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Question for Call Center Folks

roger4567

Nov 8, 2008, 7:46 PM
In my VZW call center we just got the results of a bid for working Christmas and I was drafted (started working here bout 8months ago). Does anyone know what would happen if I call in sick that day? I've never ever worked Christmas Day in my lifetime and I don't have any friends or family who have either. Of course HR doesn't bother telling you these things when you are interviewing (I probably would have stayed where I was had I known I'd be working and Thanksgiving and Christmas days) Any who let me know if you have heard anything about sick people on Christmas Day. ☹️
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bentos88

Nov 8, 2008, 8:40 PM
Unfortunately VZW does require to have people on the phones everyday of the year. What I've noticed is that some call centers switch holidays you work. For example: if you work Christmas, then u would have New Years off or vice versa.
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southern_bee

Nov 8, 2008, 9:13 PM
i know at my call center its mandatory we come in if we dont its an automatic firing!
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Cellenator

Nov 8, 2008, 8:41 PM
wow that blows i would hate that. verizon is a bunch of lame blood suckers for pulling that bs.
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Celling_it

Nov 8, 2008, 8:45 PM
Yeah it would be much better if VZW did not have 24/7 365 customer care. I am sure that our customers would love that. Yet an other way that VZW is always working for you!
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Azeron

Nov 8, 2008, 11:51 PM
How many call centers are open 24/7? Man, that would be terrible.
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roger4567

Nov 8, 2008, 8:54 PM
It is pretty blood-suckerish isn't it. But VZW will have to look for someone's else's blood other than mine and my family's on Christmas Day ...
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Celling_it

Nov 8, 2008, 8:57 PM
I just have to ask, "what did you expect?" You work in a call center that is open 24/7, 365 right? Did you think that meant they would close on certan days?
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roger4567

Nov 8, 2008, 9:03 PM
No I don't work in a call center that is open 24/7 -- and HR never mentioned a word about working major holidays, especially the most important holiday for Christians which is Christmas. Every other major corporation that I can think of is closed on Christmas. I'm sure Lowell will home with his family while us peons work (well, atleast those who don't call in).
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mellowlen62

Nov 8, 2008, 9:06 PM
...except that the most important holiday for Christians is Easter...
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roger4567

Nov 8, 2008, 9:11 PM
Easter is important too ... but the birth of Christ is just as important as his death/resurrection (and Easter is not a holiday which the rest of the country, except for VZW, celebrates).
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Azeron

Nov 8, 2008, 11:54 PM
I don't know. The Messiah sacrificing himself to save the world seems to have been the whole point to it, but I suppose that everyone has to make his own judgement.
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mellowlen62

Nov 9, 2008, 2:27 PM
Lol thank you. I mean, lots of religions acknowledge his birth and existence, but it's the Christians specifically who believe him to be their savior. And although I feel the pain of working on Christmas...somehow I feel a call center for Verizon would be extremely busy on Christmas day...
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vzwinagent

Nov 8, 2008, 9:17 PM
I would imagine Christmas day is one of the busiest days of the year. Look at all the people that buy phones for Christmas and then want ESN changes on Christmas day or have issues with their new phones. Probably more people getting phones on that day and any one day in the year.
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justmarried

Nov 8, 2008, 9:10 PM
You don't have to work on christmas day.....just quit. The same way you went to vzw looking for a job, you can go somewhere else if not working on holiday is that important to you. You will get paid double time for the day and you will probably work in shifts, 4 or 8 hrs shifts. See if someone on your team wants to take your shift.
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llama

Nov 8, 2008, 9:59 PM
You should appreciate that you so have a job to go to...

It's gonna get harder and harder to find a decent jobe in the near future. Count your lucky stars...
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Azeron

Nov 8, 2008, 11:59 PM
We all appreciate our jobs I am certain. Still, I would not expect anyone to be happy about working on Christmas day. Resigned to do it...perhaps. Happy to do it...you're asking a bit much.
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Azeron

Nov 8, 2008, 11:57 PM
Do you have any sick days left? If you call in sick, they can't question you about it. You get five per year. I hope you haven't wasted them all.
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kevinski

Nov 9, 2008, 8:02 AM
I really doubt that it's gonna go well if you call off, so I'd recommend going if you'd like to keep your job. I must say that I'm a bit surprised that your call center is completely finished with the Christmas schedule. We only just finished our Thanksgiving one.

