Hypermanager manages the vacation calendar. He’s translated the information on the Human Resources webpage into an Excel spreadsheet. He’s got each of his employees listed, the number of vacation days allowed each, and the number taken. The last column is the result of a formula, “days allowed – days taken = days left.”
This last column is of interest because the balance next to my name is negative.
So I’ve taken more days than I was allotted. So what. So, I take a day without pay, what’s money after all?
This isn’t something I’m concerned about; it is, however, something hypermanager is very concerned about. He gets excited when he can apply corporate policy to clearly defined situations. Acceptable clothing, for example, and vacation days: Very clear-cut issues. You can wear jeans, or you can’t. You can take ten days off a year, and no more.
Hypermanager approached me Friday. He said “You took an extra day this year,” holding up the spreadsheet. I said “yeah.”
He said “So, are you going to take one of these days in November back?”
I just looked at him for a minute. Then I said “No.”
He said, “Oh, did you maybe take a day in December you can take back?”
“No.”
He seemed perturbed. Unsure of how to proceed he stood there for a moment gathering his thoughts. I could tell he hadn’t dealt with this sort of thing in the past. Prior to this he must have had complete control, employees groveling for vacation time: “please, please, hypermanager, let me have a day off I need to have surgery I’ll take it without pay if I have to, please” Ridiculous. Let’s get one thing straight right now:
I. Don’t. Care.
I don’t care about your “allotted time” or about “purchasing extra vacation days” or your policies. Bottom line is, if you give me a hard time about taking an extra day, I’ll just leave.
I’m sitting here waiting, waiting, for an excuse. Give me a hard time about dress policy, about vacation time, about covering for someone else’s mistake, and I’m gone. Two-week’s notice right then. So, no, I’m not going to take back a day.
Hypermanager pulled himself together. I could tell by the look in his eye that he’d solved the problem to his own satisfaction.
“You’re going away, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Yeah, that’s right, I’ll be out until Tuesday.”
“So, you can’t really take one of those days back.”
“Nope.” Which is beside the point. I wouldn’t be taking them back even if I was going to sit home for a week. I asked for the time off, you said “ok” end of story.
“Well, ok, how about, yeah I know, I’ll just move this to next year’s sheet. You’ll have one less day next year, how’s that?”
My turn to stare. Are you kidding? You’re that desperate to appease the corporate gods? Fine. Move the numbers however you like. If it means I’m taking a day without pay, fine. If it means you think I’ll take one less day next year, fine.
Because I’m not going to be here long enough next year to use all my vacation time.
-t
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26 comments:
Oh my God, you get ten days? TEN DAYS?
Run. Run now, to the finance department of an ad agency where they give you 21 days of PTO and (counting)... 11.5 days of holidays. And that's on the conservative side, because they haven't announced whether they're closing between Christmas and New Years yet.
Tom, enjoyed your post. In re: the above comment, I work at a profitable and prestigious law firm with great benefits and employee flexibility. Having said that, we only get 10 vacation days a year as well. We can rollover unused vacation from year to year, but cannot take from the future. We do, I must note, have an additional 10 days of sick/personal/emergency time at our disposal. However, two weeks of official vacation time (with additional accommodations for sickness or emergencies) is a professional standard. This is not to say that your attitude is incorrect or that you shouldn't take all the time you want from a job you already dislike. I support your attitude and your handling of the discussed situation. My interest is to point out that 10 days of vacation time, for relatively new hires at a company, is quite standard.
Are you in a weird mood today or what?
Also, I really hope you meant to switch "bad" and "good" in your first post of the day because it would be very unfortunate if you had an awful time at the kegger we worked so hard to plan.
I've got no gripes about the time they give. I knew it was ten days coming in, I knew ten days is pretty much standard. Kelly assumes that I'd like a job that offers more vacation time, like hers, but does not acknowledge how much overtime she puts in. Which is way more than I do.
I don't skip out on work. I think you'll notice, if you peruse the archives, that I come in to work quite a bit, practically every day. The way I look at it is this:
They provide ten paid-vacation days. "Paid" is the key word there. No where is it stated that I can take ten, at most, days of vacation. And let me tell you, I'm ok with not getting paid for a day or two if it means my sanity (case in point: BIG DRIVE OH FIVE).
My problem is with hypermanager and the atmosphere created by the hr policies. This post would look the same even if we were give forty-five vacation days and I took forty-six.
It's because it isn't about me being selfish. The last vacation day I took was July fifth. I'm not asking for eleven days off within a twenty day period of budgets, audits, and holiday crunch time. It's the middle of the month, I'll be back before the holiday, which is when they'd really need me, and no one else is out any of those days. Hypermanager's problem is solely with the numbers.
