Taking your child to work

[Monkey Magic]

This made me raise my eyebrows a little today.

Our guard/train manager was guarding with his son/a small child in tow.

I am curious as to whether it is normal policy on the railway for people to take their children to work with them. Especially in what most would consider a safety critical job. I appreciate that childcare is often difficult to get but it struck me as a little unorthodox.

 

[lonogrol]

I know a driver that is a regular late man that takes his kids with him for the first trip if he cant get a dead late ... they sit in the first car right behind the cab & his missus meets the train to pick the kids up.

 

[SPADTrap]

This made me raise my eyebrows a little today.

I live in FGW land, and our guard/train manager on the train today was a manager/administrator.

What surprised me that he was guarding with his son/a small child in tow.

I am curious as to whether it is normal policy on the railway for people to take their children to work with them. Especially in what most would consider a safety critical job. I appreciate that childcare is often difficult to get but it struck me as a little unorthodox.

Would depend on what the child was doing?

 

[yorkie]

I can't see how it's a problem for a train that's in service. I'd imagine it would only become a problem if the turn required the Guard to be on empty coaching stock (ECS) workings or suchlike.

 

[Monkey Magic]

Well, not much, but when he opened the doors he got out with the child and his attention seemed to be as much on the child as the job.

I've seen other people sit their children down in part of the train, given them a book/phone game, told them to sit and behave themselves and then gone off and dealt with their job and that I can understand.

 

[455driver]

It's even worse when your a driver with a young child, have you ever tried breastfeeding as your braking for a red? :roll:

 

[jopsuk]

Sounds like an awful idea for anyone in a safety critical role- surely against the rules?

 

[scott118]

It's even worse when your a driver with a young child, have you ever tried breastfeeding as your braking for a red? :roll:

...whilst the bobby is calling you & you've got heavy WSP - nightmare!

 

[yorkie]

It's even worse when your a driver with a young child, have you ever tried breastfeeding as your braking for a red?

...whilst the bobby is calling you & you've got heavy WSP - nightmare!

That reminds me of this scene from The Naked Gun 33 1/3
[youtube]akrTlYc40XE[/youtube]

Back on topic...

Sounds like an awful idea for anyone in a safety critical role- surely against the rules?

Providing the child was in the passenger saloon of a train in service I'm not sure what rules would be broken? Of course if the child was taken onto the track, on ECS workings etc then that would be a rather different matter.

 

[Gemz91]

We had a notice posted about 6 years ago, informing us that it was unacceptable to bring your child to work (on trains) and anybody found to be doing so would face disciple action. Not sure what the situation was which caused the notice to be posted.

 

[313103]

Sounds like an awful idea for anyone in a safety critical role- surely against the rules?

It is against the rules, however as FGW are on strike and this person was strike breaking we can forget any action being taken.

 

[455driver]

We had a notice posted about 6 years ago, informing us that it was unacceptable to bring your child to work (on trains) and anybody found to be doing so would face disciple action.

Praise the Lord for that!

 

[Gemz91]

Praise the Lord for that!

Think there was an obvious spelling mistake there!

 

[the sniper]

It is against the rules, however as FGW are on strike and this person was strike breaking we can forget any action being taken.

100% correct. Folks playing trains can do what they like... This ranks pretty low on the scale of what people like this can/have got away with over the years.

 

[CC 72100]

I've had a normal guard work a train with his child before - quiet train (10 passengers max), and a short trip (under an hour) at about 9pm at night. The child even came with dad to do revenue!

Don't think anybody really thought anything untoward of it.

 

[Robertj21a]

This made me raise my eyebrows a little today.

Our guard/train manager was guarding with his son/a small child in tow.

I am curious as to whether it is normal policy on the railway for people to take their children to work with them. Especially in what most would consider a safety critical job. I appreciate that childcare is often difficult to get but it struck me as a little unorthodox.

Certainly seems a bit strange. As has been mentioned numerous times, the guard is supposed to be the key safety official on a train, not someone who could be easily distracted by a young family member.

 

[Pinza-C55]

I've had a normal guard work a train with his child before - quiet train (10 passengers max), and a short trip (under an hour) at about 9pm at night. The child even came with dad to do revenue!

Don't think anybody really thought anything untoward of it.

The Normal guards are OK - it's the Abnormal ones you have to watch out for.

 

[bramling]

This made me raise my eyebrows a little today.

Our guard/train manager was guarding with his son/a small child in tow.

I am curious as to whether it is normal policy on the railway for people to take their children to work with them. Especially in what most would consider a safety critical job. I appreciate that childcare is often difficult to get but it struck me as a little unorthodox.

