Crazy Employer Stuff

I pity the last small company I worked for as it's hard to offer incentives due to small size.

I was offered a few extra days vacation instead of a raise and bonus once.

I was offered a 3 day weekend vacation in Las Vegas during SEMA. The company had a ticket for the Car Wash Show and knew I wanted to go to SEMA someday. (Rather than a raise). I declined as wifey doesn't like Lost Wages and I didn't think it was right to the others not getting a raise.

You?

The small company I work for decided to give me a raise instead of an extra week of vacation (that I asked for). They felt they would have to give every one an extra week vacation if I got it. 20 berkeleying years with this shop and I still only get 2 weeks vacation.

Taking extra vacation can be a raise. and I know people who have negotiated for extra weeks of vacation instead of a higher salary when taking a job. Very smart actually, because it was a big company and they knew the company did not negotiate starting salaries.

Maths: 2000 hour work year (52 weeks X 40 hours = 2080, minus 2 weeks vacation = 2000 hrs). Say 50k salary. 50k/2000hrs = 25$/hr.

Get a raise of 5 vacation days? (40hrs). Now you get 50k for 1960 hrs. $25.51 per hour. 2% raise.

If a small business is offering vacation time opposed to a raise they're barely in the black, if they are at all. Most small businesses have enough work to be done that they'd do almost anything to have all hands on deck whenever possible.

I worked at a small graphics/print shop during the dot-com boom. Our biggest client was the main graphic designer for MCI. Our specialty was we never said "no" to a job, regardless of quantity or timeframe. We also charged insanely high rates (up to 4x the usual rate) for rush jobs. We made a LOT of money. So much money that the owners shut down the place for a week and flew all of us to Marathon Key for an all expenses paid vacation. Twice. Oh, and we got paid as well for the week.

DILYSIDave and I worked at place that instituted a crazy accrual system for vacation time based on how long you had been there. Pretty much you earned .5 PTO days per month, which meant you started your year with zero PTO. You were not allowed to borrow against future PTO. And it was a "use it or lose it" policy with blackout periods during the year where nobody could take vacation at all. I pissed off the General Manager by taking unpaid vacation days instead, since part of his power trip was controlling your life. This is the same company that when I asked about signing up for a retirement plan, the GM handed me a blank sheet of paper with a line at the bottom with instructions to "sign it, then we print out the rest of the legal stuff on the page later..." Shady doesn't EVEN begin to describe this place.

I once got paid for a gig with a bag of cocaine instead of cash.

EvanR wrote: I once got paid for a gig with a bag of cocaine instead of cash.

Party at your house? What time and can I bring a potluck appetizer?

I worked in the field for a while. 7 days a week, usually 14 hours a day (but salary so no one counted) Our schedule was supposed to be something like six weeks on, two off, but sometimes we had more work than that.
When I got married my wife was in her first year of work and had very little time off. We spend most of a week with her family at a wedding, then got married in Vegas on our way back home. She had to go to work. While we were gone my boss told me HR was freaking out about all of the accrued time I had and to not come to work for a month.
OK. Took two weeks to drive around the Dakotas with a friend from college. Had a great time. Would have been a wonderful honeymoon if my wife had been there.
In the time I worked there, the entire staff, including my boss, turned over. I left with seniority after slightly less than two years. Still my only proper post-college grown up job.

The Hoff wrote:

EvanR wrote: I once got paid for a gig with a bag of cocaine instead of cash.

Party at your house? What time and can I bring a potluck appetizer?

Sorry, it was long ago enough that the statute of limitations has run out :)

The whole use it or lose it clause is a great way to have half your staff out over the holidays. In older industries its a great way to have them be out for 3 weeks over the holidays.

I still firmly believe that companies should allow employees to buy vacation time. If you want 4 kids and a huge house with lots of debt but you never want to take vacation because you have no where to go, thats your priority. Me, I've got a good budget and lots of places I want to see, so let me buy 5 weeks of vacation and we'll call it even.

PHeller wrote: I still firmly believe that companies should allow employees to buy vacation time. If you want 4 kids and a huge house with lots of debt but you never want to take vacation because you have no where to go, thats your priority. Me, I've got a good budget and lots of places I want to see, so let me buy 5 weeks of vacation and we'll call it even.

I love the buy vacation policy. It's like taking a small pay cut (company is happy) that I'm happy about (vacation). Win-win.

I'm at the highest vacation due to time here, but still buy a week and a half.

I work for a small business, theres a total of 6 employees between 2 stores. No vacation but i get a company account for parts and since the economy went crap a few years ago we have expanded to more then just fluids and those jobs come with a commision.

Id take vacation time over another raise anyday, they just cant afford fot me to miss work. Biggest downfall to being lead and having to babysit the other greasemonkeys.

PHeller wrote: The whole use it or lose it clause is a great way to have half your staff out over the holidays. In older industries its a great way to have them be out for 3 weeks over the holidays. I still firmly believe that companies should allow employees to buy vacation time. If you want 4 kids and a huge house with lots of debt but you never want to take vacation because you have no where to go, thats your priority. Me, I've got a good budget and lots of places I want to see, so let me buy 5 weeks of vacation and we'll call it even.

