Or
the mother who claims she got fired from her job at a grocery store because she
chose to stay at home with her son on one of the days when Arctic-like weather
caused the schools to be closed?
THOSE
WERE A pair of stories that turned up in the news coverage on Wednesday; both
of which are meant to arouse the reaction of us shaking our fists in anger and
shouting out some epithet about damned fools who just can’t appreciate logic.
Although
I’m sure there is a letter-of-the-law interpretation by which both actions are
completely justifiable.
Personally,
I’m more offended by the predicament facing Woodstock police Sergeant Chip
Amati, who did get a 30-day suspension without pay after it was learned he sent
the text message seeking salacious photographs.
The
girl was the daughter of the woman Amati was dating at the time, and she was
the one who objected to his conduct when she learned of it.
WOODSTOCK
MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS penalized Amati back in October, particularly after it was
learned that the sergeant also had used police computer databases to learn more
about his girlfriend – even though police policies specifically prevented
officers from using the databases for personal use.
The
Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday that village officials determined no
additional punishment is possible because Amati cannot be disciplined more than
once for the same offense.
So
those people who want to view Amati as some sort of miscreant for his behavior
toward the 12-year-old are going to have to accept the fact that nothing more
will happen.
Even
though the newspaper noted that he never really lost a month’s worth of pay –
because the Police Department in Woodstock is choosing to split the time up
into increments; thereby reducing its impact on his personal and professional
life.
AARGH!!!!!!!
Some
people are having that same reaction this week about Rhiannon Broschat, a
25-year-old from the Logan Square neighborhood who used to work at a Whole
Foods grocery store in the Lake View neighborhood.
The
Chicago Sun-Times reported Wednesday that about 40 people picketed the company’s
regional headquarters in the River North neighborhood on Broschat’s behalf.
She
says that when the Chicago Public Schools were closed on Jan. 28 because of the
wintry weather, she was unable to find someone who could stay with her “special
needs” son. So, she says she called the store to tell them she could not show
up at work – even though she had a shift scheduled for that day.
WHOLE
FOODS OFFICIALS won’t comment on the incident, but Broschat says her store
called her the next day, telling them she had abused the company’s attendance
policy.
On
the surface, it easily becomes a case of a callous company punishing a person
for not putting corporate needs ahead of their personal ones. Although my gut
reaction is to wonder how many other times had she been forced to call in
absent because of personal needs.
I
can comprehend how the job needs to get done, and that the company might want
to find someone else who is capable of doing it. Yet I don’t know that this is
the exact circumstance that led to this woman’s current “unemployed” status.
Who’s
to say how this particular case turns out.
ULTIMATELY,
IT COMES down to perspective, as Broschat herself told the Sun-Times she’s
convinced she made the “right decision” when she chose to stay home with her
son.
I’m
sure that with all the cold weather and number of days the local schools have
been closed in recent months, there are a slew of parents who suddenly found
themselves in the same jam that Broschat made and will be totally sympathetic
to her choice.
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