I'm working with complete fecking morons.

Ok, so I go back into work today after three days off with this bug. Forest of emails, and several meeting invites. I accept some, but have to decline a couple. I decline a particular meeting (invite sent Monday) and 20 minutes later, get a phone call from from the person to ask why I declined.

Now, I'd said in the email, I had to decline because on the day of the meeting I'll be at my uncle's funeral. I repeat that. They then tell me they need to have someone at the meeting who deals with my area. I say I'm sorry but they should have checked someone was available before they set the meeting up. I then get told that its "a bit inconvenient" as my absence next week wasn't in my online diary.

It's at that point I reply that unfortunately I couldn't anticipate when members of my family might pass away, and frankly it was tough shit if it was inconvenient for them, I'd be at the funeral and not their sodding meeting!

Fecking morons.

Civil Service...home to the elite minds of this country...

I don't know what it's like in your line of work, but I wouldn't be allowed time off from work to go to an uncles funeral as he's not a direct relative. My company only allows time off for the funerals of parents, children, and brothers and sisters. I don't think it's right, and I've known it to upset a few people since I started working in retail.

This one time, a workmate of mines aunt died. His aunt and uncle were like parents to him, because they brought him up from childhood. Even taking this into consideration, my works still didn't let him have time off for the funeral. It's fucking harsh, but they just said rules are rules.

I don't ask, I just tell them I won't be in. They can take it as special leave, flexible, or annual, I couldn't care less and we'll sort it out afterwards.

I'm lucky to work a four-day week, so should any unforeseen issues arise I can simply switch my day off in the week. My company are really good with that kind of stuff and no one gets shitty with you.

Our company is normally good with stuff like that too. We have flexi time, special leave, credits...we can usually work it through. The problem is the people. You get people who wouldn't know the nose on their face or who doesn't listen. Sounds like DS got one of those.

Unfortunately we don't get flexi-time here. The clerical side do but not us designers. We get special leave and all that, I'm not sure how long we get but I've known people take up to a week. We get time-off-in-lieu but since I don't go bombing round in the vans much anymore or have to travel for meetings since they're mostly in Bristol now so I don't claim it. My company are really good for annual leave & time off.