[Venus]

I wrote this thread last year when I tried to get leave from the office for a trip
My Boss did eventually approve my leave after over six weeks and me giving him various dates and trip lengths

I now have a new Boss

Two new things I would like to share for your thoughts …

 

[Venus]

1) A few weeks ago one Tuesday morning I asked my Boss for Thursday morning off to go to Dorney for the Olympic kayaking

I tell him I live near Dorney and will be back at home working by 1pm and will work into the evening to make up a whole day

He says ‘no, it’s short notice’

I send out an email to the wider team of 50 people, to sell my ticket

I’m leaving the office at 6.30pm [I get in at 8am every day] and as I wave him goodnight,
he asks me what my plan is for taking the half day off,
I tell him I live near Dorney and will be back at home by 1pm working and will work into the evening to make up a whole day

He tells me ‘Make sure you book that half day in the system’
I book the leave in the system and I drive off, get as far as Tesco and see a missed call, it’s him

I call back and he say ‘… I left you a vmail’ he also left me an email I found out later when I got home

I say, ‘I called back right away in case it was urgent I’m down the road I can come back’

He says, ‘… I want to buy your Dorney tickets’

This whole episode upset me quite a lot

I did go to Dorney, left early and was back in the office before 1pm when I worked into the evening and made up well over a whole day

 

[Venus]

2) I gave my boss just over two weeks notice that I wanted to take half day to go to the Paralympics on Friday 7th [football in the afternoon & athletics in the evening]

He said, ‘ No’

I said, ‘ok, I won’t go to the football semi finals in the afternoon, but if I leave at 4pm, I can still make the athletics’

He said, ‘No, you can’t leave at 4pm’

I said, ‘Can I leave at 4.30pm’

He said, ‘No, I want to speak with everyone about next week’s forecast. You can leave at 5pm’

I work in a larger team of eleven and my sub team of three
There were currently no appointments in my calendar for Friday 7th

Well, 5pm will make me late to get across London to Stratford
So, I said 'thank you' and walked out of his office

I get home and there is a meeting request from 4.30pm to 5.30pm on Friday 7th which he said I could leave at 5pm
So there is no chance of me getting across London in rush hour in time for the athletics

 

[diveing]

Get a new job what a wanker your boss is.

 

[Richard_severn]

Get a new job what a wanker your boss is.

+1

 

[Davwardo]

If they show you no flexibility, do the same in return. 9 - 5.30 with an hour for lunch! Start looking for a new job, they sound like utter nobs.

 

[12480]

Poor you...

Why do you feel that work should fit your schedule and wants? The company, I suspect, has many employees to consider....

 

[Bottle Maker]

What are your contracted hours? If you are consistently working more try going in and just doing those hours. This may just piss your boss off who sounds like an arse.

is there a union you can join then at least you will get good advise

Graham

 

[BJ]

When I met my wife, I suggested we went to the Bahamas.
Her boss said she couldn't take the time off.
Luckily, at that time I had a rather large fuck-off fund.
If you have a fuck-off fund, you can tell people to fuck off.
She told him what I had suggested.
She's still friends although she did later get pregnant so she had to tell him she was leaving anyway.
I recommend anyone to get a fuck-of fund.
It makes negotiations so much easier.
Venus, you should've married me!

 

[matthewoutram]

Flexibility is 2 ways. I'd be quite up front about this. Ask him what the rules for taking leave are. I normally tell my staff rule-of-thumb is double the notice of the leave length and 2 weeks max without much longer notice.

I expect people to work longer when needed, I expect them to come late/go early at other times. If I need a weekend working I expect it. If they need to WFH I expect to give it.

Matt.

 

[Venus]

@ BYTHESEA

Yes, other people don't seem to have any problems getting the leave or working from home

I also asked to work from home one day because my Mum is having a religious service and I would like to go
I told him I would be gone for 1 1/2 at lunch time, and it's because it will involve less traveling time than if I was to travel from the office
He made me beg & grovel

However, many other people work from home, frequently ... no issues

Poor you...

