Stupid Vacation Policy

[Tyme2fish]

As you know from "Should I retire" post, the company I work for has an idiotic vacation policy. We rank our request 1,2,3,4 as to which request is most important. My numbers 4 and 3 were denied. One request (4) for February and one request (3) for April. July was accepted as was October. Fifty percent of requests denied, no reason, just denied.
That means that I would have worked 53 weeks without time off since my last vacation. This is the consideration they have for an employee with 21.5 years of service and 3 sick days taken in all that time. Oh, and the retail pharmacy profession is stress free so no time is needed off to refresh one's thoughts and personal well being.

I'm soooooo happy I'm leaving this company.

In 16 days they get the notice!!!!!!!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

did they pay you for unused vacation days? and if you go a year without a sick day, did they give you part of that pay. if not go to work at home depot. they use to do that.

 

[Skiuseme]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

Do we all get an invite to the party?

 

[Windykid]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

Might want to check on labor laws in your area.

 

[arboldt]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

So will your notice state resignation or retirement? How much notice do you have to give? Will you lose anything when you leave (like untaken vacation or sick time?)

If you stayed and were not allowed to take 2 of your 4 weeks vacation, would you be paid for those not taken or would they be lost? Have you lost vacation in years past? If so, what does corporate HR say about that? I guess I'd wonder if it was corporate way of doing things or just your manager. A few years ago, my son worked for a retail company where the store *management* turnover in one district was about 150% per year. A few months after he left, the company realized what was going on and fired the district manager. Unfortunately, a lot of lives were hurt in the meantime.

Many years ago I managed the food services department in a large hospital, and figured out that I needed 1 additional FTE to cover vacations just for chefs / cooks. But even then, the only way it would work was everyone had to schedule the year in advance, and only one person could be gone at the same time. Vacation preferences were given by seniority per union contract. It really sucked for the more recently hired, but there really wasn't much I could do about it. You don't know how happy I am that I changed careers and got out of that.

 

[Tyme2fish]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

did they pay you for unused vacation days? and if you go a year without a sick day, did they give you part of that pay. if not go to work at home depot. they use to do that.

The way I read the benefit rules, if I give 7 days notice I will be paid for unused and "banked" vacation days. I will earn all of 2008's vacation days by working one day in 2008. Sick days are use them or lose them. I am giving them 30 days notice.


So will your notice state resignation or retirement? How much notice do you have to give? Will you lose anything when you leave (like untaken vacation or sick time?)
I do not have the years to state retirement so it will be resignation.

Quote from Skiuseme. Do we all get an invite to the party?
Bring you own booze and some nice bourbon for me!!!!

 

[woodrat]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

I haven't had a job in 24 years that provided a paid vacation of any kind.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

In the telecommunication company I work for if you dont take your vacations you loose them. Even if the company is the one that makes you loose it. It is not illegal for them to do that.

 

[ndemge]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

Our company 2 years ago, to fight off all the people that were abusing the time logging policy and not logging their vacation time off, they implimented a policy very late in the year. "use it all by dec31 this year, or loose it" I had been banking a few extra days every year up to this point. had to take half the month off when it was cold and nothing to do.

Then we get bought out a year later and have the old rollover policy. So now I'm trying to get my cushion built back up.

---always like to keep at LEAST a week, preferablly 2 in the bank in case of injury or illness.

In the telecommunication company I work for if you dont take your vacations you loose them. Even if the company is the one that makes you loose it. It is not illegal for them to do that.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

We could only roll 4 days in the good old days... Now the new company says no to that and we cant even buy days off like we could in the old company.

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

Simple fix to your problem. Under FMLA they have to let you use 12 weeks a year without firing you for it. Go to the doctor and get a release to work whenever your time runs out. You may look into this.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

It is sad but true how these companies treat these people with high seniority. I seen it when I worked for a poltry plant. They would try to stick an older man that had 25 to 30 years seniority on a hard job, requiring heavy lifting and so on. Some of these high seniority people finally got fed up with getting stuck on other jobs besides the jobs they signed for. Some even though they couldn't physically handle the jobs they were put on would not complain because they were not smart enough to go over the supervisor's head and to his supervisor. The plant was bought out here locally and I was laid off do to the fact I had less the 10 years seniority, people that had 10 years and above got to stay. I'm glad I'm not there anymore, from what I heard they sped the lines up and added more lines, and the lines that I was lead over which was leg quarters and front halves, that is all the new plant does is those 2 products, totally different then Tyson Foods.

