# employer being assholes about time off **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 13, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112 "2012-07-13T15:06:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/21 "2012-07-13T19:19:53Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Sounds like an asshole boss who gets off by controlling his employees. If you’re working on spreadsheets, what does it matter when you take a lunch? The spreadsheet will wait until you get back. > > This will backfire on the boss since the employees get fed up with this and will eventually look for a company which treats its people like adults. Maybe you can do a little job searching on during your lunch hour from exactly 12 to 1 and not a minute later. Seconded. My boss doesn’t care if I leave early for a haircut. He just trusts that my job is being done. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/22 "2012-07-13T19:22:42Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Someone who can’t properly space a comma has no business critiquing other people’s writing. And diggerwam’s post was perfectly legible to anyone who’s not a dillhole. **Gaudere’s Law**. It happens. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/23 "2012-07-13T19:25:48Z")
> [@Foggy](#): > > Really?:rolleyes: Who peed in your cornflakes this morning? Anyone who uses “u” in place of “you” has no place on the SDMB. But that’s just, like, my opinion, man. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/24 "2012-07-13T19:31:54Z")
> [@diggerwam](#): > > .. Yes maybe I’m old fashioned but I expect my employers to care about their employees and to treat them well… I foresee your expectation will come crashing down around your ears. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/25 "2012-07-13T19:46:56Z")
I’ve had two employers since June 2000. First one was very good to their employees. I just don’t have a lot of experience with employers who aren’t. That’s why its so hard to leave. I’ve only had one sucessful resume, cover letter, and interview in 12 years. My self confidence is shot. ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/26 "2012-07-13T20:22:57Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > Anyone who uses “u” in place of “you” has no place on the SDMB. > > But that’s just, like, my opinion, man. u mad bro? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/27 "2012-07-13T21:32:53Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > But that’s just, like, my opinion, man. And, like the pencil-dicked retard you are, you just had to share it. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/28 "2012-07-13T22:05:00Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > Anyone who uses “u” in place of “you” has no place on the SDMB. > > But that’s just, like, my opinion, man. I hate text-speak as much as the next guy, but I’m certainly glad you don’t write the rules around here! ---
**Author:** ![Library\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cab0a1/32.png) [@Library\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Library_Boy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/29 "2012-07-13T22:15:00Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > Anyone who uses “u” in place of “you” has no place on the SDMB. > > But that’s just, like, my opinion, man. My god, you actually buy that “smartest, hippest people on the planet” stuff, don’t you? That is so, so sad. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/30 "2012-07-13T22:45:27Z")
I don’t think your employer is being terribly unreasonable, if you work in a job where your job requires “being there”, as opposed to “getting work done”. Why should they pay you for not working, if you’ve already used up all your vacation days? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/31 "2012-07-13T23:16:15Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I might have to pit _you_ for using Yahoo! Answers as a citation. :mad: Especially when it’s wrong. [http://www.dol.gov/WHD/opinion/FLSA/2005/2005\_01\_07\_7\_FLSA\_PaidTimeOff.pdf](http://www.dol.gov/WHD/opinion/FLSA/2005/2005_01_07_7_FLSA_PaidTimeOff.pdf) > [@](#): > > To respond to your specific concern about whether or not an exempt employee’s accrued PTO leave > bank may be reduced for partial day absences, the answer is yes. Where an employer has a benefits plan > (e.g., vacation time, sick leave), it is permissible to substitute or reduce the accrued leave in the plan for > the time an employee is absent from work, whether the absence is a partial day or a full day, without > affecting the salary basis of payment, if the employee nevertheless receives in payment his or her > guaranteed salary. Payment of the employee’s guaranteed salary must be made, even if an employee > has no accrued benefits in the leave plan and the account has a negative balance, where the employee’s > absence is for less than a full day. See opinion letters dated February 16, 2001, May 27, 1999; and > December 4, 1998 (enclosed) An employer can’t dock an exempt employee’s pay for partial day absences . The employer can deduct leave from a bank for a partial day absence, and the employer can require that an employees work specified hours and take lunch at a specific time. If your employer requires exempt employees to work from 8-4 with a 12 pm lunch, they can’t dock your pay for leaving at 4 every day. But they **can** fire you. