Management question- vacation requests

[patweisers44 845]

Oh you have no idea the petty sh1t I deal with. That's why they have middle management. So that upper management doesn't have to.

Do you drive a Dodge Stratus?

[NewbieJr 541]

Do you drive a Dodge Stratus?

No. A '77 Reliant.

[NewbieJr 541]

Who is going to work the fryolator when she is out ?

This is so much better than the Bath Fitter thing. Disappointed in the rest.

[porkbutt 893]

Oh you have no idea the petty sh1t I deal with. That's why they have middle management. So that upper management doesn't have to.

no i do. i hear it. and big tough shop men are just as bad as wimmens. if i could, i'd fire everyone everyday. air temperature , awful excuses for days off , who stole from honor snack box , a leaky faucet in bathroom , etc

[Hardcore troubadour 15,414]

Poor planning produces piss poor performance.

[fandandy 3,313]

If that happened here I think I would tell the employee that I would grant her first requested day off but give the other employees a chance before I agreed to her other two. It seems unfair that one employee gets all the cherry days off during the summer.

[NewbieJr 541]

If that happened here I think I would tell the employee that I would grant her first requested day off but give the other employees a chance before I agreed to her other two. It seems unfair that one employee gets all the cherry days off during the summer.

It's never been a issue before, but because of her, I will be putting new measures in place.

[Bier Meister 1,710]

I believe you will need to set your SOPs to cover shorter vs longer requests for time off. If more than one person puts in for the same day/s on the same day, use seniority for priority.

[12th Man 884]

I am the manager of a small (5 employees) group of people. They are spread out over three locations in the state of Pennsylvania. We have a corporate calendar that shows when anyone in our department is scheduled off. Because we are a small group, I encourage employees not to request off if someone else is already off. It spreads the rest of the department really thin.

 

Anyway, back in March, this one woman (60 years old, chubby, and bitchy) sent me a leave request form for the Friday before Memorial Day, the Monday before July 4th (the 3rd), and the Friday before Labor Day. In other words, at the end of winter, she requested to take all three summer holidays and extend them into 4 day weekends. And essentially screwed everyone else from even getting one extended weekend. I didn't approve them at the time and put it on the back burner. She just emailed me again asking if the days are approved.

 

So my question is, if you were the manager, would you simply say 'first come, first serve' and let her have all three days? My thought is to approve the first two but tell her that it's only fair to wait a month or two to see if anyone else would like the September 1st date off.

Jesus H. Christ. You can't figure this pimple of an issue out on your own? That's why you are a "manager" and not a leader.

[NewbieJr 541]

Jesus H. Christ. You can't figure this pimple of an issue out on your own? That's why you are a "manager" and not a leader.

Thanks chief. I'm sure you have a real handle on things selling LalaRue out of your mom's basement.

[joneo 556]

As the manager, the easiest way to manage this vacation problem is to kill yourself.

[supermike80 1,907]

Run into this quite a few times. What we instituted was the first 30 or 60 days of a new year are when vacation requests can be submitted. Then you can get all the requests for these days at once.

 

We would then look at who had certain holidays off last year and try to balance it out. You don't always make everyone happy, but this avoids the mad rush of that one person trying to get every holiday off every year.

 

After the 30 or 60 day vacation submission time period, the requests are first come first served and are subject to business conditions, employee coverage, and management approval.

 

Now in my opinion and because you had no policy set before hand, you should honor the first person's requests. Someone else said it before, they will most likely fault her, not you. And you can explain the cool policy you are implementing for next year that supemike told you about on a low rent fantasy football bulletin bored.

[giraldi02 474]

She did everything the proper way IMO. Those are popular travel dates. She got the request in earlier than everyone else. If there aren't rules in place about proper protocols for PTO requests, then start by changing that.

[Mike Honcho 5,269]

She did everything the proper way IMO. Those are popular travel dates. She got the request in earlier than everyone else. If there aren't rules in place about proper protocols for PTO requests, then start by changing that.

 

+1

[5-Points 3,524]

Do the right thing.

 

Let her have the days off and tell the other employees to work half days on the Friday before a holiday weekend.

[NewbieJr 541]

She did everything the proper way IMO. Those are popular travel dates. She got the request in earlier than everyone else. If there aren't rules in place about proper protocols for PTO requests, then start by changing that.

exactly. There will be new rules in place starting Jan 1st.

[12th Man 884]

exactly. There will be new rules in place starting Jan 1st.

The horse is out. Close the barn door. Brought to you by the Newbie School of Management!

[frank 2,305]

Fire her and the others will get the message.

[mmmmm...beer 807]

Since there is no actual policy, I'm inclined to agree and will probably approve them. although I'm afraid it will turn into someone quickly requesting the same days off next year. And become a race to screw everyone else.

Yeah see this is what I would worry about. Yeah hey there boss, here are my leave requests for the next 10 years of holidays. Thanks in Advance...

[cyclone24 1,913]

Fire her and the others will get the message.

This actually has some sense to it.

 

Then go "Anybody else need some vacation time?"

[shotsup 832]

If that happened here I think I would tell the employee that I would grant her first requested day off but give the other employees a chance before I agreed to her other two. It seems unfair that one employee gets all the cherry days off during the summer.

Yeah that is called seniority- Duh. And she shouldn't pick first if she doesn't have it. No brainer. WTF.

[jerryskids 6,790]

If it's all up to you, then give her the first one and say you haven't reviewed requests for later in the year. Then remind everyone they need to get their requests in ASAP.

This sounds like a good plan

[Filthy Fernadez 2,696]

You can't blame her for planning where the others employees (including management) didn't. She gets the leave this go around and if the others still don't plan ahead, fock em.

[penultimatestraw 473]

Since there is no actual policy, I'm inclined to agree and will probably approve them. although I'm afraid it will turn into someone quickly requesting the same days off next year. And become a race to screw everyone else.

Yeah, you're exactly right about the fall out from her behavior. Maybe best to define "prime" dates for subsequent years, with a rotating priority for who gets 1st choice to take those off.

[penultimatestraw 473]

Have a draft. Serpentine or auction. Get a draft board. Have it at Hooters or a company trip to Vegas. Everyone has to draft at least one Wednesday. Trades approved by vote.

Mid-week off days are the best - less people, traffic, etc. so you can get sh!t done!