# Good God, I hate my employer **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 23, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895 "2011-11-23T18:14:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/61 "2011-11-24T18:30:05Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > However, it is well known that generally public sector employees are paid less, but have much better benefits (better health care, more time off, etc.) while private sector employees are generally paid more but have fewer benefits such as days off. > > Take MLK day, for example. Banks and government offices are closed, but go to any other private business. It will be a rare business that is closed on that day. I would say the same about this Friday or the Friday before Christmas which is what the OP was complaining about. > > Not getting black Friday and the Friday before Christmas off=par for the course in the private sector. Like I said, Govt is comparable to any really big white collar company. I get Kaiser, my Bro gets Kaiser. He pays a little less and gets much better dental. We get the same amount of time off. He gets paid better. My retirement is quite a bit better, tho (altho he worked for 20 years with the Feds, so he will double-dip, which is very nice). Yes, he doesn’t get MLK day off, but he gets floating holidays which I don’t. And of course Govt doesn’t get black Friday and the Friday before Christmas off. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/62 "2011-11-24T19:09:21Z")
I’m really hoping to escape working on Christmas this year. I’ve had to work the last four … (OK, only for an hour or so, but still.) ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/63 "2011-11-24T19:53:28Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > Yep - the University calls them ‘Christmas Floaters’ so the entire week between x-mas a new years is paid holiday. Plus another 10 federal holidays, plus another provincial holiday, plus 5 weeks vacation, plus 2 personal days, plus 3 ‘flex’ days, plus 180 sick leave days at 100% salary and another 120 days at 70% salary. Now, I do think that my benefit plan is generous, but it’s not really out of line for other folks in other companys doing similar jobs to me. > > I hear about 12 days vacation and no sick days after working at a place for X years and I just feel sad. Our private company (again in Canada) takes the week between Christmas and New Year’s, as well. The company was started by five guys and all of them wanted that week in the first year they opened and it has been a tradition for all employees ever since (even though we are up to well over 100 at this stage). Of course, we als get free drinks and snacks, an extreme level of absence tolerance, paid benefits, good pay, the occasional ‘let’s knock off early and drink beer’ day and respect from our bosses. It’s threads like these that truly make me appreciate my job and my country. ---
**Author:** ![the\_Lady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@the\_Lady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_Lady)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/64 "2011-11-24T20:16:00Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > What’s worse is I was reading an article a while ago about the percentage of vacation days that are left on the table every year. I had a discussion with some friends around it and there was the perception by them that their employers frowned on people using all of their available vacation and that there was a penalty associated with that, usually related to raises or promotions. We almost get in trouble for NOT taking them. You get a certain amount of vacation a year, and you are expected to use it. Carryover at the end of the year (beyond a day or so) is frowned upon unless you have something really cool planned for the next year. (I carried over a week one year because we were going to England). I’m still expected to make sure there’s someone babysitting my stuff when I’m away, but that’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/65 "2011-11-24T20:20:25Z")
> [@the\_Lady](#): > > We almost get in trouble for NOT taking them. We do get in trouble. Well ‘trouble’ is probably strong; however, I’ve been called into HR more than once and told I had too much vacation/personal days/flex days saved up and could I please find time to take a week off? They’re pretty hardcore about people taking their vacation. In fact I’m talking the entire week before my already 10-day x-mas break to use up my personal and flex days, because they don’t roll over and my boss doesn’t want me to lose them. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/66 "2011-11-24T20:21:53Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > Yep - the University calls them ‘Christmas Floaters’ so the entire week between x-mas a new years is paid holiday. Plus another 10 federal holidays, plus another provincial holiday, plus 5 weeks vacation, plus 2 personal days, plus 3 ‘flex’ days, plus 180 sick leave days at 100% salary and another 120 days at 70% salary. Now, I do think that my benefit plan is generous, but it’s not really out of line for other folks in other companys doing similar jobs to me. > > I hear about 12 days vacation and no sick days after working at a place for X years and I just feel sad. You can have up to 300 sick days per year?? ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/67 "2011-11-24T20:55:19Z")
> [@lorene](#): > > You can have up to 300 sick days per year?? Yep. It’s a bit more complicated than that, but yes. And if you’re still sick then you get moved onto short term disability and then long term disability. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/68 "2011-11-24T23:36:59Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > We do get in trouble. Well ‘trouble’ is probably strong; however, I’ve been called into HR more than once and told I had too much vacation/personal days/flex days saved up and could I please find time to take a week off? > > They’re pretty hardcore about people taking their vacation. In fact I’m talking the entire week before my already 10-day x-mas break to use up my personal and flex days, because they don’t roll over and my boss doesn’t want me to lose them. This week they are sending around the emails saying how many days we all have left and our managers are tasked with making sure we have a plan to use them all up. They want us to get out there and relax. (Mine are already all accounted for. Damn. Now I am just going to have to finish up my Christmas shopping on my lunch hour which I can really take two hours for as long as I do my work.) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/69 "2011-11-24T23:56:26Z")
I once had an employer who gave us one paid day off for Christmas. I arranged to take unpaid days on either side so I could travel to be with my family. When I got my paycheck, I was not paid for Christmas. “What’s up with that?” I inquired. “Oh, you took Christmas off,” was the response. “Yeahh… so did everybody else work on Christmas?” “No, but you took it off.” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Zheng](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/49beb7/32.png) [@Mr.Zheng](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Zheng)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/70 "2011-11-25T01:49:05Z")