When I worked at a huge mega conglomerate the company pretty much shut down for December. We'd spend the whole year under pressure not daring to take vacation time, only to be hounded by management at the end of the year for not using our vacation time wisely. I once took almost all of December off once...paid. After that I started using vacation time during the year and telling my boss to hire an assistant for me if he wanted my job done so badly while I was out.

When I worked at Year One they would allow you to cash out your vacation time. That was AWESOME! I used the money to help pay for college.

My Christmas bonus is not having to work on Christmas.

PHeller wrote: The whole use it or lose it clause is a great way to have half your staff out over the holidays. In older industries its a great way to have them be out for 3 weeks over the holidays. I still firmly believe that companies should allow employees to buy vacation time. If you want 4 kids and a huge house with lots of debt but you never want to take vacation because you have no where to go, thats your priority. Me, I've got a good budget and lots of places I want to see, so let me buy 5 weeks of vacation and we'll call it even.

AMEN!

Unfortunately their priority will usually prevail. The debt one is a common one. Another one I see too often is your boss hates their wife/kids and would rather work long hours than go home.

Raise? Increased vacation time?

Not in my field, let alone company.

He'll, im not even salary, but im not allowed to get overtime. Im told to schedule my workflow better and flex out the time.

So lately I've been leaving at 3 or not coming in on Friday.

Related question:

Do you think the government should force employers to give employees a certain amount of paid vacation, paternity leave, or lower the standard of what is considered "full time"?

I personally don't forsee American employers ever giving us anymore paid time willingly, unless it was in exchanged for lower corporate tax rates.

Our culture just seem vastly different from those countries where workers can actually enjoy life.

I once had a supervisor pass me over for a raise at my semi-annual performance review but give me a $500 performance bonus.

I pointed out the mixed message that was being sent and asked for more per hour instead of a one-time cash bonus...he didn't go for it.

It all worked out in the end, though, since I make a LOT more now than I did then.

PHeller wrote: Related question: Do you think the government should force employers to give employees a certain amount of paid vacation, paternity leave, or lower the standard of what is considered "full time"? I personally don't forsee American employers ever giving us anymore paid time willingly, unless it was in exchanged for lower corporate tax rates. Our culture just seem vastly different from those countries where workers can actually enjoy life.

Should the government 'force' employers? or should the employees themselves apply the pressure?

Attracting and keeping talented staff is one of the largest business challenges, and of course there are many strategies to solve it, but one reason very few companies offer short work weeks is because very few employees actually want it.

PHeller wrote: Related question: Do you think the government should force employers to give employees a certain amount of paid vacation, paternity leave, or lower the standard of what is considered "full time"? I personally don't forsee American employers ever giving us anymore paid time willingly, unless it was in exchanged for lower corporate tax rates. Our culture just seem vastly different from those countries where workers can actually enjoy life.

it depends on the company. I get 5 weeks of PTO a year.. and I can roll over one week from the previous year...

As for mandatory time off.. I think we are the only civilized country -not- to offer it

I'm self employed, the only mandatory thing I have is taxes. The flexible work schedule, no commute, and lax dress code are worth it though.

PHeller wrote: Related question: Do you think the government should force employers to give employees a certain amount of paid vacation, paternity leave, or lower the standard of what is considered "full time"? I personally don't forsee American employers ever giving us anymore paid time willingly, unless it was in exchanged for lower corporate tax rates. Our culture just seem vastly different from those countries where workers can actually enjoy life.

No. If you want more time off, find a part time or seasonal job. Companies are in business for one thing. To make money. Not to provide you (generic you) a job you like, or to do anything other than make money. Much like you are working a job for one thing. To make money. Not to make the company better, nicer or more friendly. MONEY.

You just need to find a balance you like. What's more important to you. Time or money.

Some people live to work. My business partner is one of those. He sometimes works 7 days a week and hasn't taken a vacation in 10 years. I'm reasonably certain he will die at his desk.

Some people work to live. I personally don't like work. I probably take 20-30 days a year off. Two weeks of vacation and a lot of Fridays and Mondays. I'm pretty sure I'll be hard to find the week between Christmas and New Years. That is the number one reason I'm self employed. I couldn't find a company that would let me work my schedule.

My previous small employer was deducting monthly for insurance. Issued me a card and everything. When I went to use it I started getting the bills and rejections from doctors. When I called the insurance commissioner, his comment was along the lines of, "they don't have enough in assets to justify my legal team. Deal with it on your own."

My current & very large employer deals with the "use it or lose it" vacation time very sensibly. Instead of the calendar year, your PTO expires on the anniversary of your hire date. Makes a lot of sense, and it prevents the problem of everyone trying to use up their PTO in December.

Toyman01 wrote:

PHeller wrote: Related question: Do you think the government should force employers to give employees a certain amount of paid vacation, paternity leave, or lower the standard of what is considered "full time"? I personally don't forsee American employers ever giving us anymore paid time willingly, unless it was in exchanged for lower corporate tax rates. Our culture just seem vastly different from those countries where workers can actually enjoy life.

No. If you want more time off, find a part time or seasonal job. Companies are in business for one thing. To make money. Not to provide you (generic you) a job you like, or to do anything other than make money. Much like you are working a job for one thing. To make money. Not to make the company better, nicer or more friendly. MONEY.

While my co-workers drive me completely batE36 M3 insane, the company I work for is a good one that wants us to take time off. They know that a well rested and relaxed employee is a better employee. In that sense, issuing us as much PTO as we get, is a sound business decision.