I think it's asking for problems. Ok as long as everything is going to plan, but the moment an out-of-course situation develops then there comes the risk that the member of staff now has an extra problem to worry about - especially if the fact that the child can't be unsupervised is the reason why they're there in the first place.

The only exception is if a child is on an official visit to the railway, although if organising such a day I'd always ensure it was supervised by a member of staff released from duty, precisely so that it doesn't cause a conflict with normal operations - otherwise for example on a cab ride if the train had to be put away in a siding at short notice then you'd have a problem. Not so much an issue if someone is old enough to be able to be unsupervised if required.

 

[3141]

It's even worse when your a driver with a young child, have you ever tried breastfeeding as your braking for a red? :roll:

Only becomes a problem with triplets, in my experience.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Certainly seems a bit strange. As has been mentioned numerous times, the guard is supposed to be the key safety official on a train, not someone who could be easily distracted by a young family member.

Probably not ideal, but as children are permitted on trains there isn't an awful lot to prevent the child (assuming old enough to travel on their own) purchasing a ticket and getting on themselves, so it would be hard to actually ban it.

 

[Longforgan]

I've seen plenty of signallers take their kids to work for various reasons, sometimes with and sometimes without their manager's knowledge. The latter is only a problem if they're caught.

 

[jopsuk]

"only a problem if caught" becomes "a massive problem if something goes wrong"

 

[Robertj21a]

It all just seems rather at odds with the numerous other postings on the forums concerning how guards, drivers etc must always insist on everything being done strictly according to the rule book just in case there's any problem at any time.

I can't believe that part-caring for a small child is a sensible arrangement while acting as a guard.

 

[bramling]

It all just seems rather at odds with the numerous other postings on the forums concerning how guards, drivers etc must always insist on everything being done strictly according to the rule book just in case there's any problem at any time.

I can't believe that part-caring for a small child is a sensible arrangement while acting as a guard.

You're right - it's not.

The subject of childcare can be poisonous as it doesn't always combine well with shiftwork. Where I am there are a large handful of individuals always requesting short-notice leave for childcare reasons. Up to a point this can't be refused, and it conveniently often seems to coincide with weekends, bank holidays, football matches, etc. It's always the same individuals - others with children seem to manage without issues. Meanwhile, these self-same people always seem to be the ones who want every weekend, school holiday and public holiday off no matter what cost - yet strangely seem only too happy to work them if on overtime! It has to be remembered that railway staff are well paid for a reason, partly in recongition that shiftwork is an intrinsic part of the railway - if you don't like it or can't make adequate arrangements to facilitate working shifts, don't take a job that involves shifts, there are plenty of jobs which don't, and plenty of reliable people out there who can organise themselves.

 

[the sniper]

It all just seems rather at odds with the numerous other postings on the forums concerning how guards, drivers etc must always insist on everything being done strictly according to the rule book just in case there's any problem at any time.

We only speak for full time Guards/Drivers.

People playing trains though don't have to follow the rules or even have any real knowledge of the rule book.

 

[Robertj21a]

We only speak for full time Guards/Drivers.

People playing trains though don't have to follow the rules or even have any real knowledge of the rule book.

The original post refers to 'guard/train manager' - so are you saying that he's not full time, and just playing with trains ?

 

[the sniper]

The original post refers to 'guard/train manager' - so are you saying that he's not full time, and just playing with trains ?

Sadly I can't PM you. All I can say is, read the first three posts of this thread carefully.

 

[jopsuk]

My last workplace (laboratory on a factory site) had a strict no children on site rule, even for admin staff.

 

[455driver]

This made me raise my eyebrows a little today.

Our guard/train manager was guarding with his son/a small child in tow.

I am curious as to whether it is normal policy on the railway for people to take their children to work with them. Especially in what most would consider a safety critical job. I appreciate that childcare is often difficult to get but it struck me as a little unorthodox.

Why did you delete the part refering to living in FGW land and the TM being a Manager/administrator?

Was it because there was a strike on so there was a very real possibility that it was a Manager playing at being a TM rather than a bonefide Train Manager which didn't suit your agenda of berating on board staff?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The original post refers to 'guard/train manager' - so are you saying that he's not full time, and just playing with trains ?

Read what the OP originally wrote in the opening post as it is quoted in post 3, he has since seen fit to remove the part about living in FGW land which changes the original post quite considerably.

 

[atillathehunn]

Or could it possibly be because any time a question is raised concerning the activities of onboard staff is raised on here, there is an instant rallying cry from members online to remove any hint of geographical information?

Or does that not suit your agenda of anyone who asks a question being wrong?