Question about vacation after starting a new job....

Ok, so i'm sure some of ya'll know I just got a new job @ a women's fashion company. I start there on April 27th. Now i was reviewing the company handbook they give each new employee, and i know I wont have any vacation days for 6 months. However, prior to me receiving an offer from them, I had already booked 3 road trips with my pplz. In all honesty, I didnt even expect to get the job offer. I had been interviewing since September 2008, and hadnt gotten any offers, and prior to my interview with them in mid-March, i hadnt been on an interview since early January this year. And it really hadnt occured to me at any point to mention it during my interview, because i was just kinda excited over the fact that i'm at an interview for the first time in a while, and it completely slipped my mind. I'm going into to talk to my soon-to-be manager about this, but I wanted to know what should I say? I know this is kinda tricky, especially since my road trips are 4 days(memorial day weekend), 5 days(mid june, and 3 days(4th of July Weekend). And like I said already, I have already booked & paid for my flights, and my share of the hotel rooms....

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Bokeh

I ran into the same situation last year. Took an offer with a new co. and had booked a weeks vacation while awaiting to start. First day I informed them, and they were vary gracious. I wouldn't start accumulating vacation days for 3 months anyways, so it would just be unpaid time off.

Be up front, and I bet you'll be fine.

BradleyHU

Bokeh wrote: »

I ran into the same situation last year. Took an offer with a new co. and had booked a weeks vacation while awaiting to start. First day I informed them, and they were vary gracious. I wouldn't start accumulating vacation days for 3 months anyways, so it would just be unpaid time off.

Be up front, and I bet you'll be fine.

yeah i definitely know it will be unpaid....i was gonna tell him, i could work OT to make up for it, but its an exempt position too, so ionno how i feel about doin that.

brad-

Be honest with him, but dont tell him how its going to be which puts him on the defensive and makes you the bad guy. I would say what you have planned to do, and ask him if it would be ok. If not, I would say dont push it, and eat the money you cant get back instead of getting off on the wrong foot and them looking for any reason to fire you 2 months from now.

Slowhand

Honestly, the time to tell them that you already had plans to be away was during the interview process. Most employers can deal with it, they just give you the time unpaid as long as they're aware of it ahead of time. At this point, I'd say go talk to your boss ASAP and ask (don't tell) them to give you the time off. If you get it, great, but it might hurt your reputation with your new employer if they seem "iffy" about it. If they don't give it to you, then you'll probably have to cancel the trip.

The long and the short of it is to be honest. Let them know about the trip, that you'd already arranged everything and that the job-offer came so quickly that you completely forgot about your vacation. Be curteous, be professional, and they'll probably help you out. Good luck!

darkerosxx

"Hey, I have this trip I planned. I'd like to go, but if it's going to be a problem, I will cancel it. What do you think?"

undomiel

Let them know immediately so that things can be worked around, or they can at least let you know that you are required to be there. I would have to disagree with Slowhand though about procedure. Best is to let them know when an offer is made, because if you let them know about schedule time off during the interview it may unintentionally prejudice the employer against you come decision time.

blargoe

Good luck with that. If it took you that long to find a job, I'd do what I can to keep that job. Maybe see if you can get at least one of those trips worked in and be willing to give up the rest and try to get a refund, or work extra at other times if yours is the kind of job where the work you turn in doesn't have to be during business hours.

networker050184

blargoe wrote: »

Good luck with that. If it took you that long to find a job, I'd do what I can to keep that job. Maybe see if you can get at least one of those trips worked in and be willing to give up the rest and try to get a refund, or work extra at other times if yours is the kind of job where the work you turn in doesn't have to be during business hours.

Agreed here. If it was this much trouble finding a good job I'd forget about the vacation. MAYBE take one if they are receptive, but trying to take three vacations in the first three months is just asking for trouble IMO. That would just throw up a red flag and thats the last thing you want when you are a new employee.

drainey

I don't know you might be alright. First thing to check is what holiday days are given. You may be fine on the 4th weekend without having to mention it. Worst case senario you may need to swap what day you take off and what day you work. Ditto for Memorial day although you have the extra day to deal with. That leaves the week long trip in June.

So check on what time off you already get for holidays and then talk to your boss about the remaining days. If you don't have to mention the 4th weekend and are only asking for a week in June and a day for the Memorial weekend they most likely won't have a problem with it. Just be up front about all of it, and make sure it comes across as a request.

empc4000xl

I didn't get a chance to read all of the comments, but don't go on all 3 you might just have to take a loss. Let them know you had 3 and cut down to 1. Yeah you may loose money, but it already shows your comprimise on your part. Pick out the trip thats most important or the most fun and let the others go.

BradleyHU

so i went there after work today, I told him i had them booked b4 i even got the job offer, and he was pretty cool with it. I got memorial day weekend & mid june off, but wasnt able to get the 4th of july weekend, but its all good....2 is better than none. i'ma bust my ass tho, to show that they didnt make a mistake in hiring me.

and like i've been telling pplz, i've been interviewing since september, and not having any offers, and i pretty much thought it was going to continue, and i still have to use my vacation time, cant just take my days to spend in the crib and do nothing....i need to travel, and if i've consistently not getting any offers, then why should i expect it to be any different. but anywyas, everything worked out pretty well, i just wont be goin to Essence....

....i'm kinda sad tho, cuz its nothing but lovely women out there, but ah well, there's always next year....

Forsaken_GA

You did the right thing, and most employers will be gracious about those kinds of things. But when it all comes down to it, securing your income is always your first priority.

I'm probably going to get screwed on my own vacation this year.. requested the first week in september off in January this year, and they just announced a rather important project that's supposed to run from july to the sep 1st. Assuming it's all completed by the proper deadline, then my vacation won't be interfered with. If it runneth over, I'm boned.

I'm glad to hear you got two out of three. Sometimes you just gotta take one for the team (or, more appropriately, the paycheck)

networker050184

Two vacations are better than none!

Aldur

ya know, I'm kinda jealous, I haven't gone on a vacation for over 12 years... I'm still promising my wife that we'll do a honey moon one of these days....

All of my vacation that I've had from work has been spent studying for certs...

As in the words of my good buddy who was chatting it up last Friday with me and I told him I had planned to study for my Friday night activities, he said "Your such a F***ing dork".... I told him that made me die a little inside

HeroPsycho

networker050184 wrote: »

Two vacations are better than none!

Two minutes in heaven is better than one minute in heaven...

drainey

Aldur,

Nothing wrong with a 3/4 day vacation once a year. bet your wife would make it worth the effort.:D

Pash

Aldur wrote: »

As in the words of my good buddy who was chatting it up last Friday with me and I told him I had planned to study for my Friday night activities, he said "Your such a F***ing dork".... I told him that made me die a little inside

Yeh i get that a lot, even from my manager who requires me to do these cert's, it really is a hard knock life....Jay Z werent lying.

desertmouse

be upfront with them. I told them the second they offered me a job that I had a family vacation for 1.5 weeks planned to commence 3 weeks after my planned start date. They gave me a paid 1.5 week vacation as a sign of "goodwill." I had to go the rest of the year (I started in July) without any days off or sick days, which kinda sucked. But it was worth it.