Has anyone had work tell you your vacation was in jeopardy?

[AlexandNessa]

Work is crummy as it is, and it's only getting worse. Just yesterday, my manager sent a message to all of us who work in her group saying "needs of the business" no longer allowed our group to have two people on vacation at once.

We are all managers ourselves who work in a technical field. The rule has always been that we do vacation selection by seniority within our group (there our 3 different groups in my org, each one with its own vacation schedule). Beginning in the fall, the first person picks his two weeks of vacation for the following year, and then it goes down the line with everyone picking his or her first two weeks, with no more than two people being allowed off per week. Any remaining vacation is picked in the second round (if you have more than 2 weeks), with the only remaining rule being the 2-people per week rule.

Now, we're a 24x7 center, and with 2 people on vacation at a time you "may" have to work a back-to-back weekend to accommodate vacations, but we all agreed to this, since someone may have to work a back-to-back for you.

Cut to this month... I was the only person who selected the week ending 10/30 as a vacation week in my group. After a reorganization, my manager recruited another person from a different group to join our group who also had that week selected (again he was the only one in his group who had that week selected). Now, after all this heavy recruiting on her part of this other manager, she tries to tell us that our vacations are in jeopardy because "needs of the business" (which I'm not buying -- there is still plenty of coverage while having 2 people on vacation) make it necessary to have only one person off at a time.

Both of us have vacations booked and paid for (parts non-refundable), but she doesn't seem to care, and neither the new manager to our group nor I seem to be getting through to her. I'd go to the district manager above her if I thought he could help, but he's not someone us lowly technical managers can trust. The other managers in my group who are impacted by this are also upset, but again she's not budging.

Any advice?

 

[DoeWDW]

When this happened to me at work, I told them in no uncertain terms that I would be taking my vacation, no matter what. If that meant losing my job, I was willing to pay that price.

We had an impending strike that would have forced me to work, but thankfully the strike never materialized. My managers would have gone to bat for me though, knowing how hard I work and how much I needed that vacation.

I guess you have to decide if this is the one thing you are not willing to budge on.

 

[Bob Slydell]

We were told one year that due to the time constraints on a big implementation we were in the middle of nobody was allowed to take vacation for a certain stretch of time unless an exception was made. But we were given ample warning (basically from the beginning of the project we knew the Go Live date), so everyone adjusted accordingly.

Now, when they tried telling people that they couldn't carry over unused vacation time? That was different -- a pretty big uproar arose and they made exceptions for everyone considering nobody could take the vacation time anyways.

 

[Kimberle]

I don't see how a company that has already approved your time can now "disapprove" it.

I'd get a copy (from your HR dept) of your vacation policy. All employees must be treated the same. Your dept cannot go against the general policy.

I know how it is in management, though, the "politics" can be so nasty.....

Best of luck to you,

 

[mt2]

At one place my DH was advised (quietly) that he shouldn't go on vacation. This was two days before we were supposed to leave for Disney. I had to cancel (delay) the trip. We went the week before Thanksgiving instead of a week in October.

It was a very rough time but worked out in the end. Manager was allowed to leave to pursue other endevers (sp) more suited to the skills he had. LOL

mt2

 

[Disney Doll]

I'd be looking for another job as I would not be able to work for a company who had low ethical standards. Once a vacation is approved, and plans made, it should not be rescinded.

 

[Chicago526]

I can see how they wouldn't allow new vacations to be scheduled that way, but to try to make one of you give up a previously approved week off is rediculous at best. If you have an HR department, I'd get them involved.

Is there work you can do in advance of your vacation that would lessen the load on your co-workers while you're gone? Maybe you can offer to do that as a compromise.

I'd really stand your ground on this if possible. It'd be one thing if you hadn't made non-refundable plans, but since you have, they shouldn't ask you to change.

 

[Jacket93]

Best bet is to check with your HR first before you make a big stink.

I will still go I made plans in Jan 1999 to go Disney in Oct of 1999 Bought the tickets and everything but Company said in March No vacations will be allowed in last 3 months of the year for Y2K rollover. To get the entire infastructure up to date for the big 2000 . I was told no vactions were approved at Manegers discretion and if they needed the manpower it was going to be rejected at that time.

Luckly It was in the begining of Oct and was able to go.

 

[LindaG4458]

I was approved for vacation to take a cruise with some other people. There was another department that was short a person due to lengthly illness. The week before I was to leave I was temporarily (several months) transferred to that department and it was "suggested" that this was a bad time to be away. I said "too bad, it is already paid for, it is non-refundable, we are going with others, see you when I get back". I would have quit at that time. The department had been through several closings shorthanded, so they had to do one more. After that I pitched right in in the new department.

DH never had a good time to be away. When we planned vacations I consulted him for a timeframe and made plans. When I got the usual "There's so much going on..." I told him I was going, he could come or not. He always came along.

