Issue regarding taking vacation time at work

[LilyWDW]

But those were days she had accrued. Is she supposed to just keep adding days and never take them? Or if she earns 4-5 weeks per year (which is what these vacation days would equal for half a year), is she only really supposed to take 2?

What I am saying is that the boss may feel that every time they turn around, this person is asking for time off. I can understand the feeling as I used to have an employee doing that. Plus, if the rest of the employees are not doing that, then it really stands out and gets noticed.

Not saying they can not use their time, I am just stating how it LOOKS and why it might stand out and be questioned.

 

[Disney Doll]

I'd take a look at the vacation policy and see what it says. Refresh my memory, so to speak.

If the policy is a "first come first serve" one, then you are well within your rights to request your vacations as you wish. Everyone has the same opportunity to be "first". I am assuming that you do not request them during the busiest times of your work year (ie-if you worked for a tax accountant, requesting vacation from March 15-April 15 would probably be a bad idea ).

If you want to be super nice, then, as a PP suggested, you could ask your direct co-workers (whose workload might be affacted by your absence) if they have any vacation plans for that time period, then you could approach your boss with "I'd like to take a vacation from July 12-19 and I have spoken to Mary, John, Joe and Bill and none of them want vacation during that time". The fact that your boss seems to be a workaholic who doesn't take vacation is moot. That's his/her decision to make, just as enjoying your vacation benefit is your decision to make.

When I first started working I ran into that situation. My uncle was retiring as a high ranking military official. The ceremony was scheduled for June. I told my supervisor the previous October that I would be needing that week off in June of the upcoming year. She gave me the same line of baloney "Well I don't know. What if someone else wants that week off? You might not be able to have it".

I pointed out to her that I was asking her WELL in advance (it was 8 months) and other people had the opportunity to do the same if they so desired. (We had a first come first serve request system too). She repeated that I would have to wait and if no one else wanted it then I could have it.

It aggravated me so I said to her "Let me put this another way. I won't be here for that week in June. If you want me to come back the week after, let me know. If you want me to leave today, let me know. But I see no reason why I should be the 2nd class citizen who has to wait for everyone else to decide what THEY want before I can request a vacation".

I wasn't the new kid on the block, I had already "paid my dues", I wasnt taking a vacation every other week. I was asking for one week's vacation 8 months from that time and she couldn't tell me yes or no in case someone else wanted it. I don't think so.

Thankfully she came to her senses and it all worked out. But I never really did understand why she thought that I should be the 2nd class citizen and hold off on my vacation plans until all other 60 nurses on my floor decided what they wanted.

 

[luvsJack]

What I am saying is that the boss may feel that every time they turn around, this person is asking for time off. I can understand the feeling as I used to have an employee doing that. Plus, if the rest of the employees are not doing that, then it really stands out and gets noticed.

Not saying they can not use their time, I am just stating how it LOOKS and why it might stand out and be questioned.

You may be right. We get very generous personal and medical leave days. In the first 5 years of employment it equals over 2 weeks a year plus several medical days (not sure exactly how many) and it goes up from there. Keep in mind, we additionally get 2 weeks off at Christmas, 1 week at Thanksgiving, spring break and all legal holidays and 2 days at Mardi Gras.

We have two ladies, on of which has been with the college over 20 years that take every one of their days over the year. They may take a couple of weeks, plus some hours or days here and there. They are never docked because they are within the days/hours they have been given. BUT, the VP does look at their leave forms every month and has questioned some of their time off. The college is generous enough to give us quite a bit of time but the offices still have to remain open, so there is questions if they just seem to be taking too much.

Now, I will say that our time is accrued so we don't lose any of it. At retirement or if resigning, we can take up to 10 days of vacation time and the medical days are rolled into our retirement.

 

[okeydokey]

I do the schedules for 42 people.

Anyone who has asked for vacation days in the last 6 months, is put at the end of the ability to take vacation list.

We don't grant vacation requests more than 6 weeks in advance, unless it is a week long vacation that requires a financial deposit.

During the time period of (June - Labor day weekend) - Full week requests are the only vacations granted; until every single person has chosen a vacation week or signed off that they will not be taking a vacation.

No vacation is granted Thanksgiving week - New Years day



Single days that are on a Friday or a Monday are given out in an extremely limited manner.

Vacation requests can be denied by me for any work related reason as long as the person is offered an alternate week long vacation.

What a horrible place to work. Yikes.

 

[Bob NC]

My guess is your boss is looking at how often you are asking for time off. To be honest, as a manager I would be as well.

Not saying they can not use their time, I am just stating how it LOOKS and why it might stand out and be questioned.

I honestly don't understand this. How do you use your vacation time without it "looking" like you are using your vacation time.

I have managed employees before, 80+ in one position, and I have never questioned, or looked oddly at anyone in how they want to use their EARNED benefit of vacation time. Now, if someone repeatedly wants off for unearned, unpaid time, there I have an issue.

In my current position I have 6 weeks paid time off. I know of no policy, written or unwritten, where I need to space out my days off to satisfy some managers idea of what does or does not FEEL right to him or her.

Are you, as a manager, really saying that your employees should not use their vacation time because of how it might LOOK?

Of course my next question is why in the world would you award vacation time as a benefit to an employee if you don't want him to use it?

Do you treat medical situations the same to people you provide insurance benefits to? Are people looked upon negatively if they have multiple health issues they need to take care of?

 

[mjkacmom]

What I am saying is that the boss may feel that every time they turn around, this person is asking for time off. I can understand the feeling as I used to have an employee doing that. Plus, if the rest of the employees are not doing that, then it really stands out and gets noticed.

Not saying they can not use their time, I am just stating how it LOOKS and why it might stand out and be questioned.

