Anybody else having difficulty taking vacation time? 5

[EngineerDave]

I guess this is a good and bad thing. Our company is busy and i work at two different locations for my organization. Other people within my group do similar things but few have to cover as much geographical distance as i do.

In any event in my current group to take anvacation, you must find someone to cover your work while you are gone, we are contracted out to other organizations so not sendingnyour backup is not an option.

In any event i have alot of time built up and its a use it or lose it aituation, but management still needs to approve your time off.

On one hand i should feel goodmthat its tough to replace me, but i am dying for a vacation! Anyone else in this boat?

I havent taken more than a 3 day weekend since early 2009.

 

[ajack1]

Actually the bank holidays don’t come as extra; the minimum legal entitlement is 28 days including bank holidays.

Of course any company can offer more than this but they are then free to add restrictions to how these may or may not be taken in your contract as they are outside the legal minimum requirement.

 

[plasgears]

Quarterly mini-vacations, actually long weekends, are a good idea. Explore your own region; you don't need to travel extensively to restore yourself. I am doing more car travel vs. airlines. I have decided to upgrade my car with the money that goes otherwise to the airlines.

Another travel scheme is to take advantage of a job that includes much travel. I take side trips in between business calls. Also, I schedule travel to run into the weekends. At one time it was a cost reduction in airline travel to run the trip into the weekend.

 

[EngineerDave]

Sorry I haven't responded back, I was resting on the only vacation I sometimes have Saturdays and Sundays!

Still waiting to hear if I'll be off the end of the month. I have a feeling that ticket is going to be ridiculously expensive but I am willing to pay it just to get out of the country for a week or so and see my wifes family. That is assuming we can do it.

She is busy in nursing school and working as well so she has only this week as her chance to go somewhere this year.

If this doesnt happen I want to try to take a ton of Fridays off. I am going to lose approximately 60 hours of vacation time soon. Use it or lose it indeed.

 

[ColonelSanders83]

I have found that the best plan of action is to proceed as follows.

1) Make the request and get it approved 2-3 months in advance. I find that my wife and I are easily capable of planning things out this far in advance, but for some reason, managment can't really look that far ahead as far as daily or weekly needs.

2) The moment approval has been recieved, buy tickets, make reservations, ect. Now you are committed. (If you are staying at home, plan out some equipment rental or weekday show)

3) When management informs you that you will be needed, your responce is, 'OK, well, I already but tickets and made reservations in advance and have outlaid $XXXX, you want me to cancel, I will need reimbersment and you get to break the news to my wife"

4) Regardless of the percieved emergency at the time of your departure, it will still be there waiting for you when you return.

In all fairness, I have yet to need to use number 3, but I have always had good managers. number 4 has been true every time.

A question properly stated is a problem half solved.

Always remember, free advice is worth exactly what you pay for it!

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[EngineerDave]

Colonel Sanders this is great advice.

I did talk to my boss at the end of February about it, but the details weren't worked out. If I had them worked out it would have been almost exactly two months ahead of time.

Last week when I had some details ironed out it was one month ahead of time. So far I have received no response, which means I can't buy the ticket yet.

Since we dont' work in the same office routinely I don't have the advantage of asking him in person often.

Someone pointed out that management shoudl find someone to cover for us. Well that is true and many of the other engineers are pretty upset about having to find someone to cover for themselves. It sure does make it an extra challenge.

Hopefully this will be resolved this week.

 

[btrueblood]

Col Sanders is dead on. I have used #3 occasionally, but the company has always backed down (I think the threat of bringing the Mrs. into the equation does it). #4 is very true, even if the "cover" person has attempted to put out the fire, you will have plenty of mess to clean up upon returning.

 

[jmw]

Management and HR need to get together sometime and sort these things out properly.
Both Management and HR love forms and procedures (and meetings which we need to avoid) so if there are problems organising and taking your holidays then you need a form and a procedure with due dates for various people to sign off.
If there isn't one, create one designed to make booking your holiday straightforward and let HR steal, er, take credit for it it.

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[TenPenny]

If I don't take my vacation, my wife and kids will find a family member who will. I like my job, but I like my family more.

This year we have a really weird situation - the boss got tired of tracking people taking a day here and a day there, so we're allowed one week taken a day at a time, the rest taken a week at a time.

