when do you clear your vacation time at work?

[newholiday]

As I was booking our 4 vacas for this yr Id let the boss know so there would be no surprises. Booked a 6night for July, 4night for July, 4night for Aug and a wk for Oct.
I wrote all the dates on paper and spoke to her about them and was given the ok. Well yesterday she asked me again what I was planning on taking and said I didnt leave her much time. There are 10 summer wknds and I booked 3 of them!
She just started this job 4mos ago so I dont see how she has more than 1wk time anyways. She just took a wk end of March. I had to wait over a yr to get my 1 wk. Now (after 5.5yrs) Im up to 3wks.

So when do the rest of you ask for your vaca time?

 

[Big V]

We have to have ours in the November before the next year.

 

[LJC1861]

I usually map it out in early December for the next year ahead and give it all to my supervisor. He thinks it is silly, but I always get the time I request! I have been at my job for 12 years and get 7 weeks so I like to make good use of it!

Linda

 

[Karel]

My husband fills in for everyone else's shift in the summer for their vacations so we put in for our big vacation 11 months in advance. Usually the vacation schedule goes around in January for that year and everyone gets it in order of their seniority.

Mine is a bit trickier. At one job, I don't get vacation time but I can take what ever I want if someone can cover for me. This is easier said than done but I also put in for vacation 11 months in advance so we could arrange coverage.

 

[debster812]

Big V--my DH is like you, has to choose in November, for the coming year. Kind of a drag, but it is what it is.

I have 4+ at this point, and out of courtesy, I tell my bosses as soon as I know, and put it on the calendar. As we get about 2 months out, I submit the formal vaction form. I am fortunate in that it has never been a big deal.

newholiday--your new boss could have negotiated extra vacation time as part of her 'employment package' and that could be why she is getting more than you think she deserves.

 

[believe]

I can give it in as little as 3 weeks in advance. If it is just a day off I can ask the day before. DH's company starts in February, it is by senority.

 

[mudnuri]

well, since I'm the Dept Head, I only have to tell the big boss. I dont' get 'vacation pay' so to speak, however I told him back in January that I was taking these 2 weeks off. Last week, I put in the formal request.

There is nobody to fill my slot while I'm gone, and it's up to me to make sure that all work is delegated prior to me leaving. I also will be in contact via cell phone...(some vacation huh?)

DH owns his own company, so he doesnt have to tell anyone, he just makes sure that someone else will be there.

I work 7 days a week from may to September, so I have to take mine during the school year.....I usually take the week of christmas, a few days around thanksgiving, and then all of the school holiday's, inservice days etc....

benefit of being salaried with comp time I guess

Brandy

 

[monkeyboy]

I have to submit vacas in writting 8 weeks or more prior

 

[browneyes]

I told my boss about 6 months before my trip. I have to turn in my request for time off anytime before I leave though. I think I submitted my last request for time off a week before I left.

 

[CEDmom]

We have an online calendar so I can book time whenever I want. It's 1st come 1st serve.

 

[WDWLVR]

I told my boss last June that I wanted to go on the 10 day Christmas cruise. I usually never take time off at Christmas because all my family is local and others go home at that time, but I really wanted this cruise. She was totally cool with it.

We do the schedule together for the department so I work around her days and she works around mine.

debster is right - vacation time in often worked into the hiring process. I did it for this job and will again when/if I leave. When I was talking to a potential employer late last year I was told i could have what I have now (I turned down the job for other reasons).

 

[Chattyaholic]

My boss does our schedules on a month-to-month basis, so if I want time off I have to tell her early the previous month. We're planning a couple vacations in June right now, so I'll have to tell her in early May when we're going and she will just leave me off the schedule and get others to "fill in."

 

[disneyfan551]

Ummm...well....I'll let you know when I get the nerves up to tell my boss that I'm going to Disney next Friday!!

Maybe I should do this today...

 

[Cruise04]

Our is pretty flexible as well. But since we tend to be overplanners I tell her as soon as I know - sometimes a year sometimes more in advance (yes, when we plan we carry it out). For example - I knew about our vacation this coming September last August - so I told her and got it on the calendar and told her it's paid for and we can't get our money back so I'm going come hell or high water!!!!!

 

[caitycaity]

i generally try to get all of my vacation nailed down for the year by january. then i just send it to my boss in one e-mail. i'm usually one of the first people who puts in for vacation, so i've never been denied my requests. i would never buy something that was non-refundable like a plane ticket before i had my vacation approved. that's just asking for trouble.

 

[CookieGVB]

If it's around a major holiday, the sooner the better. They keep track of who asks for which week from year to year, and you aren't supposed to ask for the same weeks off two years in a row when it's a major holiday. Of course there are those who conveniently forget this rule, and book airfare before requesting the time off.

 

[frannn]

I can take the time when I can fit it into my schedule. I told my co about Sept, but they will forget, so I have to keep telling them closer to the date. My work is time sensitive, so I have a small window of opportunity certain months. DH has to choose his vacation in January for the current year, based on seniority. We mesh that with my time. I am always reachable by cel phone.

 

[aprincessmom]

I requested this summer's vacation a year and a half in advance because I need two consecutive weeks and there are only two of us in my department.

Typically I ask at least 6 months in advance but I don't make any final plans until I get approval from my boss. There may be things happening that require both of us to be around or she may have vacation time she'd like to take. We are both respectful of each other and try not to take too much time out during one season so that we can both enjoy vacation time. Between us we get 4 weeks each so scheduling can be a balancing act. I have a child so sometimes my vacation is dictated by school vacation calendars. She doesn't so we don't have any conflicts there.

Is it just the two of you there or are there more people in your office? If there are more employees than just you, she may be having a hard time trying to fit in everyone's choices and still make sure there is enough coverage.

As for getting more vacation than deserved, I don't worry too much about who gets what amount. I negotiate for what I want when I get hired, taking the standard as the starting point for negotiations. If others can't or don't, I'm not going to fret over it. I wasn't able to do this at one place I worked -- their standard was 1 week for the first 3 years and you couldn't take any time until you had worked there for one year. I didn't stay very long there. I like my vacations too much!

 

[Kimickey]

I usually give my boss a heads up a year before our vacation. DH does the same.

 

[robsmom]

I just sort of notify my boss of my plans a bit in advance. I just need to make sure that I line people up to cover any urgent items and then I don't schedule anything for the time that I will be out. I just e-mailed him on Monday about my trip in the end of May and a week i am taking in July. The folks that work for me usually let me know a month or so in advance but sometimes i will get an email saying "i am taking tommorrow off or even a phone call that says I am not coming in today, decided to take the day off." It is also more of a notification that a request. I just ask if there is anything urgent they need me or someone to cover - normally they say, the only thing is that someone needs to do xyz and I have already asked so and so to cover. I say great have a nice time. Fortunately, we know when we are busy and folks don't schedule during those times very often so I really never have to say no. The year I got married, there were 45 people in the departement i was in. I used all my vacation to get married. Turned out I was one of only 3 people in the office Christmas week. 42 people on vacation. very quiet week.