So who gets the time off?

[MoonCat]

We do it according to who asked first. There's a form we have to use, which we email to the admin person. That proves whose request got in first.

[Skeksin]

I'm surprised no one else has mentioned it.

Thunderdome

[EvilEmpryss]

First $20 gets the vacation time.

[Becks]

Who asked first? That's who you give it to.

That's what I was going to say.

[Solumina]

If the requests were made on different days then it should go to the person who requested it first if they were made on the same date (time of day is more dependant on when they were scheduled and what they had to do at work then planning or such on the employee's part and I for one am sick of morning shifts getting scheduling preference because they come in earlier since we can only put requests in a certain amount in advance) then figure out why they want the request and give it to the person who has a more time sensitive reason (doctor's appointments can usually be rescheduled, your sister's graduation cannot) and talk to the other person about selecting a different day and do your best to make sure that they get something worked out.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

So if it comes down to who asked first, throw this in there:

Employee A left a note for the boss as he got off shift one night.

Employee B was in with the boss first thing in the morning, and asked before the boss read the note.

Who asked first? Employee B asked first, but Employee A wrote the note first.

Employee B. Face-to-face beats a note which can be thrown away by accident or overlooked, IMO.

If I were the manager and I told B he could have the day off, I'm not going to call him back in and tell him he can't because of the note A left me. I believe if it's vitally important you get a day off, you should speak with the manager. It's just more personal.

[Mytical]

Thunderdome

Two men enter, one man leaves! Of course they were sexist..who said it had two men????

[Andara Bledin]

I believe if it's vitally important you get a day off, you should speak with the manager. It's just more personal.

So, because B was scheduled but A was not (or was at, say, school or a second job), then B gets preferential treatment?

^-.-^

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

The problem I have with notes is they can be easily misplaced. A manager's desk can be an unkempt place. I personally have had notes I left lost or overlooked until it was too late to act on them. I can leave a note on my manager's desk, and it gets covered up by memos or whatever paperwork happens to be left there. I feel it's better to speak with somebody in person if possible, even if it has to be done ridiculously in advance.

And it all depends on what comes first--A speaking to the manager or B's note being read. Like I said before, if A speaks to me and I approve his time off before I get to B's note, I'm not going to tell A he can't have his time off after all, even though B left his note first.

It's not preferential treatment; it's just that I got the message from A first. If I get B's note first, then B gets the time off. The timing of when I hear it from whom matters.

[PepperElf]

I'd say A. Cos A really did ask first.

actually my first instinct was wondering if B knew that A had left a note and had tried to get to the boss before the note was read.

as for the "note vs in-person" debate, there cannot be a clear ruling on which should get preferential treatment because we don't know all of the circumstances of the time-off requests or how the shifts are. just as there are those who feel face-to-face means more effort, there are also valid reasons to support leaving a note as well


though, the suggestion of having people ask via email ... that one i like. cos that way you can tell who asked first and you have a "paper trail" for all the pertinent facts.

[Andara Bledin]

Bosslady has to deal with this sort of situation every so often when the sales clerks want the same time off. We've only got 3. Sometimes she'll go to them to see if one of them is willing to allow the other to take it.

Otherwise, written requests (which always go to the same place, so the whole "but notes get lost" argument is completely invalid) on the standard form trump other methods.

^-.-^

[boringscreenname]

I would say Employee A, since they did technically ask first. And I agree with PepperElf on the note vs. speaking to the manager in person debate.

Where I work we have to fill out a form requesting time off, and be done 30 days in advance (barring emergencies). We put the forms in our Supervisor's mailbox, he either approves or denies the request. If he approves the request it's faxed to our main office for the Office Manager for final approval.

[Greenday]

The clear answer is neither. Force both to work mandatory overtime.

Suckas!