Minerva

I live in New Jersey, in an urban, car-centric (read: almost zero bike commuters) county. Using a bike for transportation purposes is seriously looked at here as something that only illegal immigrants and drunks do. I have been commuting the 25RT commute on and off for 4 or 5 years and lately, due to car troubles, I am commuting full time. Last winter, my boss and I got into a rather stern debate about the safety of my nighttime commute and she all but nearly stole my bike and forced me into a car. I managed to get out of there intact on my bike to see that she bade another co-worker to follow me to the LBS where I had stopped before riding home to implore me to get a ride instead. She seems to feel like there is no reason why I would choose to ride a "dangerous" bike when she lives close to me and can give me a ride. She even went so far as to call the big boss and try to get me in trouble for wanting to do something like ride home in the dark (I have an appropriate lighting system/flashers/reflectors). I follow the rules of the road to the letter and consider myself extremely prepared for nighttime/winter riding but she just won't leave me alone about it. She has even bad-mouthed me to other co-workers who have then approached me at my desk to chide me or call me "crazy".

As darkness is falling sooner now and her consternations have increased, I tried to calmly explain the preparations that I have taken to be visable, explained my route, the principals of vehicular cycling and tried to dispell some of the common myths about the dangers of cycling, but she refuses to leave me alone about it. It's very condescending and I'm really starting to feel like I'm going to lose my temper. Please, if anyone has experienced something similar, how did you deal with it without losing your temper and your job??

Thanks,
M

jeffpoulin

Tell your boss, in as stern a way as possible, that what you do outside of work is none of her business.

TandemGeek

Approach A.

Question to employer: Is this prohibited by company policy?

Answer? Yes... Show me. End of debate and tell everyone 'thanks' for their concern.
Answer? No... End of debate. Tell everyone 'thanks' for their concern, it means a lot to know that your team cares about your well-being.

Approach B.

Assuming the answer to A, above is No... Grow thicker skin, go about doing your job being sure that cycle commuting doesn't negatively impact your performance or attendance in any way, be prepared for a big "I told you so" if there is an incident and then figure out how to deal with it going forward based on the outcome.

Approach C.

Confess to your supervisor that you're actually an illegal immigrant with a drinking problem and it's your duty to ride a bicycle.


Here's the deal: 25 year employee, white collar, senior management at a very conservative and very large firm (60 VPs and it's not a bank) who rides a motorcycle to work year-round, hot or cold wet or dry. I wear full gear and invariably my bike(s) have traditionally been the only one in the parking lot through most of the winter and on days when the weather is awful. Every time someone new joins the leadership team who didn't know of my 'riding habit' they feel it's their duty to casually warn me of the hazards of riding a motorcycle or offer up a story of someone who knew someone who knew someone that was killed or maimed for life riding a motorcycle. The only way I know to derail anyone who wants to offer up a protracted dissertation on how dangerous riding a motorcycle is is to tell them that I don't ride my motorcycle for recreation on weekends when most of that bad stuff happens; instead my wife and I ride our bikes out of the public roads. At that point most figure I have a death wish and move on. Now, unbeknownst to me I could be career limited by my behavior and not realize it. But, then again, I work to live (instead of living to work) so at this point it's a trade-off that I'm willing to accept. If my priorities or opportunities change in the future I may decide that riding the big bike isn't practical or prudent, but I'll deal with that bridge when I come to it.

