Kinda OT. I'm freaking out.

[tr-ray]

Okay, so I'm on maternity leave right now, but still in contact with my work, obviously...

When the new 4/3 deal came out, DH and I didn't even blink and booked a trip.

In hindsight a co-worker mentioned I should double check with my boss that I could take that vacation.... So I emailed her today...

SHE SAID NO!!!!

WHAT THE HECK DO I DO?!

 

[sritter78]

What was the reasoning for her saying no? Maternity leave can't count against you because of FMLA. Do you know have any vacation days?
We are booking the trip for while I am on maternity leave and DH is going to take paternity leave.

 

[daleswife]

I agree with sritter78. If you have the vacation days to take, then she can't tell you no because of the Maternity leave. FMLA allows you that time to heal and recover from all the stress your body went through......Id find out why!!!!

 

[tr-ray]

Oh, maybe I should have been more specific...

It's going to be when I come back to work.... Unless I go back to work early, and take 'bonding' afterwards...

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

PP realize that - their points are that maternity leave should not effect vacation time at all. How many vacation days do you have for the year that you are going?

 

[tr-ray]

25 days!!!

I think she was more saying no to my timing, but I'm freaking because I already put a deposit & booked my airfare!!

My original departure date was 2/3, so I asked her if I could push it back to 2/6 (a Friday) instead... According to WDW's site there is still availability at the Pop, and my flights would only be $15 extra each to change, but.. *sigh*.

This was going to be DH's big birthday trip!

 

[Hillbeans]

I think it sort of depends - I've been on maternity leave twice from FT work, both times I took 11 weeks total- and while I know I would have vacation time due to me, I would not plan a trip for the week or two after I came back from being out because I know the other supervisor would not have taken any time off when I was out. It may not have been fair but it was what it was and the job wouldn't get done had she taken time off as well.

We used to have a person at my work who called out sick 10 times the first month of the year - it was like clockwork. Yes, she had the time coming to her (the accruement reset the 1st of the year she earned 10 paid days) but she wasn't too popular when it came to being a team player. I'm not saying that about you, and it may depend on what kind of work you do, but i'd reschedule the trip sooner or later in the year.

Edited to add we used to have to schedule our vacation out for the entire year in January - I used to work in payroll and we could only have 1 or 2 people out any given week.

 

[tr-ray]

Hillbeans -
You do have a point, I can understand my boss's point... and it's my mistake for not even asking first...


I just feel like I had a semi panic attack because of all the $$ involved with the trip!

I've calmed down a little bit, I'm just hoping she will allow me to leave the 6th instead, and I won't be too much worse for the wear.

 

[Hillbeans]

I hope so too, sounds like it'd be a nice trip for your DH and the baby.

I was not trying to be negative with my previous post, but at my old job that would have gone over like a lead balloon. Lets just say my last job didn't really give any consideration for the working mother, so I did leave after being there for 9 years and now work PT.

 

[WDWorBUST]

This does not sound like the case for you....but as an aside an employer can require that you use up your paid vacation time while you are out on FMLA leave. They can't deny you FMLA....but they can require that you use any PTO while you are on it.

 

[buckirj1]

Sounds like your boss is following the rules and is well within her rights to deny your vacation. Sorry about your luck--too bad you'll have to cancel unless you can get work coverage some other way. From her perspective, the work comes first. Good luck however it shakes out.

 

[Colinsmom]

You do plan to go back to work at least one day before going out on vacation, right? If not, under the FMLA laws, you can cause a ripple effect that you should understand before doing so (I believe that they can treat you as having resigned - you wouldn't be covered any longer under FMLA - and make you pay back any health insurance premiums that they paid for you while you were on leave).

That said, I can kind of see your boss's point. You'll be out for 12-ish weeks, and right after you come back, you want to take vacation time. She is probably mystified why you aren't taking the vacation while you are still on leave.

 

[amandaraye]

Maybe you can reschedule your trip for May or June when the buy 4 get 3 free promo is still in effect? That way you'll have been back to work a few months and get things back in order. Your boss might be more open to allowing you time off in June. Good luck!!!

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Perhaps your boss already gave that time off to someone else thinking that you'd be back. Hopefully you can change the booking to another time period without paying too much in penalties.

 

[Nie0214]

This does not sound like the case for you....but as an aside an employer can require that you use up your paid vacation time while you are out on FMLA leave. They can't deny you FMLA....but they can require that you use any PTO while you are on it.

My work does this AFAIK.

Anyway, while it might not be against any laws/rules, I find it pretty rude. If a coworker of mine came back for a week and then took vacation, I'd be angry. Not only did other coworkers have to "pick up the slack" (for lack of a better phrase) while you were out, but the boss probably had to as well. At least on my team at work, people would be limited on the time off they could take while another is away. I think it'd just be rude to your coworkers/boss, but I don't know what your work team dynamic is either.

 

[bumbershoot]

This does not sound like the case for you....but as an aside an employer can require that you use up your paid vacation time while you are out on FMLA leave. They can't deny you FMLA....but they can require that you use any PTO while you are on it.

Looks like the trip is scheduled in '09, so if they go Jan through Dec for their leave accrual, like any job hubby or I have ever had, the leave she would be taking for this trip wasn't anything that should have been used before FMLA time.


OP, sounds like you've gotten used to only dealing with one employer's needs! I know I couldn't go back to having two employers overlooking my family...I feel for you!

 

[mjkacmom]

DH gets about 6 weeks vacation time, but can't just schedule it whenever he wants to. For example, 3 weeks in a row would definitely not fly! I can see how an employer would be upset if you came back from a 3 month leave, and then went on vacation.

 

[tr-ray]

Thanks everyone....

I'll be back to work for 5 weeks before the trip, so I'm not quite sure that that's the reason...


And to PP who mentioned 'getting used to one employer', you are so right, lol. It's a bad thing, too. It's almost making me dread my return to work. I have no choice but to go back, as I make more than DH, but I wish I had the option!

I'm awaiting her response today... If she will allow me to leave on the 6th instead, I can still save my trip. *crosses fingers*