Asking for time off during the holidays

[CreteGirl]

If you were fairly new to a position, would you ask for time off after your supervisor requested that you work over the holidays? 

For this example, let's say your friends asked that you accompany them on a trip that you would really enjoy. 

Your supervisor only recently asked that you work, and you were already contemplating going on the trip, but had not made firm plans or requested time off. 

Your supervisor asked you to work days that are not part of  your normal schedule over the holidays, however some of the days you want off are days you do typically work.

Would you still go if your supervisor told you it was a problem, but did not deny your request?

How would you feel if your request was denied and you had already made vacation plans?

Some information about the position:

It is a part time, but well paid position. 

It is a temporary position with a possibility of becoming a full time permanent position.

It is not retail or holiday driven

It is in a field you would like as a career

There is no one available to cover your position while you are gone, since others asked for time off first 

There are currently no paid vacation days, but that will change in 2013

[NyaChan]

I think that this would be a bad time to ask for time off, especially since there is no one to take over and you (general you) already know it.  This could be a permanent position and showing that you are reliable and can come through when the company needs it is going to make you look good.

[Deetee]

I would ask, but would cheerfully accept "No" as an answer.

[AustenFan]

I wouldn't view this as requesting vacation, I'd view it as giving notice.

You have been asked to work and know there won't be anybody to cover your normal workload. Intentionally leaving your boss short staffed shows a lack of respect for your boss, position and career opportunities. Time off this time of year is often booked months in advance, so I would consider this a short notice request as well.

[MOM21SON]

I wouldn't even consider asking for the time off.  Jobs in my area are very hard to come by.  YMMV.

[HorseFreak]

One of my assistants is very upset that she will have to work some during what is typically an extra two weeks of vacation for non-essential personnel. She doesn't seem to grasp that she's hanging on by a thread and really not all that useful so firing her wouldn't be all that crazy if she refused.

There are just too many things to make asking a Very Bad Idea:
- New employee
- No one to cover
- Already asked to work by supervisor
- No vacation time
- You really want to stay there

Honestly, if I were your boss you'd be the first on the list to lay off when the time came. This is coming from someone who had just started a new job and her boyfriend asked her to go on a trip to Hawaii that he was paying for and had to say no to.

[Amava]

If I wanted to keep the job, I would put the job first. No vacation.

[cutecupcake]

I agree with all the other posters, I wouldn't ask. In general if I am new to a position I wouldn't ask for time off (holiday or no) and i normally work longer hours than asked. But that's just me.

[FauxFoodist]

I wouldn't view this as requesting vacation, I'd view it as giving notice.

You have been asked to work and know there won't be anybody to cover your normal workload. Intentionally leaving your boss short staffed shows a lack of respect for your boss, position and career opportunities. Time off this time of year is often booked months in advance, so I would consider this a short notice request as well.

Pod.  I've encountered this multiple times in recent months with new hires who are per diems (which means there are no guarantees as far as their hours or, even, their jobs).  One told us in her interview that she had a 100% open schedule then on her 2nd day of employment cut her availability in half, among other things that have popped up.  We were given the okay to terminate her employment.

If you want a career with this place and/or want to forge a good reputation, especially regarding your reliability, forget about the trip.  It's really not worth playing the odds.  Believe me, you're not just messing with your future for the current job but could seriously hurt your chances for being considered for a career position.

[JoyinVirginia]

I would ask because it doesn't hurt to ask. I would be prepared to graciously accept the request being denied.

[Lauds]

Talk to your boss and see if you can come to a compromise, eg you get a normal day or two off, but work several non-normal days. You want to show a willingness to help them out and give them what they want and a reasonable boss will work with you on what you want.

Also, think about going on the holiday, but only for a few days to work around your work roster rather than the whole time your friends are going.

[ClaireC79]

Your supervisor requested you work extra shifts?  Did you agree to this? If so you have to work them. 

If you said no you don't have to work those extra days, but while you can ask for your regular shifts off they can say no and in light of the fact you don't have paid leave due to you I think if you want to continue to work there you'd be stupid to ask for them off
- you know they are short staffed and have no cover
- holiday time off has been sorted for a long time in most companies, asking for leave when in December short of an emergency is a big no-no in many places
- there is a chance of it being made permenent - don't rock the boat if you want to stay

[niamh]

If you were fairly new to a position, would you ask for time off after your supervisor requested that you work over the holidays? 

Probably not, and definitely not if I'd already agreed to the request.

For this example, let's say your friends asked that you accompany them on a trip that you would really enjoy.

Your supervisor only recently asked that you work, and you were already contemplating going on the trip, but had not made firm plans or requested time off.   

That was your chance to bring it up to your supervisor and request the time off, so the schedule could be covered. Did you agree to work during this time?

Your supervisor asked you to work days that are not part of  your normal schedule over the holidays, however some of the days you want off are days you do typically work.

Not unusual for holiday-season work, when people have to cover for others who are on holiday. I don't see that fact that some of these days are not your regular days as relevant, if you already agreed to work them.

Would you still go if your supervisor told you it was a problem, but did not deny your request?

Only if I had plans to move on to another job when I got back.

How would you feel if your request was denied and you had already made vacation plans?

I guess I would feel very foolish for having made formal travel arrangements before making sure I had approved time off. I would also understand why my supervisor would deny my request, if I'd already agreed to work and knew that there was no one else to cover my days. (Though, all this is moot, because, in this situation, I wouldn't be asking for time off at the eleventh hour unless it was an emergency.)

All in all, this seems a best an exercise in futility, as it would be very hard for your supervisor to grant you the time off, and at worst an extremely good way to burn bridges with this job.

It's unfortunate that the timing didn't work out, but if you agreed to work those days, you're stuck, if you want to keep a good reputation at this job.

As a manager, for an employee in your situation to even ask me this, knowing the circumstances of there not being cover and having previously agreed to work the shifts, it would definitely lower my opinion of them. So there is "something to lose" even by asking, IMO. Sorry.

[cheyne]

As a manager, for an employee in your situation to even ask me this, knowing the circumstances of there not being cover and having previously agreed to work the shifts, it would definitely lower my opinion of them. So there is "something to lose" even by asking, IMO. Sorry.

I agree with this, even if you haven't agreed to work the extra shifts.  There are some times when it isn't OK to ask and IMO this is one of them.  As a manager, I would think the employee asking for time off in the holiday season on December 7th is someone who doesn't plan ahead, is impulsive, and isn't too interested in the job (all qualities I don't want in a full time employee).

Personally, I think you should tell your friends that you can't make it, work at least one of the extra shifts your boss is asking you to cover, and make plans with your friends after January when you have OK'd the time off with your boss for 2013.

All "yous" general.

[FauxFoodist]

I would ask because it doesn't hurt to ask. I would be prepared to graciously accept the request being denied.

Actually, depending upon the circumstance, it can and, in the OP's case, it definitely does sound like not a good idea to ask.  I've heard my own supervisor complaining about other employees asking for something that they know better than to ask and him stating that people don't understand it's not always true that it won't hurt to ask.

I do the scheduling in my area, and when the employees want time off that's is past deadline and is non-medical reasons, it falls on them to find coverage for themselves.  To ask for time off for a vacation and expect the supervisor to figure out coverage and with little notice (and already knowing finding coverage isn't likely?), yeah, really bad idea.

If the OP were to try to get the time off, the OP should find coverage for those shifts (asking coworkers to cover would not be a bad call, IME).  In that case, I don't think it would hurt to ask.