Here's how things often work: If you volunterr for another holiday, then it's usually far less likely that you'll be drafted for a later one. There's usually some sort of warning of this given, so it's your own fault if you just didn't volunteer for another. Why didn't you just volunteer for Thanksgiving?

Also, if it's a four-hour shift, then I'd just recommend working the shift and getting over it. If it's an eight-hour shift, then yeah...I think that it'd kinda suck to work...
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Phantom1359

Nov 9, 2008, 11:40 AM
Before this turns into a religion war, just remember, you have to work Christmas just like Jews have to work Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Muslims have to work Ramadan, etc. So everyone has their problems. Yes it sucks, but companies are not required by law to provide religious holidays as paid days off. The company provides you Christmas as a paid day off AND gives you holiday pay for being there. If you choose not to show up, it becomes a final written warning and you run the risk of being fired and you will not be paid for that day. Period. HR DOES...let me say that again...DOES...make this public knowledge if you paid attention in Initial Wireless or if you ever asked a Supervisor. Call centers that are open on holidays change on a...
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mellowlen62

Nov 9, 2008, 2:52 PM
There are people of all walks of faith at hospitals (and numerous other jobs) where you just HAVE to work holidays. I don't think they have to ask HR there and I don't think they have to ask HR at Verizon. A store or company (i.e. cellular) that offers a "holiday lineup" will certainly require a "holiday staff". It sucks but it's life.
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Phantom1359

Nov 9, 2008, 3:21 PM
Bingo.
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ihearttestman

Nov 10, 2008, 11:43 AM
Actually it is my understanding that in every interview you are asked if you can work 365 days per year, any hours, open to close. You shouldn't have lied in your interview, then you wouldn't be working at VZW and you wouldn't have to worry about it. There is a reason they ask that question. No one expects you to be happy about it, but perhaps this will be a lesson ... take a 4 hour shift that you are happy with when holiday bids come. If you are able to get a good one, chances are someone with higher seniority, who won't get drafted, would love to take your easy shift for the extra money.
As far as calling in sick, I don't know if there are any set in stone ramifications, but it is irresponsible and unethical to do so if you are not sick ....
(continues)
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Yellowrose

Nov 10, 2008, 8:47 PM
Well, without reading every single response... At the location I know of.. If you have sick time you can take it of course you won't get holiday pay also as for firing.. you would have to be on a Final warning to be fired for calling out sick. Some locations have shift-trade boards on about you, usually you can find someone to take the time from you.. Moral is to sign up early for holiday that you don't care if you have to work thus avoids you from being picked on one's you prefer not to work.
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bbluv4u

Nov 11, 2008, 5:38 PM
I think calling off sick would be a huge problem and could likely cause you to lose your job. You can try talking to your sup and they may be able to work something out if you have a religious serivce or something to attend. Keep in mind, too, if you call off sick you won't get paid for that day or get your holiday pay plus, if you are on corrective action at the end of the year, your merit increase, etc will be decreased.
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Azeron

Nov 11, 2008, 11:45 PM
Ummm...yeah. That's bright. Telegraph that sick day. If you're sick...you're sick. They can't ask you what's wrong with you. In a retail store, they can because as long as you have a doctor's excuse you can call in sick. There is no limit. In a call center, you get five sick days per year. That's it. Can't use a vacation or personal day, but if you have been wise enough to save one or more sick days time is running out. Use it or lose it.
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wehrbright

Dec 25, 2017, 1:21 PM
If you think they are going to write off your illness which just so happens to coincidentally happened on Christmas the largest major holiday of the year, and also only lasted 24 hours, then you must think people are quite a bit stupider than they really are. There's nothing they'll be able to do probably, but you're going to develop a reputation.

I myself am a chef. I can't remember the last time I had a Christmas off.!
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