PS. I have no idea how bad it may be in Middlesex these days, so I'll trust your assessment is fair and balanced and that your fellow employees are over-reacting, as urbanites in the Mid-Atlantic can often times do. Last time I rode a bike Northern New Jersey was in Bergen County (Ramsey) around 1974.

nwmtnbkr

Actually, unless it's causing you to be late periodically, your mode of transportation shouldn't be concern to your supervisor. (It may be of interest to your company's HR staff if your company provides qualified transportation fringe benefits under the IRS Code.) It sounds as if your supervisor may be a worrier who is concerned about the employees under her supervision, which can be a good thing. Unfortunately, her personal concerns/fears of riding a bicycle are impacting her view of the safety of your commute. Perhaps you need to ready yourself for a personal meeting with her where you can layout all the reasons you use a bicycle to commute, in a calm and professional manner (don't let your frustration over her concerns for you impact your tone at this meeting, be calm and polite). In fact, if I were you, I'd actually prepare talking points laying out all your reasons for commuting by bike--environmentally friendlier, healthier (exercise and stress reduction), fiscally sounder for your budget. If your company offers qualified transportation fringe benefits, but does not currently offer it for bicycle commuters, you might point out to her that under the IRS Code 132(f) bicycle commuters are now covered (this is a voluntary benefit, not mandatory so employers have the discretion not offer such benefits). Are there jobs in other departments that are of interest to you? The other option is to try to transfer to a department where she won't be your immediate supervisor. Good luck. Try to stay calm and collected.

d2create

As long as your riding is in no way interfering with your job performance, ignore her.

stormchaser

How about dropping a purchase order for a new car on her desk?

xtrajack

After I started riding to work, one morning as I was getting ready to leave to go home, it was raining hard. My boss asked me if I was going to be okay riding home. (I think that it was the third or fourth day that I had been riding.) I gave him my best Huh look and asked him why wouldn't I be? He replied because it is raining. I replied "I'm not made of sugar, salt or s**t, I don't believe I'll melt." I then explained that I had it covered. That pretty much took care of the issues, once he realized that I had thought it out and had the proper gear for wet and cold weather. I have been riding to work daily since.

Kevin666

How smothering.

What ever happened to the good old-fashioned boss who doesn't give a crap if you're safe, so long as the work gets done?

You should start calling her mom and ask to borrow money for the mall.

10 Wheels

Ask her to buy you a new set of lights.

coldfeet

How many people in the company?
How often are you late/not there because of cycling?
How many of the others have been late/not there because of driving?
How many have had accidents/injured because of driving?
How many of the others are sick/unhealthy compared to you?

These are some of the points to consider when marshaling your defenses, how you employ them is up to you. It might be as well to investigate your local labor laws concerning what constitutes harassment/unfair practices.

If you think this is going to get to the point where you have to leave or get fired, documenting things is the way to go, but that can precipitate action. I'd love to help more, but you're on the spot and the only one with a feel for these people.

imi

I'd probably thank her for caring so much, give her a hug and assure her that I'll be especially careful now that I know how much I mean to her... ><

MMACH 5

I have dealt with this to a much lesser degree. Anytime we have to work later than about 10:00pm, my boss tries to call a taxi for me. I live ~24 miles from the office so the cab fare is over $50 (which she offers to pay). I've always graciously turned down the offer. The one time she kind of flipped out was when I had a crash and broke two fingers on the way home. It was wet and my tire went out from under me while crossing a train track. I explained that it had nothing to do with the fact that I was riding at night. She didn't exactly buy it, but she hasn't pushed it any farther.

I have three women in middle management, directly above me. They've all got kids and attribute their concern to being programmed to worried about their offspring (we're all about the same age). I tell them that I really am careful and thank them for caring.

It really does sound like your boss is a little unreasonable about your commuting. All you can do is try and assure her that you are careful and don't have a death wish.

LesMcLuffAlot

Is she fat? She's just jealous of your svelteness.

Minerva

Lol... I'm a chick, but incidentally, she could do with more than a few hours on a bicycle herself if you know what I mean. Maybe feels threatened by me in some way.

Everyone's suggestions have been great.. I actually work in the HR department and I know there is no policy against it, so maybe I can use this experience to try and advocate for bike commuters. There must be others at my job who would consider a bicycle commute if the intimidation factor was lessened. I am going to research those IRS incentives and do some informal polling in other departments.

