Kind of worried my husband lost his job yesterday.

[BeerMe]

So for everyone who says they would not hire someone with a planned vacation, I don't know if I would want to work for a company that does not look out for my well being as well

Well said.

 

[Nancyg56]

I am simply amazed at the poor management and insensitivity. I work for a international company and a newly hired employee who has plans already for a family vacation is the least of my concerns. The two rules of management is to accomplish your mission, second is taking care o your employees. I utilize this philosophy time and time again and consistently shatter goals set for my department. My employees would walk to hell and back to ensure the mission is taken care of because they know they are going to be taken care of. So for everyone who says they would not hire someone with a planned vacation, I don't know if I would want to work for a company that does not look out for my well being as well

I think we all need a break now and then, and just because someone lost their job and still wants to get away is not the end of the world or irresponsible. This is an extremely stressful time and just as demanding as going to work every day.

I say if you can do it and be financially ok, then do it. If not then don't.

I agree that the only people who know if this is a good time to take a planned vacation while on unemployment are the people involved. The Op and her Dh know if this will be a good idea or not. If they are financially secure and could take teh chance that an employment opportunity may be denied due to that vacation, then I say go ahead. To continue with the planning without understanding that there is a very real possibility that a prospective employer has many choices and may choose a candidate whose commitments do not include a vacation early in the training and acclimation process is naive.

I also do not think an employer is obligated to hire someone who schedule is not going to allow the company to meet commitments, goals or work schedules. Add to that morale problems with employees who have had to submit vacation plans well in advance of the new hire, and who have to take a back seat to him. I worked for a company while that very situation occurred, and it was maddening, to say the least. new guy waltzed off on his preplanned vacation during prime time weeks when most of us had been denied that timeframe. For the most part, we all did our jobs, but after finding out that our employer would not stand for us, no one wanted to "walk thru fire" after that.

Employer consideration works both ways, and while in a perfect world, there is room for a new hire to continue with vacation plans, perfection is seldom the case in workplace reality. Companies are downsized and vacations schedules are planned and approved well in advance to accommodate increased workloads. If I was senior in a company that allowed a new hire to take vacation time that was not yet earned and if I had been denied that week due to scheduling issues, I would not feel that I was appreciated as an employee.

 

[GovieMom]

Flame me if you want, but people on unemployment should NOT be taking a family trip to Disney World! Period. You already have a trip planned for next year, so skip this one.

 

[Magpie]

The third, correct option is to accept the job, say that you have a pre-planned commitment to be out of town from the 7-14, and say that you will be back at work the 15th. No HR department is going to turn you down.

That's a terrible way to begin a new job. "Thanks for hiring me! By the way, I got other things I want to be doing, so you'll have to find someone to cover for me while I go to Disney."

That assuming the job you're talking about even has an "HR department". In many cases, you'll be talking directly to your boss, who hired you. And you'll be dealing with co-workers who've been working in this company a lot longer than you and have seniority when it comes to picking vacation dates. You sure won't be making a good first impression!

I expect anyone who starts off like this will be bounced at the first opportunity.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

That's a terrible way to begin a new job. "Thanks for hiring me! By the way, I got other things I want to be doing, so you'll have to find someone to cover for me while I go to Disney."

That assuming the job you're talking about even has an "HR department". In many cases, you'll be talking directly to your boss, who hired you. And you'll be dealing with co-workers who've been working in this company a lot longer than you and have seniority when it comes to picking vacation dates. You sure won't be making a good first impression!

I expect anyone who starts off like this will be bounced at the first opportunity.

Again, having pre-confirmed plans is a regular thing that happens without incident basically everywhere, all the time. Having a Disney vacation planned is no different than say travellng to Hawaii for your brother's wedding.

 

[Magpie]

Again, having pre-confirmed plans is a regular thing that happens without incident basically everywhere, all the time. Having a Disney vacation planned is no different than say travellng to Hawaii for your brother's wedding.

And, a regular thing that happens everywhere, all the time, is saying to people, "I've just started a new job, so I won't be able to come to your vacation/wedding/graduation, etc..." Vacation time in many jobs is not freely available to be taken whenever you want it. It has to be scheduled around the needs of the company and people with seniority often get preference. No one has a RIGHT to take days off whenever they please. (Especially if you are in a "Right to Work" State.)

Glad to know your personal experiences are very positive! I know people who have not been so fortunate.

 

[GaBelle]

Again, having pre-confirmed plans is a regular thing that happens without incident basically everywhere, all the time. Having a Disney vacation planned is no different than say travellng to Hawaii for your brother's wedding.

Absolutely. As long as its communicated up front I (as a former HR manager) don't see it as a problem. I encountered this many times in my working days. I would take issue with someone that failed to bring it to my attention during the interview/ hiring process and drop it on the company after they had been hired. But I wouldnt demand that they cancel their plans.

