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I screwed up. Two weeks ago I accepted a job offer, but forgot to negotiate for 2 weeks (10 days) off at the start of September. Now I'll start at my new job at the very beginning of august, and need to ask for those two weeks off. I can't reschedule the dates.

What should I do?

Do I bring it up to HR now, and ask them about getting the time off? Wait until I officially start and talk to my new supervisor?

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What should I do?

Do I bring it up to HR now, and ask them about getting the time off? Wait until I officially start and talk to my new supervisor?

Talk to your boss now.

Just explain that you made an honest mistake, and that you wanted her to know about it right away. Then ask your boss how you should handle that.

In most cases, it won't be a big deal. Either you can borrow time against not-yet-accrued vacation time, or take unpaid time off.

Waiting until August isn't a good idea. As a manager, I want to know about issues as soon as possible, so that we could work together to find a good solution. Waiting will lead your new boss to think that you knew about a problem, but didn't think it was important enough to call it to her attention.

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    ... or even worse, if you wait, your new manager could think that you only remembered the problem in August. It's not a good career move to signal that you don't have your mid-term calendar & plans under control. Commented Jul 18, 2014 at 11:47
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    I was basically in the same scenario, and had to request my third week of work off about a month in advance. I immediately sent a request to my boss, and got the time off without any issues. The sooner they know, the better for everyone. Commented Jul 18, 2014 at 17:56
  • +1, ASAP ASAP ASAP. Putting off telling them cannot possibly improve the situation. Commented Jul 18, 2014 at 22:10

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