Boss Grants Time Off, Then Denies 3 Weeks before Int'l Travel *UPDATE*

[siamesecat2965]

I was going to say that we're required to use PTO and floating holidays for medical visits because this is America, and our benefits are way below many other first-world countries.   

Yup. Although in my company, you can sometimes use a sick day for something like having a procedure where you'd be given anasthesia. I was told I should have done this (after having such a procedure, having complications and then being in the hospital and out of work for 2 weeks), because then it all counts as sick time, then STD.

My boss is also pretty flexible on that as well; a couple years ago I had a dr. appt, figured I'd be out, and then come back. Nope. my dr. ended up sending me to urgent care, where I spend the better part of the afternoon having tests, and being diagnosed with asthma, so that counted as a sick day. But everyone is different.

Good for you, and no, you don't need to feel guilty. You're at the dr., regardless of what its for.

[Dorrie78]

I was going to say that we're required to use PTO and floating holidays for medical visits because this is America, and our benefits are way below many other first-world countries.   

Well, I'm in the US and I can use any of my ample sick time for doctors appointments. I also get tons of vacation time and 3 PTO days to use as I please. Each situation is different. There is no requirement in the US that you have to use floating holidyas or PTO for medical appointments. That appears to be a requirement at your company. Which sounds like a terrible place to work, so good for your for giving your notice and moving on!

[blarg314]

I was going to say that we're required to use PTO and floating holidays for medical visits because this is America, and our benefits are way below many other first-world countries.   

Well, I'm in the US and I can use any of my ample sick time for doctors appointments. I also get tons of vacation time and 3 PTO days to use as I please. Each situation is different. There is no requirement in the US that you have to use floating holidyas or PTO for medical appointments. That appears to be a requirement at your company. Which sounds like a terrible place to work, so good for your for giving your notice and moving on!

The issue in the US is that there aren't really any requirements at all. So if you're lucky, like I was when I worked there, you get ample sick days, vacation days, access to FMLA and  maternity/parental leave as appropriate and various other nice things.  If you're unlucky, you can get a job that has no PTO of any sort.

[TootsNYC]

We switched to accrued vacation and accrued sick leave (which is stupid imho) on Jan 1st 2014.  So I started the year with no leave of any kind except my two floating holidays.  We are not allowed to take unpaid leave (according to Professional Boss).  We CAN take time-off before we've technically accrued it, so long as we continue to work for the company afterwards to "pay that back", as it were.  Or you leave anyways and then you have to pay the money back out of your paycheck or out of your pocket.  That's a new company policy but my bosses don't seem to want to let me invoke it.   

I accrue vacation time at 1.25 days/month.  So does everyone else.  This means everyone will be eligible to take their vacation time towards the end of the year.  But of course not everyone is allowed to be gone at the same time so I'm not sure what will happen.

Unused sick days and floating holidays are NOT paid out at the end of the year, or when an employee leaves.

Would it be possible to persuade them that it would be smart to let you go now, so that you aren't one of the people wanting to take a big vacay at the end of the year?

[Hopefull]

Jillybean When do you plan on giving your notice?

[Ceallach]

I was going to say that we're required to use PTO and floating holidays for medical visits because this is America, and our benefits are way below many other first-world countries.   

Well, I'm in the US and I can use any of my ample sick time for doctors appointments. I also get tons of vacation time and 3 PTO days to use as I please. Each situation is different. There is no requirement in the US that you have to use floating holidyas or PTO for medical appointments. That appears to be a requirement at your company. Which sounds like a terrible place to work, so good for your for giving your notice and moving on!

And on the flip side, here in Australia we do have legislated personal leave, but in most cases you can't use it for general doctors appointments etc.  Its for when you actually can't physically work (due to being sick or having to care for a sick family member), not for when you need a check up or a shot or something.   Some companies are more lenient than others but that's generally the rule.

[Redsoil]

Jillybean - are you going to visit the hospital in Addis Ababa? 

