Job Offer-Vacation Time Question

[vacanut]

I was offered a job but am hesitant due to their vacation policy.

After 1 full year you get 1 week vacation time, after 3 full years you get 2 weeks and after 5 full years you get 3 weeks.

Vacation time has to be used in weekly buckets, no partial weeks and if you use your vtime in a holiday week you are paid 48 hrs and use 1 weeks time.

There is no personal/sick time.

Can anyone share their policies? Does this seem unreasonable?

 

[SC Minnie]

We get 1 week after 6 months and 2 after 1 year. 3 at 5 yrs and 4 at 12.

We can take our vacation anytime we want. Some departments have restrictions on when they can take time as well as how much at one time due to coverage.

I work for a very large co, over 50,000 employees worldwide.

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

Unless I had absolutely no other choice, I wouldn't take the job. Their policy is pretty stingy.

 

[stinkerbelle]

I started working for a very small company right out of college.
right off the bat, I was giving 4 weeks vacation. (or 20 days)
each year I earned an extra day up to a max of 5 days.

so, being here almost 7 years (even though my small company was bought by a big company), I get 25 days. (broken up by half days, single days, weeks - whatever)

we used to be able to carry over up to half our allotment (one year I had 44 days to take!) now we can only carry over 10 or 12...I forget...so I average getting 30ish days a year.

I do loathe this job...but the paid time off rocks.

and no offense, but that vacation policy sucks. 1 week? and it HAS to be a week?

 

[NMAmy]

I guess it depends on what kind of job it is--different kinds of businesses have different policies.

When I first started this job, I received 98 hours vacation time. I've been here 3 years and now I get 120 hours per year plus 98 hours personal/sick leave. Vacation time will raise again at 5, 7, and 10 years. We can take vacation however we'd like--a week, a day, a few hours at a time. We also get a week or more at Christmas that counts as holiday pay--doesn't count as vacation. I work at a college--and the liberal vacation policy is one reason I do.

Personally, I wouldn't take a job with a vacation policy like that unless I absolutely had to. Vacation time is important to me.

 

[tar heel]

Totally unreasonable and very much like the policy at my first job out of college. I was only there two years, so it wasn't that big a deal, but I would hate to spend a career with that policy.

Is this an hourly job? So, no pay if you're sick? Undoubtedly people come to work sick if that's the case.

Where are you in your career? Have you tried to negotiate the vacation? I got an extra week of vacation in my salary negotiations for my current job and my DH has had an employee or two that came in at a higher vacation level.

 

[Planogirl]

If you need the job, maybe take it but continue looking. Otherwise, I'd pass this one by.

From my experience, if they're stingy with days off, they're probably stingy in other areas too. I personally wouldn't touch it and I need a job!

 

[Sandy V.]

Unless I really needed that job, I probably wouldn't take it because the vacation policy seems really stingy and stringent. And the no sick leave policy is unreasonable.

I don't like the "must take it in weekly increments" part. I guess I'm very fortunate, because I can take mine by the hour.

Like Planogirl said, if they're this stingy with vacation, there's a good chance that they'll be stingy in other areas.

 

[vacanut]

I am currently unemployed. My last company closed.

Everything else is in line, the pay, the job is perfect, everything except the time off. I thought maybe I was being picky.

 

[CapeCodTenor]

I got 3 weeks at my new job, plus 6 sick days and 2 personal days. Not to sure how much, if any, is added per year, but I like what I have right now.

 

[DeLaMer]

I get 5 days after a year. No sick days. No personal days. I'm a commission based and tipped employee. The salary I get is based on average commissions without tips.

I'm not complaining, but if you need a job, you need a job You have to decide what you're willing to accept and what you're willing to live without

 

[Bob Slydell]

It didn't sound overly unreasonable (a little stingy, yes) until you got to the full weeks only part. That part's nuts -- I think in the 12 years or so I've been out of college, I've taken a full week off maybe twice! Why they would have a policy like that is beyond me.

 

[mtdevine615]

Our company policy is the first year is prorated depending on when you start. If you started July 1st you would get 10 days. We get 20 days for years 1 - 5, 25 days for years 6 - 10, and 30 days after 10 years. It can be used in half day increments.

 

[Chicago526]

Here, your first year (and a year goes by your hire date, not the calendar year) you get 1 week. 2-4 years you get 2 1/2 weeks, 5-9 years you get 3 1/2 weeks, and 10+ years I think we get either 4 or 4 1/2 weeks. We also get 12 sick days per year, 2 of which we can use as personal days. We can bank sick days year to year but vacation time it's use it or lose it. They want us to take our vacation time, a rested employee is a productive one.

Overall, what you've described is not the worst vacation time I've ever seen, but obviously I've seen better. If you like every other aspect of the job offer (medical benifits, 401k or other retirement plans, sick time, job duties and of course, wages/salery) then I'd take it. If the other areas are lack luster and you can afford to, I'd keep looking if I were in your shoes.

Edited to add: Oh I just saw in your post that there is NO sick time. Forget it, keep looking. Vacation time is less important than paid sick time, IMO and any company that won't give at least a few paid sick days per year sounds like it would be bad to work for, period. How can a company expect it's workers to never get sick?

 

[Maleficent13]

Have you tried to negotiate it? Sometimes just asking will get you something.

Or you could take it and keep looking?

I do agree the time off policy sucks. I did turn down an offer recently due solely to the lack of PTO available. But I am currently employed, so it wasn't a "have to" situation.

 

[Barb D]

NO sick time? What do you do if you're sick? Take leave without pay?

We get 2 weeks for the first 3 years, then 3 weeks until 15 years, and then 4 weeks. We also get unlimited sick leave as long as we don't abuse it, and 2 months fully paid maternity leave. Men get 2 weeks of fully paid paternity leave.

I can't imagine only getting 1 week, and having to use it all at once. I'm constantly using an hour here, a day there.

 

[jodifla]

Tell us what lousy company this is, so we can all boycott it. No sick leave! Only can use your vacation in week increments! That's nuts.

 

[smilie]

The company I work for gives you 5 vacation days/5 sick (personal) days after 3 months. After a year you get 10 vacation days/6 sick days. I'm not sure how much after 2 years. But you can use them however you want. If you're sick and you're out of sick days you can take a vacation if you want to take off and get paid for it. Then at the end of the year if you don't use all of your days off, you get paid for them.. you can't carry them over to the next year.

 

[mom2boys]

DH changed jobs last spring & has a similar leave policy. It is making him nuts & he took two weeks unpaid leave a month after starting. Our trip was already scheduled & he let them know about it up front. He does get 3 sick days & 2 personal days. He went for the medical & the pay. He doesn't anticipate staying forever.
What happens if you get sick - simple flu or something?

 

[skiwee1]

I am currently unemployed. My last company closed.

Everything else is in line, the pay, the job is perfect, everything except the time off. I thought maybe I was being picky.

This says it right here. You need a job and they have one. The last thing you should be thinking about is their vacation policy. At least take the job to get on your feet. You can always keep an eye out for another job. That being said, I don't think the vacation benefits are good at all. My DD got 3 weeks paid vacation to start. It increases to 4 weeks after 2 years. She can take them in weeks, days, or even hours.