What do you do about not approved vacation time off?

Question

I was hired a month ago for a position I was dying for. I was so happy when I got it. (It took them 2 months to bring me aboard) I have an important court hearing(custody case) in August that I need to attend to and I have a family trip coming up in October. I put in my requests for the days I needed off on Tuesday. I knew my August day off would be an issue because it is so close plus I was on a 90 day probation period. I was pulled in the office yesterday and was told because I was new she would not grant me the time off, I explained to her I can not miss my court date and my family trip was already preplanned and could not be cancelled. I also advised her that the trip was 4 months away and not during my probation period, my boss then told me she still could not approve it. I have never worked for a company that didn't approved time off (paid or not) especially when it is done in so much in advance, some people told me I should have waited to request the time off but I didn't want to wait a month prior especially if I know now. I only found out that about the court date two weeks ago. She asked me why I didn't mention it in the interview I told her we interviewed in April I had no idea that no.1 it was going to take 2 months to bring me aboard (when I would follow up after my interview they kept pushing back the hire date each week every time I called they would say next week) and that no. 2 an event in October would be an issue since the date is so far away and that I did not know about the court date until two weeks ago. She told me she would grant me the time off the court date since it was court but she didn't want to, After she said that I told her I had to resign. She said it was my choice and I said no you are making it my choice. She said she also had an issue with me coming in 15 minutes earlier than scheduled, I just walked out. I was not going into coming in earlier than scheduled I thought that was a good thing. I didn't understand why she wouldn't approve the time off even though it was after my probation period. How do one handle not getting time approved off at a job and being too punctual?

Answer 1

Getting in early is laudable, and you should have been commended for it. Some companies (and it may come from above that manager) don't like people clocking in early, due to the extra cost, but as long as it doesn't lead to unapproved overtime, there should not be an issue.



As for the time off, the court date should have been a non-issue. Any reasonable manager should simply figure out how to make that happen for you, without complaint. You don't control that situation, so they should help you out.



The vacation time is another matter. It may well be that there are other people who had already asked for that same time off. Or there may be a vacation blackout that week (some companies do this during compliance audits, inventory, or other activities). If one of these was the case, it should have been explained to you. If they were simply refusing on principle, then you didn't want to work there, anyway.

Answer 2

First, a court date cannot be changed. Courts operate on their own schedule and they don't give a hoot that you are starting a new job. The court date should have been granted without comment and should not be held against you for your probation period. At least that's the way I would have handled it as a personnel manager.



The vacation is a different matter altogether. Workers with a few years of seniority can't always pull their first choice of vacation. As far as new hires go, it's even more difficult. A worker hired in January became due for a one week vacation in June. However there were no available vacation dates in June, July or August. She very much wanted to take a vacation while her kids were on summer vacation. But the days were simply not available.



So I can appreciate the fact you would have been dissappointed to miss a family vacation. But you had a choice. Be disappointed and keep the job or resign and not be disappointed. In this job market it seems like a risky decision.

Answer 3

Re: coming in 15 min early - were you claiming pay for this time? You supervisor may have an issue with you claiming pay before your shift actually started - they didn't agree to pay you for more than a certain number of hours a day. I bet you were, because otherwise coming in a little early shouldn't be a problem at all. Surely she must have explained why that was a problem & you are leaving something out here. Or maybe she didn't get a chance to expain because you just walked out (then you also said you don't understand why she wouldn't approve your time off - hello, you didn't let her explain because you "just walked out."



Re: time off - You should have been allowed time for your court date, and you were.

Vacation fun time is completely different. You were a fool to resign a job over that in this economy, especially a job you were "dying for." Oh well, at least you created a job for someone else who will appreciate it.

Many employers make you schedule your vacation by the end of the preceding year. At almost any job, vacation time is approved based on how many people they can allow to be off at the same time due to coverage needs, with seniority in the company given preference. This also depends on what your employer's policy is on how much vacation you get each year & how long you need to be there before you earn it. Typically you have to have been there either for a full year, or you get it in your first full calendar year. Did they not tell you their time off policies at your interview?

Given your reaction to your boss when she tried to talk to you about this, it sounds like you were doing her a favor by resigning just a month into your employment. I wouldn't want an employee like you. God knows what it would be like to deal with you if there were a real problem. You sound very immature & unprofessional.



When you find an employer that lets you take vacation any old time you want, let me know where so I can apply there too.

Answer 4

That's an interesting question!

Answer 5

Great answers given