For those who'd like to know more - read "The hospital by the river" Catherine Hamlin.  She's done incredible work over many years, helping women from poor backgrounds who have obstructed births resulting in obstetric fistulae.  A true pioneer and humanitarian.

[miranova]

Why do you have to take your own personal time for medical appointments or the flu?

I've had 3 different full time professional gigs since college and they all operated the same way:  you are given a certain number of days.  It makes absolutely no difference whether you are sick or sitting on the beach.  If you aren't at the office for the day, it counts as a day.  Period.  You don't get more time off if you tend to get sick more often or have kids who get sick or anything else.  You have your set number of days per year and if you are sick for all of them, then you don't get a vacation that year.  Yeah, benefits aren't as great at my job as some people assume they are.

[MrTango]

Why do you have to take your own personal time for medical appointments or the flu?

I've had 3 different full time professional gigs since college and they all operated the same way:  you are given a certain number of days.  It makes absolutely no difference whether you are sick or sitting on the beach.  If you aren't at the office for the day, it counts as a day.  Period.  You don't get more time off if you tend to get sick more often or have kids who get sick or anything else.  You have your set number of days per year and if you are sick for all of them, then you don't get a vacation that year.  Yeah, benefits aren't as great at my job as some people assume they are.

Yep, that's PTO.

Most companies that use PTO instead of separate Sick/Vacation time set a limit on how many "unscheduled" PTO days one can use in a given time period (my company allows 4 in a rolling 6-month period).  If I get approval from my manager at least the day before using PTO, then it's not "unscheduled" and doesn't count toward that 4-day limit.

[GreenEyedHawk]

Your vacation sounds like it's going to be fantastic; Africa, I'm so envious! 

I'm rooting for you, JillyBean, good luck!  I do hope you'll tell us all what happened (Because we're nosy like that )

[PastryGoddess]

Your vacation sounds like it's going to be fantastic; Africa, I'm so envious! 

I'm rooting for you, JillyBean, good luck!  I do hope you'll tell us all what happened (Because we're nosy like that )

ahem..I prefer the word inquisitive

[OSUJillyBean]

Jillybean When do you plan on giving your notice?

In two days (the 23rd).  DH informed me our flight got switched on the 7th so instead of leaving at 6pm, we'll be headed out in the early afternoon so I can't work that day like I originally planned to.

I am very blessed with my DH.  He travels weekly for work and earns ff miles, hotel points, rental car points, etc.  Because of that, we travel quite a bit.  He has also scheduled us for a week in Phuket Thailand in May and then we have a weeklong Bean-Family reunion in Colorado in late June.  Because of all that, I think it'd be easier to resume working in July rather than hunting now.  I know the gap on my resume won't look good but what kind of employer is going to give a new hire four weeks of vacation within six months of hiring on?  Not to mention my husband intends to keep travelling this way until we have children.

So I'm lucky to have him, but it makes finding and keeping a job a bit trickier.

[Bethalize]

Jillybean When do you plan on giving your notice?

In two days (the 23rd). 

Good luck! I'm betting that they all run around like headless chickens and act shocked and affronted that you would consider resigning. They will use phrases like "leave us in the lurch" and try and make out it's all your fault. Hopefully you will be able to stay calm, shrug your shoulders and say things like: "Unfortunately, it was the only option left to me".

Do please post how you get on.

[VorFemme]

Your vacation sounds like it's going to be fantastic; Africa, I'm so envious! 

I'm rooting for you, JillyBean, good luck!  I do hope you'll tell us all what happened (Because we're nosy like that )

ahem..I prefer the word inquisitive

"Living vicariously" because WE aren't going to the same place.....

[katycoo]

And on the flip side, here in Australia we do have legislated personal leave, but in most cases you can't use it for general doctors appointments etc.  Its for when you actually can't physically work (due to being sick or having to care for a sick family member), not for when you need a check up or a shot or something.   Some companies are more lenient than others but that's generally the rule.

I've never had a problem using it for anything medical related.  That said, if I needed vaccines or something, I'd try for an early or late appointment so I only needed to take an hour or so.