 

[Hillbeans]

It does seem terribly unfair b/c the people who vacationed before August got to take their vacation with no hassle.

We have a lot of people to work vacations around at my work as well, and now that all of us have 3 weeks, it's next to impossible to pick weeks that no one else has already. I think asking someone to cancel airline tickets and a cruise to work is so unfair. We all look forward to vacation i'd be very upset if I were asked to cancel mine, especially because someone of a non-emergency.

 

[missypie]

I agree that it is really unfair, but remember that folks have long memories, and if you take your vacation, it could come up on your evaluation for years to come. That's not fair, but it's human nature and people aren't always nice. One lawyer here ruined her career by taking a vacation at a very busy time...folks just wouldn't forget it.

 

[ladyandthescamp]

I think it is very unfair. I was actually told by my manager that I was not going to be "allowed" to take a 10 day honeymoon (that I'd been saving the days for)! Now, how ridiculous is that? I was told the department couldn't "afford to let me take more than 5 days"... believe me I am NOT that important to the overall success of the company ... if I were I'd be making a heck of alot more money and have less responsibility

 

[chrissyk]

Yes, which is why I so prefer being self-employed, LOL! Seriously, the "needs of the business" came up one too many times at my old job. I finally quit, after 7 years of that garbage. I am SO glad that I did, too. I've never regretted it once

 

[bigbabyblues]

We had to cancel out Outer Banks trip in May because of DH work, but it ended up putting us at Disney in Sept instead of next May! Worked out for us, and the company reimbursed 100% of what we had paid on our rental house for the week. Didn't make it totally ok, but it helped.

It stinks, that's for sure!

 

[arminnie]

Here's some vacation horror stories from back when I worked for the Evil Empire (EDS).

Right before Christmas a division manager cancelled ALL vacations and made everyone come in and work 7 days a week including Christmas and New Years. Now here's the clincher - for a project that wasn't due for TWO years.

It was really just a power play to prove that he could do it. The young employees had to sign a note for several thousand dollars that they would stay for 3 years after their training. They could not afford to quit. Most were from out of town which meant they could not see their families and they totally lost their airfare.

In another instance a woman had a healthy baby after having two miscarriages. She got a 6 week maternity leave and ASKED (not demanded) for two additional weeks of unpaid time off. She was FIRED for asking for the extra time. I actually hired her back and allowed her to take about 3-4 months off before coming back but I was hated by other managers for doing that. (and she was ranked as our top employee).

This is the company where I was reprimanded for telling my employees that they had done a good job - I was supposed to leave them feeling like they didn't quite measure up and that they should try harder next time.

Boy was I glad when the economy picked up and I could leave.

 

[disykat]

In the weeks/days before our wedding, all heck broke loose at DH's work. It was mentioned to him that it wasn't a good time to take vacation and he should consider cancelling! I guess they thought that if he couldn't postphone the whole thing they'd just give him one evening off for the wedding and we could just cancel the honeymoon. I kind of laugh that it's a good thing we had never "been together" before our wedding, because I'm sure that was dh's motivation for not even considering it!

None of dh's coworkers were able to come to the wedding. He was also on track for a promotion that ended up being delayed for two years because he missed the critical operation phase of that project. I think it was worth it and am glad dh didn't give into the pressure.

DH has watched many divorces happen in his workplace, all blamed on too much work.

I think most places (of any size, anyway) couldn't get away with canceling a pre-approved vacation. That doesn't stop them from the pressure tactics though!

 

[mmexpress]

My boss would never think about messing with my vacation.

 

[ZachnElli]

We had to change our June 2003 Disney trip to July 2003 (6 weeks later). Dh's boss decided to schedule a meeting that he just couldn't miss (on dh's b-day no less) and we had to reschedule everything and had to give up Cindy's ressies. We had to pay to change all 4 plane tickets. Then he left a message for all his employees that they shouldn't plan or book anything more than 90 days out and not before consulting him first! He is not CEO or VP or asst VP or anything like that, just a guy with an ego trip! Of course he takes at least a 1 week vacation every 2 months! Dh doesn't work for him anymore! Dh's new company is big on letting everyone take vacations!

 

[disneychrista]

Originally posted by Kimberle

I'd get a copy (from your HR dept) of your vacation policy. All employees must be treated the same. Your dept cannot go against the general policy.

This is not necessarily the same. Each Dept can have their own set of rules depending on the needs of that Department. Of course your department must follow whatever policy it has set, consistantly with all employees in that department.

Also if you have any nonrefundable plans I would deffiently put in for those to be refunded.

 

[AlexandNessa]

Thanks, everyone. Our HR department is all automated (online and phone, if you can believe it. Where is the "human" part of HR? )

We have a "staff meeting" to discuss this on Tuesday. Should be a great meeting (are you sensing my sarcasm?).