It's not my problem finding someone to cover for me - that's the boss's job. Frankly, if my boss expected me to find someone to cover for me while I took earned vacation, I'd hit the road. At some point, management has to be expected to manage the business.

 

[csd72]

I agree with the tick, I tell my employers well in advance when i am going to take time off. If they cannot come up with a suitable cover arrangement then that is their problem not mine as I have given them sufficient notice.

I am the only Civil/Structural engineer in my company and they have to outsource any work if I am not there.

You have an employment contract that specifies the number of days holiday that you are entitled to in 'that' position not in some fairyland position where you dont need cover.

You americans are always more worried about losing your jobs than you should be.

 

[SomptingGuy]

Our team has monthly review meetings. The team is spread across three countries, so it's a good time to catch up. One of the questions is always: "Is anyone planning any significant vacation in the next two months?" And the answers go into the product planning spreadsheet. This has nothing to do with HR or any leave booking/management/approval systems, just a convenient way for the team to plan coverage within itself. It tends to work really well.

- Steve

 

[KENAT]

"You Americans are always more worried about losing your jobs than you should be. "

Be fair csd72, you tend to be worse off in the US if you lose your job than you would be in the UK. Health Coverage is usually through your employer. Retirement benefits may not be fully vested so you lose a bunch of that. The unemployment/welfare etc. is generally less favorable. It's easier for the employer to get rid of you without cause. Even if you get laid off by law they don't necessarily have to give you severance...

Posting guidelines faq731-376

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(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[jmw]

Oops! What happened to Obama's health plan then?

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[ctopher]

Obama who?

Health plan??



Chris
SolidWorks 10 SP4.0
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[csd72]

Where is the US?

Kenat, I agree that the consequences tend to be more over there but I am yet to see the evidence that you are more likely to get laid off.

I do admit though that when I worked over there the economic situation was considerably better.

 

[spongebob007]

I use all my vacation every year. It is a benefit of my employment, in fact, since it is in writing, I consider it a contract. It is part of my agreed upon compensation.

 

[GregLocock]

I'm usually negative on leave. I book long holidays months in advance so they can plan around them. One week beforehand there's a sudden panic.

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

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[EngineerDave]

Well I postponed my vacation and hope to go in June. Will update when I know. But certainly need to plan further ahead I guess.

Spend alot of time adjusting my schedule to cover other people off on vacation as well, hopefully they won't make it so tough on me.

 

[jmw]

Beware the "these are tough times and most people are just glad they have a job" speech...... ignore and insist on your entitlement because if you have so much work to do you can't take your vacations, things can't be that tough and you are in a sellers market... they evidently depend on you so much, they can't allow you holidays and hence they can't afford to lose you.

This ought to be a position of strength.

In a use it or lose situation, if management make it so tough that you might lose it, they have to either cut you some slack or buy your entitlement back off you, and not at standard rates either.
Of course they won't. But technically they will be in breach of contract if they deny you the opportunity to take your full entitlement within the allowed time limits.

They won't want to offer any money for your lost entitlement but they might allow you, as a special favour, to carry them over and use them later. If they are the reason you cannot take your holidays then they cannot void the entitlement.
There may be no alternative but play hard-ball with them.

On the plus side, if it is so hard to find the time to take off, they will be in a real mess if you decide you've had enough and if they think you may be getting so fed up as to quite, they may actually do something. This has to be a subtle suggestion to them.

So if it doesn't go well, then this is the time to google new job opportunities using your work computer and post your CV on a few sites where your own HR may find it. Just one or two googles will do, enough so the IT weenies will grass you up to management.


JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[ajack1]

I am not sure that searching and applying for jobs during work time and using work equipment and giving your employer an ideal opportunity to dismiss you is ever a good idea, whatever the circumstances.

 

[MortenA]

Just a litte food for thoughs:

I once heard a priest tell that he had spoken to many people who was about to pass away - and never had he heard one of the say "I just wished i had spend more time at work".

Life will pass you by - and theres no turning back.Im not saying that work is uninteresting or even fun at time - just that you should remember your oriorities and why you behave as you do, and to whom you are loyal.

Best regards

Morten