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/32 "2012-07-14T00:14:09Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > I don’t think your employer is being terribly unreasonable, if you work in a job where your job requires “being there”, as opposed to “getting work done”. Why should they pay you for not working, if you’ve already used up all your vacation days? He already said that he works on spreadsheets with no specific deadline. There are actual federal rules for Exempt employees. It is more than a little problematic in the U.S. because you can almost always be fired for any reason or no reason at all so there are politics involved. However, an employee with an Exempt status can take time for doctors appointments without pay being docked. Again, the assumed trade-off for this no overtime pay even when you work more than 40 hours a week. You can be an Exempt salaried employee and work 50 or 100 hours a week and you get nothing extra for it. For example, I am on official call from 6am to 9pm Monday - Friday and on unofficial call 24/7/365 and I am salaried Exempt. You better bet ass that I go to anything I need to even during the very arbitrary ‘work week’ because I have to. I like my job but they woke me up at 4am when I was on vacation in Hawaii and I had to deal with the situation at hand and it took 3 hours plus cancelling my plans for that day. The same thing has happened on two other vacations. That is what Exempt in the U.S.means. I would kick someone out of my office no matter who they were if they ever complained about me taking care of personal health. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/33 "2012-07-14T00:37:19Z")
Oh, my mistake. Yeah, they’re irrational morons at best, assholes at worst. Start looking for a better job. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/34 "2012-07-14T00:56:32Z")
The employer is definitely being short-sighted. One job I had, the first month I was there a family emergency arose. One of my children was sick. I asked my new boss could I please take the rest of the afternoon to attend to the matter. His response was something like, “What are you standing around here for? Family comes first! Go!” I suggested that I could come in Saturday to make up the time and the work. His response was that I could do that if I wanted to, but wouldn’t I rather come in on a weekend when I’d already worked a full week so that he could pay me overtime? A few months later we were in a real crunch for a deadline and he needed people to come in over the the holiday weekend. My hand was the first one up, you betcha. I would have worked any number of hours. Another employer I once had like to nickel and dime hours and minutes like the OP’s employer. Sure, I’d go along. But come quitting time I was outathere at 5 PM sharp. Not 5:01, either. Unless the employers have someone who is really slacking off, giving people a break will pay off in the long run. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/35 "2012-07-14T01:00:02Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > He already said that he works on spreadsheets with no specific deadline. There are actual federal rules for Exempt employees. It is more than a little problematic in the U.S. because you can almost always be fired for any reason or no reason at all so there are politics involved. However, an employee with an Exempt status can take time for doctors appointments without pay being docked. > > Again, the assumed trade-off for this no overtime pay even when you work more than 40 hours a week. You can be an Exempt salaried employee and work 50 or 100 hours a week and you get nothing extra for it. BTW , the OP hasn’t actually said he was exempt , only that he was salaried and lots of people use salary to mean their pay is quoted by the week or year- even if they are actually paid hourly and would get overtime pay if they work over 40 hours. If he works on spreadsheets (whatever that means) and he rarely has deadlines to meet, I don’t imagine that he works much overtime, if any. If his job doesn’t require overtime or being on call , the employer won’t get any benefit from the trade off and may not have classified him as exempt to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/36 "2012-07-14T01:15:35Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > Unless the employers have someone who is really slacking off, giving people a break will pay off in the long run. I don’t know about this particular situation, obviously, but I think draconian workplace rules often get made after the abuse of privileges by employees gets out of hand. It can still be a sign of bad management, though. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/37 "2012-07-14T03:53:48Z")
Looks to me like management that does not manage. And since they cannot manage they enforce ridiculous rules on every one. Been there. The company failed. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/38 "2012-07-14T18:29:06Z")
> [@akennett](#): > > And, like the pencil-dicked retard you are, you just had to share it. Maybe you’re unfamiliar with the concept of a “message board”. but they tend to be places where people often share their opinions. If you feel so strongly that I’m wrong, perhaps you should have phrased your response as “Srsly? Your retarted!” ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/39 "2012-07-14T18:37:54Z")
> [@Library\_Boy](#): > > My god, you actually buy that “smartest, hippest people on the planet” stuff, don’t you? > > That is so, so sad. How in the simple fuck did you arrive at this conclusion? There has always been a minimum standard for communication on the SDMB and this fucking illiterate babble: > [@](#): > > if u have enuff pto saved up but since it is a medical issye i suppose we can let u take vacation for those couple days even tho u… does not meet that standard. These boards DO have some of the smartest people you’ll find on any board on the net, and they also tend to express themselves clearly. It’s too bad we have random dipshits like you bringing down the average. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112/40 "2012-07-14T18:49:14Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > How in the simple fuck did you arrive at this conclusion? There has always been a minimum standard for communication on the SDMB and this fucking illiterate babble does not meet that standard. That’s not illiterate. You can read it. You can understand it. It’s not perfectly correct, but it’s readable. It’s certainly not a good reason to tell him he’s not welcome here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-being-assholes-about-time-off/628112.md?page=3)