If it hasn’t been mentioned, there are many jobs where people have to work weekends and holidays, including Thanksgivng, Christmas and New Years. Aviation, the military, hospitals, hotels, phone operators, casinos, firemen and a hundred other different jobs. It’s not that the bosses are being twats, it’s just the nature of the job or business. In the early 1990’s I worked as a hotel clerk in a hotel in Nevada. Worked the “Swing Shift”, three nights of 4 PM-Midnight and two days of 6 PM-2 AM. On those two days, my 4-12 co-workers would leave and this harridon old middle aged bitch who was the night auditor would come in. For some reason this old hag hated me and the feeling was quite mutual. Frankly I think she was bitter that she was old, working a shit job for a shit company making shit pay. This cunt would actually complain about me to the manager when he came in the morning. Those last two hours truly sucked a big one. Make a long story longer, the casino allowed off the clock employees to gamble and drink alcohol on property (as long as they did not act like an ass of course.) New Years Eve for the year 1993, was the day I did the 6-2 AM shift. So while everyone else was partying, drinking champaine etc., I was stuck behind the desk with Miss. Bitch, who wasn’t going to give me an early out even though the casino was booked and she had another worker. The week before, I worked Christmas Day thinking niavely that it wasn’t going to be busy, but the place was slammed up and I worked my ass off that day (and being pissed off that the guests couldn’t stay home!). But yeah, the boss could have given the staff Black Friday off and allowed for a four day weekend. He could change the workday from that Friday to the following Saturday, but people hate working weekends. For the Monday after XMas, I think that is reasonable. I would also give the Monday after New Years off also. As the OP mentioned, the economy is rough right now, and if I was a small business owner, I dont want to lose a week out of the year for vacation. Good luck and don’t sweat not having time off that you want. Like I said, there are many professions where people MUST work these holidays out of necessity. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/71 "2011-11-25T05:38:17Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Sure, and I’ve experienced the good, the bad and the ugly of employment, and worse things have happened than being one of few people without the day off, but goddamn, it strikes me as a special brand of mean-spiritedness to not just close the office for a such a small company whose employees will have no customer interaction. If it’s a small company, they may not be able to afford the expense. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/72 "2011-11-25T11:39:27Z")
Canvas - What expense is there in closing for Black Friday? Only thing I can think of is giving the employees an extra day off elsewhere in the year. Nothing really gets accomplished during today by the 4 people (including the receptionist, now what is she doing there, we will get zero calls) who are here. I’m reading my Kindle most of the day, I might do 2 hours of honest work because I want to make it look like I did something. Again cost/benefit. I just don’t understand the pretty obvious dislike for the employees. I’ll say it again, happy employees are more better at their jobs and more efficient, more likely to find cost savings, etc than unhappy employees will be. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/73 "2011-11-25T11:57:42Z")
Where do you people work? Scrooge & Marley? > [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > You know, every time I read these threads I boggle at what’s considered ‘normal’ in the US as far as work goes. I don’t know that I would consider that “normal”. In over 15 years of working in companies known to have shitty work live ballance, taking the Friday after Thanksgiving off and not working between Xmas and New Years has never been an issue. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/74 "2011-11-25T14:21:18Z")
> [@diggerwam](#): > > Dio. What? That’s like saying Voldemort around here or something… ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/75 "2011-11-25T14:26:23Z")
> [@CanvasShoes](#): > > If it’s a small company, they may not be able to afford the expense. Afford the expense of what? Paying me to do nothing? Whatever, I am seriously taking an hour to go shopping in a bit, then I’m blowing out of here at noon. Fuck this bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/76 "2011-11-25T14:38:39Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > Yep - the University calls them ‘Christmas Floaters’ so the entire week between x-mas a new years is paid holiday. Plus another 10 federal holidays, plus another provincial holiday, plus 5 weeks vacation, plus 2 personal days, plus 3 ‘flex’ days, plus 180 sick leave days at 100% salary and another 120 days at 70% salary. Now, I do think that my benefit plan is generous, but it’s not really out of line for other folks in other companys doing similar jobs to me. Did all that increase over many years or did you get all of that on day 1? ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/77 "2011-11-25T16:05:58Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Did all that increase over many years or did you get all of that on day 1? I started with 3 weeks vacation which has increased up to 5. Also I started with 20 days of sick leave at 100% of salary followed by 25 days of sick leave at 70% of salary. Of course, once a person has worked her for 2 years that jumps up to 35 days of sick leave at 100% and 95 at 70% meaning that after just two years someone could take a month and a half off sick and still get full pay. Everything else was standard from day 1. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/78 "2011-11-25T16:10:23Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I don’t know that I would consider that “normal”. In over 15 years of working in companies known to have shitty work live ballance, taking the Friday after Thanksgiving off and not working between Xmas and New Years has never been an issue. I guess the reason I assumed it was ‘normal’ is that whenever one of these threads starts up, and the OP describes what I would consider truly shitty circumstances and an employer that sounds like a total douche, and there’s no business reason to behave that way (i.e. the person isn’t a nurse, or an air traffic controler or whatever), other posters always charge right in saying ‘I don’t know why you’re complaining! This is NORMAL! Suck it up princess! Blah, blah, blah.’ However, I suppose I am discounting the fact that lots of people on this board are dicks who just like to be contrary for the sake of it. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/79 "2011-11-25T16:17:25Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > You know, every time I read these threads I boggle at what’s considered ‘normal’ in the US as far as work goes. > > It makes me sad for you folks that live there. I mean, Canada certainly has it’s flaws, but at least we seem to make an effort to take care of our employees. ☹ I get three weeks vacation, 3 floater days for Christmas, one personal day, and 6 sick days. This is a unionized federal job, so don’t assume all of Canada has your perks. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895/80 "2011-11-25T16:30:02Z")
I wonder how the OPer would feel if he was allowed to take the day off without pay? Would that be a fair compromise? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-god-i-hate-my-employer/603895.md?page=5)