This is a silly question probably...if you've got the time just take it, right?

but how long would you wait until you asked for time off after having started a new job?

12/27/2007 2:39:13 PM

4-6 months. You have to earn the vacation first.

12/27/2007 2:40:59 PM

^Sounds about right

12/27/2007 2:44:04 PM

yeah i'd say at least a good few months minimum

also depends on duration

if you work at a place 1 month you might get away with asking for a Friday or Monday off or something...but I'd wait til you work somewhere at least a few months until you ask for a week off

12/27/2007 2:45:57 PM

bleh.

okay, what if you're just asking for one or two days and tacking it onto a holiday weekend to have a long weekend? would that make a difference in how long you waited or no?

[Edited on December 27, 2007 at 2:48 PM. Reason : ^mmm, i see.]

12/27/2007 2:47:46 PM

just say it was something you'd had planned for awhile before coming to work for them. shouldn't be an issue.


but the 4-6 month rule is good for a true vacation

12/27/2007 3:02:54 PM

Holidays do make a difference, how long have you worked there.

It's really just about you being honest with your boss. "Hey, ordinarily I wouldn't ask off since I'm still kind of new, but I wanted to see your thoughts - would taking next Monday off to make a long holiday weekend be a problem?"

Go into it asking their permission rather than "I've got vaca and I'm taking it" and they'll respect you for it.

12/27/2007 6:38:10 PM

i told my boss i was taking thanksgiving and xmas off(week for thanksgiving and week and a half for Christmas) I happened to get a position within the same agency just different location so i had tons of annual...it was also nice that his boss said they would grant any requests for time off during the holidays(if you had annual leave)

12/27/2007 7:31:14 PM

I had booked a ten day trip to Europe while unemployed to visit my sister, and as fate would have it, I managed to land a job before I got to take it. So when I interviewed with my new supervisor, I mentioned that two months in, I would probably take this trip. Since I told them up front, they worked with me on it.

I think in your case, assuming you have vacation, it'll probably be easier to ask for an extra day off of a holiday weekend than to just take a whole random week off work right out the door. I would say a few months would be ideal before you ask the exception being a holiday (asking for a few extra days Thanksgiving or Christmas for the most part is reasonable, especially if many of your coworkers also leave; if you're in a job where no one ever takes vacation however...).

12/27/2007 9:58:13 PM

^^^i started mid November, but have worked really hard and impressed him enough in my short time to earn a Christmas bonus (score). but i'm still hesitant (obviously) in asking. my plan was to say, "I hate that this is such short notice, and I'm hesitant is asking you this since I haven't been working here long...but do you have any objections in me taking off X day to make it a long holiday weekend?"

^yeah i wish i had done that early on. we were talking about taking this trip, but hadn't decided on a date so i didn't even mention it in the 2nd interview when they asked me about upcoming trips. now here we are, and i'm agonizing over asking.

thanks for the input guys

12/27/2007 10:58:57 PM

Easy, tell them you had it planned beforehand.

With my first real job outta college, I had my wedding coming up in 1.5 months. Took 2 weeks off (we got our vacation all at once, no month by month stuff). 'Twas no problem.

12/28/2007 12:21:02 AM

If your company allows it, go ahead and do it. It's yours to take. Telling them beforehand is good. The fact that you are a new employee actually makes it easier to take vacation since no one is depending on you for anything.

At my work, you "earn" the days over time. However, you can take the full year's allotment before you earn it. If you quit before the year is up, they pay or deduct any vacation time that you have or haven't earned. Many people have come in and had honeymoons or trips they had planned.

12/28/2007 2:43:26 AM

No, don't tell them "you had it planned" when they specifically asked you and you said nothing! Just be honest - it sounds like you don't *have* to have this day off, but it would be nice to take. So if they say no, no worries right? I doubt they'll say no, just be honest yo.

12/28/2007 1:51:18 PM

huh? i didn't say that i had it planned--and i'm not planning on saying anything like that to them. as of now, nothing is set. no flights booked or anything.

i just wish, even though we had this trip in the back of our mind and nothing was set, that i mentioned, "well we've been talking about going somewhere in january or february, but we haven't set the date yet," when i first took the job.

i wouldn't be agonizing over this now if i had.

[Edited on December 28, 2007 at 2:39 PM. Reason : ]

12/28/2007 2:33:16 PM

I was responding to SouthPaw's statement - sorry should have been more clear.

I don't think you need to agonize over it! Just a heads up is really all they care about - "Hey I didn't mention this because it wasn't a solid plan but here's what I'm looking at, is that a problem?"

12/28/2007 2:45:08 PM

oh! cool

yeah, you're right. if only my boss would BE here so i could ask him. i'd shoot him an email normally, but since it is such short notice i feel like i should ask in person.

12/28/2007 2:50:36 PM

vacation.........shoot i have about 40 hours of unused vacation, I try to use it but never can.........

1/4/2008 6:22:31 PM

^that will never be my problem, we only can carry over 240 of annual, either use or loose....when i get there, for sure will wisely schedule my vacations throughout the year. Also, I am soon gonna get 6hrs annual per pay period(after three years), after 15 years 8!

1/6/2008 7:07:04 PM

I had this dilemma with my current job (started two years ago). I postponed a much needed vacation thinking I'd get 6 months in then take it. Time goes by, and I'm so busy at that point that there's no way I could take it.

And now here I am two years later with a good month or more of vacation and no clue how I'm going to find time to take it. Could be worse I guess, at least business is good.

1/7/2008 3:35:32 PM