244 votes

Should I work while on vacation?

It's understandable if it's an emergency production issue It certainly is not understandable. As online joke goes, PTO stands for Prepare The Others, as I am not going to be there. I get called or ...
Aida Paul's user avatar
  • 35.1k
194 votes
Accepted

How does "unlimited holidays" work in practice?

"unlimited holidays" is not a benefit. It's usually a red flag. I know one Senior software developer who had unlimited vacation and they made him feel guilty for just taking three weeks of vacation ...
Stephan Branczyk's user avatar
176 votes
Accepted

Requesting time off on behalf of spouse for surprise vacation

Requesting time off on behalf of spouse for a surprise vacation Don't do it. I'll let Alison Green from Ask A Manager explain why this puts your spouse's manager in an uncomfortable position: From ...
Lilienthal's user avatar
  • 59.4k
172 votes

Coworkers quitting under special circumstances -- should telling our manager be one of my options?

If they knew this was going to take place, why would they tell you? OF COURSE you'd end up anxious and stressed out, as you are right now. These aren't people that you need to make any efforts to ...
Xavier J's user avatar
  • 42.8k
157 votes

I agreed to cancel a long-planned vacation (with travel costs) due to project deadlines, but now the timeline has all changed again

Should I do anything further (if so how) in terms of bringing this up to management, project manager, etc? They've already paid you in terms of your "expenses" and given you extra time off, so I'...
Dark Matter 's user avatar
156 votes

Asking a coworker to cover work when vacation, how to deal with No

is this something worth escalating to boss? If the task truly must be performed every day, then clearly your boss needs to find someone else to do it while you are away. Something like, "Boss, ...
Joe Strazzere's user avatar
143 votes
Accepted

Is it unprofessional to ask to use company laptop for personal uses?

Is it rude to ask my boss if I can take the laptop with me to the vacation? I am not sure about rude (this is opinion based), but to request permission to use company equipment for strictly ...
Neo's user avatar
  • 84.8k
122 votes

How to deal with a boss that doesn't like you to take time off?

You are entitled to take your holidays, so the issue is with coming to an acceptable timeframe for your holidays. If the manager will not give you time off, try asking him to provide you with dates ...
user1666620's user avatar
  • 21.6k
111 votes
Accepted

How do unlimited vacation days work?

This will depend on the specific company culture. Some companies will absolutely use "unlimited vacation" as a vehicle to get people to take less vacation, while others will use it in the spirit of ...
Chris G's user avatar
  • 11.6k
94 votes
Accepted

Continuously Denying PTO

I guess I'm asking what I should do if he does deny it again, so I'll be ready. If I ask him right now, when we have this NEW high priority project, I'm expecting he will deny it again. Maybe he won't,...
mikeazo's user avatar
  • 3,079
92 votes

How to refuse to work when on vacation while keeping relationships as best as possible?

I send an email to all my colleagues a few days before going on vacation (also setup an auto responder, and a similar worded one for external contacts (clients)). It says something similar to: I will ...
flexi's user avatar
  • 13.6k
87 votes

Is it unprofessional to ask to use company laptop for personal uses?

You can most surely ask a question on this topic without looking unprofessional. Just ask "what is our company policy of using the work devices for personal purposes" instead of "can I install ...
Haspemulator's user avatar
85 votes

How to address decline in productivity due to possible burn-out, until my scheduled vacation starts?

How to address decline in productivity right before vacation? Short Answer: Suck it up, buttercup. To have a decline in productivity between long stretches with no break is normal. My advise to ...
Neo's user avatar
  • 84.8k
80 votes

Asking a coworker to cover work when vacation, how to deal with No

You don't work on your day off. Even if it's only half an hour (exception if there is an absolute emergency that could cause massive damage). It's your responsibility that all work that has a deadline ...
gnasher729's user avatar
  • 169k
77 votes

Our work-week policy changed drastically. It used to be a perk. How to let them know I'm unhappy?

If you like working for this company I would just let them know it is a deal breaker for you. The fact is, it wasn't a perk. Your work schedule is your job not a perk. So you were employed to work ...
blankip's user avatar
  • 22.3k
77 votes
Accepted

Our work-week policy changed drastically. It used to be a perk. How to let them know I'm unhappy?

How do I let them know I'm unhappy? I want to ask for them to allow a work from home day once a month, or give us a few extra vacation days. Idk. They took without giving and I kinda want to just ...
Joe Strazzere's user avatar
77 votes
Accepted

How can I resign while management is on vacation?

both my manager and the CEO is on vacation the last half of the month Their problem, not yours. Assuming that you want to part on good terms, the process below is probably the best choice. Step 1: ...
Hilmar's user avatar
  • 120k
74 votes

Coworkers quitting under special circumstances -- should telling our manager be one of my options?

Generally you don't act on third party information like this. It's unlikely these clowns are actually going to leave, they might be trying to stick it to you, not the company. For the plan to have ...
Kilisi's user avatar
  • 222k
68 votes

Should I work while on vacation?

There's actually a few different facets of your question. A) Working while on PTO during an emergency. I've worked in jobs where, if you weren't able to handle an emergency situation (even during ...
Kevin's user avatar
  • 30.1k
64 votes

How does "unlimited holidays" work in practice?

I work in a company (~50K Employees) where we have an "unlimited" PTO (paid time off) policy. For us, requests for vacation under 4 weeks a year only have to be approved by our direct supervisor. Then,...
NateTheGrate's user avatar
60 votes

My boss wants me to be available during my vacation abroad

Not sure if this can help now, but in future if somebody makes this requests again, laugh and say "good one!". With a bit of luck they'll be too embarrassed to say they're serious. If they are ...
user1666620's user avatar
  • 21.6k
58 votes
Accepted

Is generic PTO without sick days / time normal in the US?

In the US, companies are under no federal1 obligation to provide any sort of paid vacation time. The concept of an employer paying you for time you're not actually working has many names and ...
Lilienthal's user avatar
  • 59.4k
57 votes

Asking a coworker to cover work when vacation, how to deal with No

This seems to be a pretty clear case for escalation - but without bringing up the employee who's refusing to cover. Assigning tasks that need to be done is the job of a boss - so delegate to the boss ...
morsor's user avatar
  • 9,602
56 votes

Requesting time off on behalf of spouse for surprise vacation

Answering my own question as encouraged by the site usage guides, and after considering all thoughtful advice: I'm telling my husband we need to take a trip out west to visit in-laws so that he can ...
Anon's user avatar
  • 1,121
55 votes

I returned from vacation to find my desk in a mess. How should I deal with this?

I'm going to steal @Erik's comment and say, yes, if you come back from vacation, and the first day of work makes you want to die, it's time to find a new job. Also, your boss (or whoever) is a jerk ...
KlaymenDK's user avatar
  • 3,136
50 votes
Accepted

How to refuse to work when on vacation while keeping relationships as best as possible?

An angle that is not well touched on in the other answers is culture. Israeli culture and company culture will both come into play here. If the regional and company culture is such that you are ...
Myles's user avatar
  • 34.7k
44 votes

How do unlimited vacation days work?

Chris has a very good answer, but I would like to add my experence as working somewhere that made the transition from a traditional vacation policy to an unlimited one. Many people working through ...
adeady's user avatar
  • 1,658
44 votes

Is there such a thing as “planned sick leave”?

The statement of your manager is obviously trivially wrong. I have had planned sick leave way to many times for my liking. It's easy. You visit a doctor. The doctor makes a frowny face and sends you ...
nvoigt's user avatar
  • 139k

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