My husband was just hired by a large international technology company. He told them about our upcoming trip to WDW in Sept during salary negotiations and was hired anyway. They also had many other candidates.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Wait, who is taking a trip to Disney that's worth a MONTH of expenses?

I'm not sure that's a valid metric since it depends on your COL based on where you live (it looks like you live in Manhattan?) and also what you choose to take on as an expense.

 

[Nancyg56]

The third, correct option is to accept the job, say that you have a pre-planned commitment to be out of town from the 7-14, and say that you will be back at work the 15th. No HR department is going to turn you down.

You hope.

Again, having pre-confirmed plans is a regular thing that happens without incident basically everywhere, all the time. Having a Disney vacation planned is no different than say travelling to Hawaii for your brother's wedding.

Not in my workplace. We hired the number of people we needed in order to meet commitments to our clients. The training classes had scheduled start dates, and continued for a set time period, and included subject matter experts who had been scheduled to coincide with each aspect of the training schedule. New hires had at least a 90 day probationary period, and in some projects 120 days. They were expected to attend all training classes, and if they were absent, there better be a darn good reason. If a trainee misses 1 or 2 weeks of training, there was no catching up, so anyone with a preplanned weeklong vacation would not be considered. In CT, there is a high unemployment rate, and good jobs have a multitude of candidates vying for position. It is irresponsible to tell anyone that a preplanned trip will not be a dealbreaker when applying for a job. It may very well be in an industry that differs from your own.

 

[sunshineNJ]

I would still plan to go since you have free dining. What resort are you staying at. If deluxe change to a moderate. In my opinion they are almost as nice as the deluxes anyone and have far better quick service! GET TRAVEL INSURANCE!! This way if your husband gets another job and can't go his new employer just writes a letter and you get your money back. This way your covered. A friend of mine reccomended Travel Guard insurance years back. I have been using them every year for our trips. VERY comprehensive and reasonable. Good luck and I hope he gets a new job soon. Please don't let it spoil your trip!

 

[ashley23]

For all the people who say you can't go to Disney when unemployed, how do you account for airfare? Lets assume the Disney trip can be refunded fully. You are still left with airfare that for 99% of the people won't be refundable.

If you have a vacation planned that is totally paid for, the cost has been absorbed by the family already, and dining is included resulting in very little new expenses. You can go on this trip and spend maybe $200 in a week, or cancel and have $800 or more in airfare left there. Depending on your airline you have a year to use that, in many cases with an additional fee up to $150 per person. Keep in mind this is a year clock that is running and you have no idea when you will get a job again so you could very well due to work commitments be unable to use that airfare credit.

Why is going on a fully paid trip an issue just because you are unemployed that week?

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

For all the people who say you can't go to Disney when unemployed, how do you account for airfare? Lets assume the Disney trip can be refunded fully. You are still left with airfare that for 99% of the people won't be refundable.

If you have a vacation planned that is totally paid for, the cost has been absorbed by the family already, and dining is included resulting in very little new expenses. You can go on this trip and spend maybe $200 in a week, or cancel and have $800 or more in airfare left there. Depending on your airline you have a year to use that, in many cases with an additional fee up to $150 per person. Keep in mind this is a year clock that is running and you have no idea when you will get a job again so you could very well due to work commitments be unable to use that airfare credit.

Why is going on a fully paid trip an issue just because you are unemployed that week?

Because they money you get back for the hotel, tickets, and dining plan can pay your mortgage or other bills for a month or 2. Yes, you lost $800, but you got an extra month or so of peace of mind that you can pay your bills. Or you can keep the trip and then worry about how you are going to pay the bills when you get home. (That whole scenario obviously doesn't apply to everyone who is unemployed and planning a trip.)

However, back to the OP, I agree with others. Play it by ear until closer to 45 days out. There are lots of customer service jobs out there, so if your DH has a good résumé, utilizes any connections he has, and is aggressive, he could very well find a new job in time. And there are employers who will allow pretty-planned vacations (and some who won't).

Just don't get stuck on him making the same/more than he was before right away. I've seen too many people who are unemployed for months or years because they refuse to take something that pays less. It's better to have 75% coming in for 6 months while looking for a better paying job than to have 0% coming in for a year because you refuse a pay cut. And the longer you are out of a job, the more prospective employers question what is wrong with you.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Check with the job. Sorry but when i have an opening I need some one to come in and hit the job running. Bottom line rarely is a candidate so exceptional that we can't find another. So if you tell me you've got a vacation planned in a month, I'll thank you and tell you have a nice day. If someone wants to give up a good salary, pension, matching 401k and health benefits for a vacation, in this economy, have at it. Way too many people looking for good jobs for me tohold up my work.
I work for a big fortune 50 company

RUN.

I have only worked for large companies including a Fortune 100. I would not work for anyone who said this. It is a sign of what is to come. I had a boss like this once. I quit without a job once due to this attitude of "you are so lucky to work for me I can treat you like dirt".

