Merry Monday

banana468

banana468 said:

MissKittyDanger said:

banana468 said:

I'm also going to vent about DH's employer.  They are a government contractor.  I say this so it's understood that when your ONLY (not main - only) client is the government, you are not going to be in contact with your client on federal holidays.

However despite 12/26 being observed 12/26 and 1/1 being observed 1/2, his company floated the 1/1 holiday to 12/30.  They also shut down between Christmas and NY and  employees have to either accrue the holidays or use PTO.  DH has plenty of PTO however I find it really frustrating that in the effort to move the federal holiday they're just forcing their employees to use a day of PTO in the new year.  They know that anyone with younger kids who don't stay home by themselves have to take that day off so it's a fantastic way to get your workforce to start off the year by dipping into PTO reserves forcing those extra days. 

Yeh our new company has that. Since the merger we won't have enough PTO they're just brushing it off this year, but you're suppose to use PTO between xmas and new years. - in this case 12/27, 28 & 29 because 12/30 and 1/2 in lieu of new years

It's just annoying because we actually don't open then so we're forced into PTO and idk what'll happen if we don't have enough.

In the US I think it depends.  If you are forced off because the company isn't open and you don't have PTO accrued at all but you're eligible for unemployment benefits then I think you can technically file for unemployment for that time but I'd need an HR expert to confirm that. 

Most companies that do this as a practice will not let you take PTO into the red if those are known times.  So if you get say 2 weeks PTO and are required to use 5 days at the end of December you won't be allowed to do things like take a 2 week vacation in July without massive management approval to allow you to do something like take a week unpaid.

To add, I technically was going to be taking a week unpaid between Christmas and NY the year that Chiquito was born because my employer did not have maternity leave so I exhausted all my vacation pay during the time I was out for those 7 weeks (i went out on leave a week early and then 6 weeks after he was born).  With circumstances changing I actually wound up being acquired and didn't file for unemployment between the last day and hire day. 

short+sassy

MissKittyDanger said:

banana468 said:

I'm also going to vent about DH's employer.  They are a government contractor.  I say this so it's understood that when your ONLY (not main - only) client is the government, you are not going to be in contact with your client on federal holidays.

However despite 12/26 being observed 12/26 and 1/1 being observed 1/2, his company floated the 1/1 holiday to 12/30.  They also shut down between Christmas and NY and  employees have to either accrue the holidays or use PTO.  DH has plenty of PTO however I find it really frustrating that in the effort to move the federal holiday they're just forcing their employees to use a day of PTO in the new year.  They know that anyone with younger kids who don't stay home by themselves have to take that day off so it's a fantastic way to get your workforce to start off the year by dipping into PTO reserves forcing those extra days. 

Yeh our new company has that. Since the merger we won't have enough PTO they're just brushing it off this year, but you're suppose to use PTO between xmas and new years. - in this case 12/27, 28 & 29 because 12/30 and 1/2 in lieu of new years

It's just annoying because we actually don't open then so we're forced into PTO and idk what'll happen if we don't have enough.

Most companies I've worked at will do an Absence Without Pay (AWOP), if someone is taking time off but don't have enough vacation or sick hours to cover it.  Employees don't necessarily get in trouble, as long as they're absence was approved.  But they don't get paid for those day(s) either.

But that is really messed up that the company chooses not to be open.  And then forces their employees to use PTO for that time.

I had "unexpected" AWOP happen to an employee once when I was in a quasi-HR job.  We accrued a few hours of vacation and a few hours of sick time with each pay period (separate buckets).  This one employee would use his vacation time almost as soon as he got it.  Same with sick time (that was probably also for vacation).

Then he notified us he was having a minor surgery and needed four days off.  Not a problem, his time off was approved with a doctor's note.  But I had to be the bearer of bad news that, between his sick and vacation time, he only had 2 days he could use and the other 2 days would need to be AWOP.  The conversation went something like this:

Him:  But I'm having surgery!  I have to take time off for a medical reason!

Me:  I totally understand and there is no issue with you taking the time off.  But you still need to have enough vacation or sick time to cover the hours or it needs to be charged to AWOP.

Him:  But, but...there has to be ways around that for special circumstances like this!

Me:  We also have short-term disability insurance.  But that doesn't kick in, until an employee has been off work for medical reasons for one week.  When it's shorter than that..well...an employee needs to use sick or vacation time to cover it.  Or can use AWOP.  I'm sorry.  There aren't other options.

After that, I even asked our boss if it was possible for him to borrow future sick time.  But that was a "no" also.  I was glad I hadn't told him I was going to try that.  I didn't think it would fly, but it would have been nice to have surprised him if I could have made that happen.

kerbohl

Jealous of all this talk of cookies!  I am fortunate in that I get three days off, and I got to choose them, so I'm talking the 26th, 27th, and the 30th, and then I'm just using accrued overtime for the two days in between.
I had a nice weekend - I was supposed to go out with friends on Saturday but wasn't feeling so great, a little burned out so I cancelled and watched Christmas movies.  It was what I needed.  
I wish I could use more of my ridiculous amounts of overtime to ditch, but I have a class still until the 23rd.  Can't even leave early on Friday.  Oh well!

ILoveBeachMusic

Had a good weekend in Chicago. Got cookies baked with the boys but now have to get my own baked. I'm starting to stress out. H has to go to VA to help pick a place for his Dad. That means I'm left with all the grocery shopping for the holidays plus baking and cleaning. I'm also stressed because he should be returning on Friday when the big winter storm is predicted to hit. He plans on leaving early though so hopefully will be home before it hits.

I know I will get everything done I just hate thinking about it! DS2 will be home Thursday night for the whole holiday week. So that's a good thing.

STARMOON44

My office is closed from 12/22 at 4pm until 1/3. It’s my first year enjoying this heaven!