Employer and employee

[drbonner]

I’d work for this guy ^^

Well said

Some folks have never worked for a company that valued their employees.

[sqiggy]

I wouldn't beat myself up over this. It sounds like you put your fair share in with that company. When you need a day off, take it.
I don't get PTO. Me and my crew work a 7 day on, 7 day off shift. We plan our stuff for our days off. My boss will wait till the last minute on our last day to tell me they need 1, 2, or 3 guys to come in the next day or for that weekend(off Thur-Wed) or they call us in anytime during our time off. Then they get mad when we tell them no!!! We'll go in IF we don't have something else going on at that time.

[breederbuck33]

Our policy is you have to give 2 weeks heads up for PTO, and you don't need approval. Only 2 people per department can take off at one time (less than 40 employees). If you have something come up inside the 2 week mark you ask for approval. It is USUSALLY given, unless we're very busy or too many other people are already off. It is a fair policy that is easy to follow. The people who abuse it and call in sick 10-15 days a year get culled. Some people like to use their PTO at the last minute when they know a big job is coming up, and others like to use it last minute when they know we aren't going to be busy at all. We prefer the team players who want the company to be successful. There should be incentives for employees to want the company to be successful as well. We get bonuses twice a year, and I think they do a pretty good job rewarding the ones who legitimately try and make the company successful. There is more than one way to skin a cat when I comes to running a successful business and taking care of your employees. From what I read about your situation, it would be very uncommon around here for them NOT to give you that day off. If you are the kind of guy to put in a 1/2 day after an all night tuna trip you'd get certainly get off the next time you asked as well.

[JFFB]

Boss

I've worked for the same outfit for 8 years...im very good at what I do...before this 8 year stent with my employer I did the same job for another company equally as well...and prior to that, the same....im definitely one of the most experienced guys on my crew....my question is....

When its time for me to use my paid time off, I have to get it approved through my foreman....i can't just call and say "hey I'd like to take the day off to go fishing today cause mother nature finally allowed the seas to flatten out briefly"...if we are busy at work ill get flak real quick...i feel like i am being punished for being good at what i do....in fact in our busy season we get told flat out- no time off will be approved...and we all understand and live with it...but when some other guys who aren't near as depended on or less experienced fake sickness it doesn't seem to be an issue... i guess as I'm getting older I'm finally developing a problem with this....i know some will say its good job security, but if my employer gives me x amount of days a year to use, I feel like I should be able to use them when I want...not when things slow to a crawl and they try and persuade me to....i can easily avoid all this by faking an illness and calling in sick, but quite frankly, it bothers me that I should have 2 ...i always go above and beyond my duties and kinda feel like my employer should understand that... and when I wanna burn a day in the woods or on the water, they outta realize no matter what the current workload that my time is my time and at least respect the fact that I'm honest and not faking all kinda b.s. excuses just 2 live life...they are well aware that outside of work- the woods and water is all I'm about... and aside from being a good dad and husband its what I live for and its what makes me happy...at the end of the day I know if I was to have to be gone for something critical like a surgery or a funeral then they would just deal with it....they would have 2...so whats the **** differance?..should I just execpt the fact that because I'm not in management or some corporate role and because I have a wrench in my hand instead of a keyboard that I'm forever penalized for being a skilled craftsman with a trade?..am I in the wrong here?........end of rant....

This is why I own my own business. Its a Lawn Service and I do very well work my own hours come and go like I want ant the best thing hunting season I'm hunting when I choose to. Good Luck

[Kingfisher789]

“ because my employer chooses to intentionally take in more work than they can handle and run a crew with minimal people to maximize their margins with no concern for the worker or whatever they might have going on in their life...”

That’s a problem in my book. That’s how people get hurt and or burnt out. They are working you like a rented mule. I’d suggest getting someone to train for your job. What would they do if you leave or God forbid got hurt or sick?

[KX500]

After hearing the job description (or hours on, at least) it's obvious that your employer could use 2-3 of you at times throughout the year, but then at other times 1 of you is enough & you do something like 40 hour weeks at that time. Or whatever is a short week for you.

And since you carry the load of 2-3 guys, when they need it, it'll never change since it works out so well for them.

Those that say 'be a team player' or 'have some ownership' seem to usually be the ones who will benefit greatly from it if/when you do so - as in owners/management.

