Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Vacation? It means nothing.

Just call me a doormat, because I might as well just lay down and let everyone walk all over me.

I have said it before, and I will say it again. I am way too nice when it comes to my job. 

My manager called me at a quarter after ten this morning. Luckily for me, I learned my lesson after day one and started sleeping with my cell phone in the other room just for this exact circumstance. So I didn't get the message until ten minutes until noon. All it said was to call him when I got the chance.

So I called.

I have it on my calendar that you're scheduled to come back Friday, right? 

Yes.

Well, here's the thing...we're really short handed on Thursdays as it is, and I just didn't have time to rearrange the schedules to make up for you being gone...so do you think you can come in tomorrow and just take Friday off instead?

He didn't have the time? I scheduled my vacation in October. That's three freaking months to have Raver switch her day off from Thursday to Friday, and he couldn't manage it? And rather than asking her to do it, his solution is to call me, in the middle of my vacation, to ask me to come back a day early and take another day? 

Like that's not going to fuck with my sleep schedule or anything?

And like it's not Padawan's birthday today? Like we didn't have plans that involved staying out really late and then not worrying about it because we're off the next day? Like my whole life revolves around my job?

And doormat me...what did I do?

I said yes.

Even though I asked him on Christmas Eve before he left if he was sure my taking Thursday off wouldn't be a problem and he said, "We've got it covered, Chanel, enjoy your vacation" and I was absolutely guilt free on every count if I had said no...I still said yes.

At this point I can't tell if I'm just the best and most loyal employee they have or if I'm just a pushover. It could go either way at this point. Hell, it might even be a little of both.

And as happened last time, I'm quite sure that Manager Man will forget to inform JayJay that the days were switched, so I'll probably be getting a call Friday morning asking me where I am since I'm supposed to be back...

Good Lord, I should just take Saturday, too. I could demand it as compensation for a twice interrupted vacation. 

13 comments:

  1. I know the feeling, except it usually involves me taking the day off to stay home with a sick child, and then my phone rings. Then it rings. Then it rings. Then it rings. If your phone rings on Friday and it's JayJay, answer the phone, say "Manager Man switched my days. I'm off today." And then hang up the phone and don't answer if he calls again.

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  2. I'm way ahead of this. I've decided to write a note and leave it on the computer so that JayJay finds it when he's booting up the systems on Friday morning. That way he's prepared and doesn't call me. I think being proactive in this circumstance will be better than waiting for him to call and wake me up.

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  3. That lack of preparation by your boss really bugs me. 3 months in advance and they can't even bother to give you a full vacay. That sucks.

    I don't blame you for saying yes though. Money is money. :-)

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  4. I suppose the best way to look at it is I'm a valuable asset and replacing me is impossible.

    As for money...it comes out the same either way. I'm working Thursday, but I'm still on paid time on Friday to stay home.

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  5. Sometimes it's not a bad thing to eat a little cheese with the boss. As long as you aren't being a toady and a suck-up, they will remember (most of the time) that you were the one that came through when it counted.

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  6. Yeah...all so they could give me a twenty five cent raise and no holiday pay for Christmas because "we were already closed on Sunday." Bullshit! If Christmas hadn't been on a Sunday this year, we would have been open!

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  7. I got lucky on that. Since I'm off on weekends (for now) I actually got Christmas off this year. Since our state is so warm and fuzzy and afraid to offend anybody they made Monday the official "recognized" holiday (mostly so the government cronies can make extra money for not working) I actually got holiday pay for that. One of the very few perks of working for the state.

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  8. "...sleeping with my cell phone in the other room.." Can't you just turn it off?

    I've covered shifts before, but there's no wayyyyyyy I would let them interrupt my vacation, especially if I had plans for that day. You're a better man than I am, sir.

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  9. Rev, they recognized Christmas a day late? The State has the power to change the holidays to suit their vacation needs?

    Good lord. I should go work for the State and have done with it!

    Bryan, if I turn my cell phone off it doesn't register calls or messages so everything gets out of order. Plus my reminders get reset and my calendar gets messed up when I turn my phone off for extended hours. Also, it makes me nervous.

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  10. I don't know. I say that's a no-no. I SCHEDULED IT IN OCTOBER, KIDS. GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER. Like Bryan said, you're better than I.

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  11. No. You are NOT a doormat. You're just far nicer than I.

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  12. I need to stop being so nice...I could do with a healthy dose of "made your bed, so now you can lie in it without my help" attitude.

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