So, we had an employee give notice today that he is leaving.
Which is no big deal. He was kind of a dopey douchebag anyway, so no big loss.
But. As with every single employee who has ever left this company EVER, he came to me and wanted to know how much vacation time he was owed.
Ummm ... how about "none"? How does that sound to ya?
Here's the thing. The first year you work here, you get no paid vaca. The boss wants to make sure you're going to stick around before he starts handing out benefits. But. You ARE accruing hours TOWARD paid vacation, so the SECOND year you work here, you get one week's paid vacation, based on how many hours you averaged the previous year.
The THIRD year you work here, you get one week plus one day. FOURTH year? One week plus two days, etc. etc. etc. until you're up to two weeks paid vaca. If you want more than two weeks? Negotiate it with the boss the next time you're up for review.
Simple, right? Easy-peasy?
NO ONE GETS THIS. NO ONE.
And because I do payroll, they all come to me when they're getting ready to leave. And they want to know how much vaca they have coming. And they have always, ALWAYS, overestimated in their own minds how much time they've got coming. And then they can't understand why they don't have more time due. And then I have to SIT THEM DOWN, with SPREADSHEETS, and explain how basic math works. And then they walk away with this look on their faces that tells me that they STILL don't understand what I just explained to them.
This last dude? Was actually eleven hours in the hole. He hadn't worked here long enough to accrue much time, and he taken some "in advance" (which is bullshit but the boss allowed it), and then he decided to quit, so sorry buddy, you're outta luck. Actually, he owed US money. I graciously told him that I would not tell the boss that little factoid. Did he appreciate it? NO. Because he thought he had more time coming.
Jeezus Christ. I need a f*cking raise. And more vacation time.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
So, you have to be in your 7th year before you get 2 full weeks? I've never heard of any professional job starting without 2 weeks (proportional the first year). Your boss is Simon Legree. He has never read the studies about how vacation and relaxation enhances morale and productivity? My only conclusion is that he doesn't like or trust his employees or their families.
The reason that people leaving don't believe they have no vacation accrued is probably that they thought he HAD to be kidding.
In most of Europe, you get six weeks off to start, by law.
Oh, you can take as much time as you want. It's just not paid. His view is, if you're not here workin', I'm not payin' ya.
On the other hand, he covers our health insurance. The employees pay not one dime, which is pretty awesome.
What Silk said.
I guess I'm not surprised at the turnover at the joint, all things considered.
--bridgett
Frankly, I think six weeks of paid vacation is ridiculous. How the hell can a business be competitive if they have to offer six weeks of paid vacation for each employee? Oh yeah, if the government insists on it - they're all in the same boat.
Ha! I guess I'm working in a sweatshop. Day-um.
(For the record, I currently get three weeks of paid vacation - two earned through accrual, one negotiated.)
And I don't know why I feel the need to add this, other than to justify the fact that I've spent twenty-five years with this company (gasp), but we're not talking hiring PhDs, here. We're hiring kids fresh out of the local continuing education program, whose only "official" degree is a high school diploma. We've got one guy working for us right now, who came fresh out of vo-tech ten years ago, never went for any other degree (even though the company encourages, and pays for, continuing education for people in his position), and cleared over fifty grand last year.
Wow. I am so out of the loop with what other places are doing. Here we get paid 4%. Some companies pay you with each cheque and others hold it for you until you draw it out. My current job has three weeks paid vacation and each year you get another week up to 6 weeks paid vacation. Pretty sweet. I also get my insurance paid. I am NEVER leaving my job!
Hmm....I have five weeks paid vacation time per year, and I don't think it's ridiculous, thank you very much :)
What YOU need though is VALIUM :-D
(kidding, kidding)
Birdie, that IS sweet!
And Zella, evidently what I need is Valium AND a new job!
I never knew I was being so grievously mistreated ...
I think everyone needs more vacation time. Only I prefer mine not to be paid for by the state of New Jersey.
Post a Comment