P.S. I work for a school system and as far as I know, only one of our eleven schools has bike racks for the (few) kids whose parents allow them to ride in on a bicycle. I think I'm going to appeal to the advisors of the school-based environmental clubs to work with me on addressing this issue. My boss will suddenly seem very unpopular to the community at large if she's going against 100 student environmentalists.

Edit: I have never been late to work due to cycling, in fact, I arrive 1/2 hour early. I have thankfully never sustained an injury and am in very good health. These are at least facts that I can use for my own defense.

hairnet

+1

TandemGeek

You don't need to appeal to environmentalism to make your case... If it's not prohibited, it's not prohibited.

Building a case that shows "I'm right, you're wrong" even in a private way will not address any underlying issues that exist between you and your boss and will likely exacerbate any friction that already exists. Think through your long-term goal here....

I believe you simply wanted to be able to ride your bike to work.

chephy

Wow. Talk about crossing boundaries. I'd be pretty mad. I'm with jeffpoulin. Messing with your personal property and physically forcing you into a car is against the law. Not that calling the police is a good idea, but a very, very stern warning is in order. No need to come off as hostile, but you need to be firm.

I would not feel compelled to explain anything to her about lights etc., unless I actually wanted to educate her about bikes in general (which I might). But I'd be careful to use a tone that does not come off as "asking for permission".

You could tell her just outright that her warnings bother you, that you find them condescending and intruding. Then ask her, very clearly, to stop. Drop the word "harassed" in there somewhere... see how quickly that shuts her mouth. Be very polite throughout all this, even friendly, but not apologetic.

chephy

If there were a policy against that, I'm pretty sure you could fight it. It's none of their business what you do before and after work. A policy about storing and riding bikes on their property is a different matter, but that just means you can park it across the street.

Luddite

At the company I used to work at, the nice accounting lady was SERIOUSLY worried about me riding, especially after I crashed twice (neither were serious crashes) I would change the subject when she started talking about it, maybe do the same? Just change the subject.

Keep riding, SHOW them that cycling is no more or less dangerous than driving a cage. Live by example!

tsl

This is completely inappropriate workplace behavior, no matter what the topic is. Ordinarily I'd recommend you take up the matter with HR. Since the offender is in HR, your only recourse is to go above her.

Follow the advice HR departments everywhere give regarding workplace harassment--document, document, document, then get witnesses and have them document.

Respond to her harassment firmly, and unequivocally, telling her that it is inappropriate workplace behavior, then ask her to stop. Be polite, but use direct language that can't be misinterpreted.

Do not engage in "educating" or arguing with her on the topic. Stay on message that it is inappropriate behavior and that it must stop.

Documenting both sides every time it happens will help protect you in case she interferes with your career in order to further her harassment, (or in retaliation for you going above her) and will protect you when you need to present your case to upper management or in court.

Big_e

+2. Since she's so concerned, new tires would definatly contribute to your safety and how about that nifty helmet?

Sirrus Rider

Like others have stated check your company's policies to ensure that bike commuting is not expressly forbidden. Seeing you supervisor has taken upon herself to harass you (including moving/taking your bike) on company time this might be a matter for HR to intervene and explain to manager that what you do on your own time is your business. Additionally, by moving/taking your bike you manger is making both herself and the company liable for the missing property.

Luddite

How the hell could they forbid cycle commuting? Wouldn't that be a trifle illegal?

Bah Humbug

In a Right to Work state, not really. It would be silly, but not illegal.

Luddite

What is "Right to Work?"

Heck, I gave one weeks' notice at the job I just left, I was being harassed by the HR hag about why I was leaving so I called the gubment and turns out, up here you don't HAVE to give notice, they have no right to ask WHY you're leaving *and* if a future employer calls to confirm your employment there, they can't "slander" you to that employer. I betcha no employer here would dream of trying to forbid employees from cycle commuting.

Work controls enough of our lives/time as it is, no sense throwing away ALL your freedom.