Why do you feel that work should fit your schedule and wants? The company, I suspect, has many employees to consider....

 

[scuba hippo]

Venus - I have met many a prick like that in my time in the army! Nothing better to do with their time than try and make people as misserable as them.

Accepting the shit they hit you with and brushing it off pisses these people off more than anything!

 

[Venus]

@ MATT

The hours I work over and above our required 9 to 6 will surprise you ... weekends, evenings, bank holidays
I give them total flexibility, I cancel nights out if i have to work. I don't sit on the internet all day and I rarely go down to lunch

I have always accepted that this as I want to give the best service I can to the area I support

What I don't accept is that I can't take a half day after buying tickets for an event which I will never see again
There are two other people in my sub team, I do not manage this section by myself, but he puts so much pressure on me and I don't know why

Flexibility is 2 ways. I'd be quite up front about this. Ask him what the rules for taking leave are. I normally tell my staff rule-of-thumb is double the notice of the leave length and 2 weeks max without much longer notice.

I expect people to work longer when needed, I expect them to come late/go early at other times. If I need a weekend working I expect it. If they need to WFH I expect to give it.

Matt.

 

[matthewoutram]

Did you tell him how you feel? Why do you work over if you do not receive something in return? You are not a door-mat, he is not a mind-reader.

Sorry if this sounds harsh - but if it were me I'd rather you told me to my face rather than chatting on the internet about it!

Good luck,
Matt.

@ MATT

The hours I work over and above our required 9 to 6 will surprise you ... weekends, evenings, bank holidays
I give them total flexibility, I cancel nights out if i have to work. I don't sit on the internet all day and I rarely go down to lunch

I have always accepted that this as I want to give the best service I can to the area I support

What I don't accept is that I can't take a half day after buying tickets for an event which I will never see again
There are two other people in my sub team, I do not manage this section by myself, but he puts so much pressure on me and I don't know why

 

[Venus]

I'm not sure I understand what a fuck-off fund is
Are you simply suggesting that I should have a savings fund equal to the value I need to survive for the number of months I think it will take me to find a new job

and, I need this fund in addition to my savings

If you have a fuck-off fund, you can tell people to fuck off.

 

[Jon Lavin]

Without wanting to sound like a heartless [email protected], you have said he gives 'many other' people the leave requests and WFH requests and only seems to deny you. Time to get a new job as, frankly, it would seem that they either don't rate you enough to keep you happy or don't need you anymore and would rather you resign than fire you.

 

[Venus]

Thanks Matt

Yes, he knows how much I want to attend the Olympic events - he knows how much my dive trips mean to me - he knows how much I love Glastonbury
Did you see the bit where I wrote, he tried to buy my tickets because he wanted to go
He had mentioned in previous meetings how much he wanted to go and couldn't get tickets

I gave him 12 month notice for Glasto 2013 - I can't describe how his face looked

Did you tell him how you feel? Why do you work over if you do not receive something in return? You are not a door-mat, he is not a mind-reader.

Sorry if this sounds harsh - but if it were me I'd rather you told me to my face rather than chatting on the internet about it!

Good luck,
Matt.

 

[Venus]

Interesting you say this
I am frequently being given awards and chosen by the Board for corporate events in appreciation for my support to them

Without wanting to sound like a heartless [email protected], you have said he gives 'many other' people the leave requests and WFH requests and only seems to deny you. Time to get a new job as, frankly, it would seem that they either don't rate you enough to keep you happy or don't need you anymore and would rather you resign than fire you.

 

[BJ]

As Roosevelt said, Speak quietly but carry a big stick. Make yourself indispensable at your job but make sure your job is not indispensable to you. Bullies only pick on people they perceive to be victims. He sounds like a bully to me.

 

[Venus]

.... and, I offer myself to him as a victim (

As Roosevelt said, Speak quietly but carry a big stick. Make yourself indispensable at your job but make sure your job is not indispensable to you. Bullies only pick on people they perceive to be victims. He sounds like a bully to me.