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No office supply is worth making retail workers drive through a dangerous blizzard.

After one record-breaking storm, this employee found out that calling out meant losing PTO while arriving workers received full pay.

That policy now leaves them choosing between deadly roads and another financial hit as even worse weather approaches.

Read on for the freezing conclusion.

Don’t shop in inclement weather. Shopping in a blizzard tells corporate that there’s no reason to shut down. (Rant)

I work retail in Kansas in an office supply store.

We had a massive snowstorm last week (14.2″ – the record for my city is 15″ back in ’68).

And I couldn’t get in to work. So, I called in.

The shop ended up closing 3 hours after opening anyway, because conditions were so bad.

This woman worries about another ice and snowstorm that’s coming to their city.

Corporate said, “Anyone who showed up gets paid for their whole shift.

Anyone who called in has to use PTO.”

Well, we’re due for another massive ice and snowstorm over the next two days.

Problem is, the city almost exhausted its supply of road brine and sand.

And there’s a shortage all the way to the Canadian border.

They are expecting abuot 8 to 15 inches of snow in the next two days.

As a result, nobody will be brining or sanding the roads until after the blizzard.

We are expecting another 8 to 15″ of snow over the next two days.

And this is on top of the layer of rain that we will be getting before the blizzard.

Putting this on top of the snow and ice and slush that’s still left over from last week’s storm, road conditions are going to be downright deadly.

Not to mention the city doesn’t know where they’ll put the snow.

They don’t have an advanced system in place.

Our city is unlike other cities that are accustomed to massive amounts of snow.

We don’t have a snow removal system much more advanced than “Eh, shove it off to the gutters, sidewalks, sides of the street and parking lots.”

There’s no system in place to remove snow from residential areas that aren’t recognized snow routes or school routes.

I’ll likely not find out tomorrow if the store’s going to close until after they open.

This means unless I want to lose another day’s pay and lose more precious PTO, I’m going to have to go in to work.

Even if it’s just for an hour before I’m dismissed. The commute’s going to be hell though.

She reminds consumers not to shop when there’s an upcoming bad weather.

Folks, no retail corporation is going to cover your car repair and hospital bill.

Or worse, your funeral expenses (or even go to your funeral) if you end up with bad luck on an already horrible commute.

When they expect you to come in.

Please speak with your wallet, and even your car.

If the weather is bad, don’t go out shopping. Don’t even window shop.

So as not to give a reason for business owners to open their shops.

Any foot traffic will give corporate enough of a reason to say:

“Look, there’s customers. See? We don’t need to close.”

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Wish me luck tomorrow morning, guys.

And to those who are also working in the Midwest during this Snow-Pocalypse, stay warm, and stay safe.

Let’s find out what others have to say about this.

This user shares their personal experience.

Short and simple.

Here’s a quick but interesting story.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a cashier who got annoyed with a group of friends who insisted on returning their items separately.

Finally, this one shares an email from their HR.

Corporate waited hours to close during the last storm, then forced employees who stayed home to use their own PTO.

This worker wants customers to stay home because every shopper gives corporate another excuse to keep the store open.

Nobody needs printer paper badly enough to turn a commute into an arctic survival mission.

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Author

Chris Allen