If I'm not coming in, I'm not coming in. That's it. I refuse to justify time off. Questioning should stop when I say I need the day and you approve it. That's that. If it gets to be a problem, fire me. Otherwise, shut the hell up. That's all I'm saying.
kind regards,
-tgme
dear anon,
you should have left the kegger comment on the kegger post. I will respond to it there.
-t
Yeah, 10 days of vacation (two weeks) is actually pretty standard, Kelly. You know, two weeks. We also get 10 "personal days" that we can use for religious holidays or sick leave.
Tom, I didn't read your comment because it's pretty long, so if I'm repeating you, just ignore.
Also, I'm very busy and will post about the party later.
That was an awfully long comment. It probably should have been part of the post. But, nobody reads the long posts. And, now, apparently, no one reads long comments either.
Anyway. Ten days is standard, not to exceed three in a six month period, and two personal days and a floating holiday. All told ninteen days, but I don't count the sick days because calling in sick without being sick is cheating. So really like thirteen days.
-t
I just got permission today to take 5 days - 1/2 of my total annual vacation time! - for one week vaca in February '06. This, coupled with my annual week vacation in Cape Cod every summer, leaves me virtually NO time to go home for Christmas. Haha! Luckily, like Mr. Endicott, I do not anticipate being at this job come Christmastime next year. Ha! Joke's on them! KT's cashin' in the vacation cow this year! WOoo!
(Sorry, Canary Island vacation planning excitement seems to have spilled over to my blog comments)
um, ok Tom, you respond wherever you want, so sorry for not signing my name since SO MANY PEOPLE planned this past weekend's festivities.
I don't request time off. I just don't show up to work. It's a horrible system.
KT,
Can I still visit you in early 2006, if you're going to be out of the country for a week? I only want to visit for a weekend, but I know the stress of a big vacation. Should I look at flights for January?
I can't believe more than 10 comments and none of them mention your apostrophe usage in "two week's notice." You have plural "weeks" so the apostrophe should be after the s. But I'm impressed that you knew to use it, overall; though I wonder if you were just sticking in haphazard apostrophes - as you are known to do.
And in 2005, I had 3 weeks paid vacation, 4+ weeks paid study time, and holidays and sick time. But I also have a good deal of overtime.
plus, you have to study during that study time.
also, yes, donny, I did misplace that apostrophe. good catch.
see you friday.
Who told you I have to study? I have to pass my exams - that's what I have to do.
Donny, I will be traveling feb 18 to feb 27. anytime before or after would be great for your visit! my work calendar is relatively clear for the start of the year. you're welcome any time! See you soon (but not as soon as Tom) - KT
p.s. some friends and I are gonna be in boston for new years (kitty and jana). anyone throwing a good party? we're loads of fun.
i saw 14 comments and i thought, sweet, controversy! but no. it was about vacation time. the word "standard" was used in every other paragraph. come on people. we all know that if you say "standard" at least once in your comment than YOUR COMMENT ISN'T FUNNY OR CONTROVERSIAL. god.
i know i know i used "standard" twice (three times). but this was not meant to be a funny comment. this was meant to be a critique of BORING COMMENTS WHEN ADINA THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF NAME CALLING AND ONLINE HAIR PULLING. man.
augh. adina is such a tool. I think the new standard definition of "tool" should be updated to read "anybody that's uncool, also see: 'adina'"
ps adina's posts are not funny either.
pps especially the ones about gilmore girls
ppps DEATH TO TAXES!
Adina, you're a whiny pratt.
hear hear. whiny pratt. good one donny.
-t
Whoa! Anon! I dont know who you are, but I take offense at your harsh attack on Adina. Grow some cajones and ID yourself when making unwarranted personal attacks. Oh, and FYI - anyone who uses that many postscripts should be shot
p.s. whats a pratt?
Prat: British slang carrying similar meaning as the words "jerk" or "ass".
P.S. KT if you are going to the Canary Islands, particularly around Gran Canaria, you should brush up on your UK and Irish slang.
Donny, you're an actuary.
Tom, you know it is true.
anonymous, are you seriously still using the word "tool" to describe uncool people?
BRING ON THE NAME CALLING BITCHES LET'S DRAW SOME BLOOD
This is some hardcore throw-down commenting. Is everyone PMSing or is it just me?
I don't think the word "tool" is synonymous with "uncool." Someone who is a tool is just tooly and one cannot express that in any other way.
dear adina, despite your efforts to spice up this comemnt thread with funny or controversial posts, it is still uncontroversial and unfunny (in fact, your posts in particular are unfunny). (HA!)
I think that it's time we all move on to a new post, and leave all of this wasted effort behind us.
sincerely,
tom
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