They just leave out the part where there is a decent chance you'll be treated more like a slave than an owner.

With the condition of never knowing if you are off on the weekend, until quitting time on Friday, I'd have been looking for another job (or line of work) shortly after taking that job!

[DEREKG22]

“ because my employer chooses to intentionally take in more work than they can handle and run a crew with minimal people to maximize their margins with no concern for the worker or whatever they might have going on in their life...”

That’s a problem in my book. That’s how people get hurt and or burnt out. They are working you like a rented mule. I’d suggest getting someone to train for your job. What would they do if you leave or God forbid got hurt or sick?

okay how bout this one for you----- what if you worked a 14 hour day to complete a job and look good to the customer because you were told to stay until completion, then on friday after 2 hours into the morning you hit your 40 hours for the week they tell you to punch out and go home....all so they didnt have to pay you 6 hours overtime that they charged the customer for and now they want to pocket...i mean im grateful to be employed and all but i feel like thats just unethical as hell...these are some of the things i have to deal with day 2 day

[slayr]

okay how bout this one for you----- what if you worked a 14 hour day to complete a job and look good to the customer because you were told to stay until completion, then on friday after 2 hours into the morning you hit your 40 hours for the week they tell you to punch out and go home....all so they didnt have to pay you 6 hours overtime that they charged the customer for and now they want to pocket...i mean im grateful to be employed and all but i feel like thats just unethical as hell...these are some of the things i have to deal with day 2 day

If they pocketed the OT, then not cool. But, maybe it was a hard money job with a strict deadline? Either way, don’t think I’d treat my employees that way.

[Rakkasan2187]

1 - Be thankful you have a job in the world we are living in
2 - I'm sure that PTO you have comes with stipulations, 1 of those being PTO must be approved
3 - Be Thankful you have PTO, there are TONS of hardworking men and women out there that do not have that luxury.
4 - Suck it up, buttercup. Your situation is far from bad.

This right here is just horse ****.
1. I earned my job and spot.
2. I take my pto when I want because I want to be off those days.
3. I feel for those who dont have it but I'm not going to be punished for it.
4. Who are you to tell anyone what their situation is?
5. Just another internet tough guy/wanabe hardass.

[JLivi1224]

Some of you guys are just flat out disrespectful, and I **** sure would hope you don’t carry yourself in person like you do around here. Making assumptions about the man’s abilities and work ethic because he said he’s good at what he does. Everybody should be good at what they do! If you’re not, then go find something else to do, that you’re more suited for. Then you too can proclaim to be good at what you do.

P.S. I’m good at what I do. You too SHOULD be confident in your professional abilities.

[GWilly]

I'll lob in my two cents as I have learned it. I'm one of those corporate/management guys you reference at a company with hard workers with a wrench or other piece of equipment in hand like yourself. I still have my superiors to answer to. And I am certainly not exempt from the troubles that come with answering to "the man". I often work those extensive hours you suggest. Heck when the oil market crashed recently and we had to reduce the workforce severely I was working 100hr weeks for a month straight fighting to find ways to cut cost to save as many of those field jobs as I could. Missed a lot of things doing that but it is what the company needed from me. My superiors know they can count on me and they know I will run through a wall for them. I have cancelled plans plenty and have had countless weekends blown up. However, when I ask for a day (which admittedly is rarely) - I get it because they know the sincerity that must come with that request based on my track record. Getting that track record included not taking days off that weren't necessary. I often find myself wishing I was in a deer stand, duck blind, or at the lake, but I still remember where my check comes from that allows me to do those things whenever I do get the appropriate time. No situation is the same, and I wish you the best of luck with yours.

[DallasCoon12]

To me different size companies call for different measures. I’m a small business owner, very close to all of my 12 great employees. If one of those employees called during a extremely busy time and said they were taking a vacation day THAT DAY to go fishing.... I’d be very mad and would tell them to get to work. If they gave me a week or more notice then I myself would work till midnight to cover their absence. If they call in sick and I know they are fishing I usually let it roll off my back unless it becomes a habit. I’ve never told an employee that gave me a week or more notice that they couldn’t take their vacation. No matter how busy we are. I don’t feel like I have the right to do so. They work hard and they deserve Paid Time Off. They also won’t resent me as much when I disappear to hunt/fish!!