I have hired lots of folks with vacations, weddinga, etc... Never had a problem with it.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I would still plan to go since you have free dining. What resort are you staying at. If deluxe change to a moderate. In my opinion they are almost as nice as the deluxes anyone and have far better quick service! GET TRAVEL INSURANCE!! This way if your husband gets another job and can't go his new employer just writes a letter and you get your money back. This way your covered. A friend of mine reccomended Travel Guard insurance years back. I have been using them every year for our trips. VERY comprehensive and reasonable. Good luck and I hope he gets a new job soon. Please don't let it spoil your trip!

Read the policy before you waste more money. LOTS of them would not cover this including some of the Travel Guard policies.

 

[ronandannette]

Wait, who is taking a trip to Disney that's worth a MONTH of expenses?

I would guess a fairly average amount spent on a week at Disney is between $4-5,000. For most people that do not live in NYC, that is more than a month's worth of expenses.

Well the OP may very well have already made up her mind on this trip since she has been posting today about how excited she is about her MNSSHP tickets arriving and asking about wearing flotation devices at Shark Reef. So maybe this whole thread is (as a PP stated) moot.

Pretty but I don't feel so bad now that it's clear the OP has abandoned the thread!

We absolutely spend more on a Disney trip than a month's expenses at home...we can do "life essentials" (rent, 2 car payments, insurance, utilities, private school tuition for DS, groceries, gas & incidentals) for around $4,000. Airfare alone to Orlando or LA can run $600 bucks each.

Our most recent trip to DL for 4 (off-site hotel w/rental car, 2-day park hoppers, 1 day at USH with FLP) was right around $5,000 all in and that was for 4 NIGHTS

 

[Nancyg56]

Why is going on a fully paid trip an issue just because you are unemployed that week?

I never even suggested that someone who is unemployed should take a vacation that has been planned. What I said was that if there are concerns that a job prospect would pop up and that teh vacation plans would interfere with accepting that job, that is a prospect that should be considered. My issue is not the vacation at all, that is a personal matter that teh OP and her DH will decide. I just do not think it is wise to suggest to the OP that any job worth having will also come with an okay from management to take a preplanned vacation. In the event the DH is offered a position, he should be aware that for some employers, the vacation may be a deal breaker, and that he may need to make a choice.

He may decide to walk from the job, or from the vacation. And that too, is his decision, which should be made based on the total ob prospects in his field, his family finances and his own priorities. No one can what is right for the family, and I would not presume to do so.

 

[GeneralTso]

I could not take a Disney vacation in these circumstances. As magical as Disney is, all the magical thinking in the world could not let me suspend belief that my husband was unemployed.

I think OP has already made up her mind and was truly hoping everyone would chime in and support her (already made) decision to go. That didn't happen, so now it's TMI out there about her personal financial situation and all subsequent threads about her excitement to go, planning, etc. will have people remembering her husband is unemployed, they can't really afford to go and there you have it.

I'm always kind of amazed at the lengths some people go to make a Disney trip happen. It's not THAT important. It's not like *real* life necessities aren't more important, like.....a job. Don't get me wrong, it's fun. Big fun, but dang.

 

[Aliceacc]

The third, correct option is to accept the job, say that you have a pre-planned commitment to be out of town from the 7-14, and say that you will be back at work the 15th. No HR department is going to turn you down.

I think you're making an awful lot of assumptions.

For what it's worth, I'm a teacher. In my school, we do NOT take vacation days outside of the school year. A death in the family? Not a problem. A family wedding out of state? Go, and have a good time. But a vacation?? Nope. And if you do get hired, and tell them that you have one planned a month into the school year, you'll be expected to cancel that trip. A brother's wedding is a totally different thing in my job-- it's a date that can't be moved. And that brother's wedding is (hopefully) a once in a lifetime event-- Disney will still there next summer.

So, at least in my place of employment, that would the incorrect option.

And, by the way, I also wouldn't accept the job and THEN mention the vacation (and I wouldn't call it a "pre-planned committment" I would be honest and call it a Disney vacation.) That's simply unfair to the person making the staffing decision. Those people tend to have long memories. If I were determined to keep the vacation I would be upfront during the interview. If, as you say, no HR is going to turn me down, then I have nothing to lose by doing so.

 

[palmtreegirl]

Deleted

 

[ssatterly]

I would still plan to go since you have free dining. What resort are you staying at. If deluxe change to a moderate. In my opinion they are almost as nice as the deluxes anyone and have far better quick service! GET TRAVEL INSURANCE!! This way if your husband gets another job and can't go his new employer just writes a letter and you get your money back. This way your covered. A friend of mine reccomended Travel Guard insurance years back. I have been using them every year for our trips. VERY comprehensive and reasonable. Good luck and I hope he gets a new job soon. Please don't let it spoil your trip!

We are at all star music and can no longer get insurance as it is already paid off at least that's what the TA and Disney said