I'm guessing it's along the lines of, let's say one's hours are 9 - 5. However, everyone else tends to come in early, and/or stay late. Then there is one person coming in at 9, and always leaving at 5. Sure, it's their right, but it's a perception that the individual is just clocking the minimum hours.

DH gets about 6 weeks (and as many sick days he needs - hasn't taken one in over 6 years). There is no way he takes 6 weeks (and he doesn't have a cushy union job that allows him to hold them for next year, or cash them out). He has too much work to do to take that much time off, and it would look pretty poorly if he took a week off every other month.

In this economy and job market, maybe it's not the best idea to take all of your vacation days (especially if others are grumbling, or having to take on more work), or leave the office at 5 every day. You can, of course, but others will make a mental note.

 

[Andrea]

At my work place there is only 5 of us. It is very hard for me to take time off of work. There is one girl we work with who is always asking for a day here or a day there off ( she has the vacation time) but out of the 5 of us it is always her who wants day here or there. She is also the one who leaves right when it's time to walk out the door and sometimes we just can't up and leave at 6 when our shift is over.

My boss can no longer take it and has put an ad out to replace her. I have over 210 hours of vacation time saved up but there is no way i would try to use it all at once.

 

[prncess674]

At my work place there is only 5 of us. It is very hard for me to take time off of work. There is one girl we work with who is always asking for a day here or a day there off ( she has the vacation time) but out of the 5 of us it is always her who wants day here or there. She is also the one who leaves right when it's time to walk out the door and sometimes we just can't up and leave at 6 when our shift is over.

My boss can no longer take it and has put an ad out to replace her. I have over 210 hours of vacation time saved up but there is no way i would try to use it all at once.

Sorry I disagree. It sounds like your employer is understaffed if you can't even take off one day without the whole place turning to he!! and a handbasket. No one is saying taking 210 hours at one time, your coworker is asking for an 8 hour Friday and you have been so bamboozled to believe that this is somehow going to send the company into a tailspin! I think your employer has brainwashed you into believing you that an occasional Friday off from your 210 hour bank is detrimental to the compan.

Pleae let me know what you do that would is so critical that you can't take your EARNED vacation?!?! If the company is so critical to the well being of the country, then your employer should pay out their employees for unused vacation at the end of the year, if actually taking said vacation would be catastrophic to the company. Vacation time is part of an employees compensation package and if taking said compensation is catastrophic to the company, the said company should either hire more employees or reduce vacation time and increase pay to compensatate for the reduced vacation time.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I agree with the above.

If vacation is part of your employment package, then, the employer should not withhold this any more than they should be able to withhold your pay.

My time off means a LOT to me.
My employer does not own me, 24/7, 365....

If one is being denied the vacation that they have earned, sounds like gross mismanagement, and almost a legal labor/employment issue.

If the original poster is, indeed, getting time off... it is just inappropriate to have her go check with other employees. ( clearly, if they wanted off, they could and SHOULD have already made their request, and had it on the calendar).

If it were to become a more serious issue, that might be a huge dealbreaker for me.

 

[tasha99]

At my work place there is only 5 of us. It is very hard for me to take time off of work. There is one girl we work with who is always asking for a day here or a day there off ( she has the vacation time) but out of the 5 of us it is always her who wants day here or there. She is also the one who leaves right when it's time to walk out the door and sometimes we just can't up and leave at 6 when our shift is over.

My boss can no longer take it and has put an ad out to replace her. I have over 210 hours of vacation time saved up but there is no way i would try to use it all at once.

If that's the case, it's my opinion that your vacation has no value. I would rather work a higher paying, lower benefits job than earn benefits I can't really use. It's basically your boss taking advantage--he or she can "offer" vacation to make the compensation package look better than it is. It's a one way problem, though. I'm sure if you offered a skill, but then couldn't really use it at work, you'd be out of a job.

 

[aprilgail2]

You aren't perhaps requesting July 2-3, are you, or 5-6? Taking days around "every" holiday is not going to sit well with your co-workers, who have probably not made plans this far in advance for their holiday weekends.
.

At my job thats the beauty of seniority-we pick in seniority order but the only downside is that we have to pick in Sept for the following year and what you pick is what you are stuck with. I pick first and I take Christmas Week, Thanksgiving Week, 4th of July Week and 2 other weeks in the summer. We have 3 people that can take off the same weeks and usually Christmas and 4th of July are gone to the top 3 people every year. My first year by the time it got to me I could choose between the 2nd week in Jan and the 3rd week in Oct LOL---but it all works out in the end because eventually you move up and can get what you want. No one can complain someone else gets a week they should get because its all based on seniority!

 

[Janepod]

My office had a rule that whoever put in first, got the requested days. The problem then became on Jan. 2, *everyone* would flood the approval system asking for the day after Thanksgiving, days around Christmas, July 3/5, etc. So our manager's policy became that no one was approved til everyone submitted their requests, so she could spread it around. (E.g., if you got the day after Thanksgiving, you might not get the day after Christmas.) Maybe this is what your boss is trying to do - make sure everyone's wishes are heard.

It is frustrating as a planner (and I'm one - I can tell you our vacation dates and plans through 2014) but not everyone is able to plan far in advance. People have to make sure their spouse can get off, and plan around other people who aren't as organized. (E.g., my husband knows he has to take a Friday and Monday in July for a bachelor party - but the groom *still* hasn't decided which weekend.) It is tough for a manager to keep everyone happy, and that really is what good managers try to do.

 

[DeaverTex]

In short, yes, it is very common for employees to be expected to not take their vacation time. It's expected where I work, and even stated in so many words by the owner on occasion. This by an owner who claims to believe that people need their vacation time, and who takes quite a bit of time off during the year. It's one of the joys of the "employment at will" concept that exists in many states.