it's still dark and you can't see the areas that are washed out. If you drop the nose off in a wash out it's very easy to flood the engine and then your stuck. If your in the middle then you have 30 feet of Swift water with uneven washed out gravel to walk on in the pitch dark. One mis step, your washed down stream and not coming home for supper. Lots of times I can cross especially once the flow has settled but it's not a hassle or inconvenience to make the crossing it's a serious risk to not only your vehicle but to your life. As bad as I want my job to to become a driver in a few years I also want to make sure I come home to my family

 

[rod]

This is the road now at a crossable level. It's a loose gravel pit but crossable with a 4 wheel drive.View attachment 130735

How far back in the friggin swamp do you live and will you sell me some moonshine?

 

[over9five]

How far back in the friggin swamp do you live and will you sell me some moonshine?

I'm sure I hear banjos...

 

[rod]

I'm sure I hear banjos...

 

[Griffin1820]

That's not a road.

Do you have a friend in town that you can stay with until the water recedes?

Yes I do but predicting the rise and fall is tricky. I'd almost have to hit the road Everytime a full days rain is predicted. Being really worried about my job at this point ive made arrangements for this weekend but had hoped I had some type of protection for those times where no plan came together and I was stuck before I got out.

 

[trickpony1]

The OP needs to get on Google Earth, find his location and applicable "roads" and print those pictures to take to your supe.

 

[Griffin1820]

How far back in the friggin swamp do you live and will you sell me some moonshine?

That's funny because my Grandfather ran shine in his log truck. I was just pricing some copper the other day to see if I could salvage some of his old still pieces and cook up some of his semi locally famous strawberry mash this summer.

 

[Griffin1820]

The OP needs to get on Google Earth, find his location and applicable "roads" and print those pictures to take to your supe.

I have took videos, pictures of the crossings, documented the county road closings, and pics of markers showing water level. If I get to grieve it I will be well documented!

 

[rod]

 

[pickup]