But just your regular employee didn't matter to the supervisors I know because I was the one passing down the orders, working them like slaves, and then when they got screwed up I would be in there working like a slave myself. I mentioned it on another thread but that plant nearly killed me literally, I spent a week in the hospital unfortunately that was during the time the plant was being upgraded but I spent a week in the hospital from a combination of stress, high fever, and swelled colan. I am not that old, but I know with my physical condition not being out of shape but having a fused ankle, that I could never do that type of job again in my life. I may never go back into production again.

P.S. I made sure I had my surgery that I needed to have before I was layed off, I ended up using my sick time plus my FMLA.

 

[Fish n Geer]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

Simple fix to your problem. Under FMLA they have to let you use 12 weeks a year without firing you for it. Go to the doctor and get a release to work whenever your time runs out. You may look into this.

Thats what i had to do when i drove cement truck.Being union it was always the high seniority guys every year getting time off for deer season.Well i got sick of it went to my docter and got a two or three day ticket to the woods!Man if looks could kill when i walked in and gave that note to the dispatcher.I just smiled got in my already packed vehicle and headed north Did that three seasons in a row.

Dont have that problem now i make the kitchen schedule and can schedule myself off if need be.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

I great to see how the system gets abused.

 

[Fish n Geer]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

If your refering to me? I didnt see any other choice?Missing deer season was not an option.Like i said the top seniority guys used to get it off legally,then rub it in to us lower seniority guys that we might as well give up hunting.I would just look at them and and say we will see.I dont feel a bit guilty about it.

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

In the telecommunication company I work for if you dont take your vacations you loose them. Even if the company is the one that makes you loose it. It is not illegal for them to do that.

Actually, that is illegal in every state in the USA (including N.C.). Just because they do it, doesn't mean it's it's legal.

Of course that is only if it is the company that makes you loose it. If you fail to put in for it, that's your problem.

One call to your local labor board will straighten them out.

Although to be honest, the company could respond by no longer giving paid vacation in the future (but if they did that, they would have to spend millions on turnover, so they arn't likely to do that).

 

[Nandy]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

It is not illegal to do that to managers. Same thing for working overtime, it is free even if they ask you to work it. This is a real big communication company so they dont generally play around with stuff like that as it will be reall bad press if they get caught.

 

[oops!]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

man after 20 some years, i look into retirment instead of quitting. with retirement, depending on the company, it can be very benefical.

if you quit, you get nothing,

in radio, we try to get fired. they have to give you all kind of severance pay. lots. i worked for a company for 4 years and when they (I) automated the station they layed off thirty people. my severance pkg was about 14 grand.

bear in mind there are canadian laws. not US.

its just tough for me to hear that a 21 year dependable person would quit. if you quit the best your gonna get is a good buy party! if you hang in there for a few more years......

good luck
oops

 

[Tyme2fish]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

man after 20 some years, i look into retirment instead of quitting. with retirement, depending on the company, it can be very benefical.

Beneficial? Not!! It's pennies what the company will offer me if I stay another 4 years. Just not worth it to me. I'm gone!!!!

 

[arboldt]

Re: Stupid Vacation Policy

Really looking forward to your sharing with us when you give your notice and your supervisor's reaction.

Best wishes.


Myself, I'll probably be involuntarily retired this spring when the company shuts down our operation. We've all been watching ads and job boards for almost a year, and now we know why Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the nation -- and our governor keeps driving jobs out of state.

"It's all automotive-related." they tell us. Yeah, right. Automotive companies like Comerica Bank, Old Kent Bank, First of America Bank, Life Savers (candy), Elelctrolux (appliances), Pharmacia-Upjohn (pharmaceuticals), Steelcase and Herman Miller (office furniture).