Pondering future vacations

[Pixilated]

I work in retail, part-time. At this point I am entitled to three vacation weeks a year.
But here's the problem: the week AFTER a vacation week, I get no paycheque. Yes, we do get vacation pay, but they dole it out in dribbles with each paycheque during the year. It used to come as a single cheque once a year but apparently that was too much effort for a multi-million-dollar company.
So recently I took the week of Oct. 12 off. This means that on Oct. 22 (Thursdays are paydays) there will be nothing until the following Thursday.
I am trying to pay off two large debts, the worst one being a credit card debt. So things are quite tight.
I am seriously considering not taking ANY full weeks of vacation next year.
I usually work three four-hour shifts a week, so my schedule isn't onerous. I will often go in to cover if I'm called in but am not required to do so.
One of my coworkers said she just books long weekends off (I think she works fulltime) instead of taking full weeks off mostly for the same reason. I am thinking of doing the same next year ... if I remember to do so. Since my schedule is pretty short to begin with, it's possible I won't even think about it (I certainly didn't this past year).
Thoughts?

[csquared]

But here's the problem: the week AFTER a vacation week, I get no paycheque. Yes, we do get vacation pay, but they dole it out in dribbles with each paycheque during the year. It used to come as a single cheque once a year but apparently that was too much effort for a multi-million-dollar company.

That is COMPLETELY ridiculous.

Vacation for part timers is a strange beast. Lots of questions.
You work 12 hours a week. Is three weeks of vacation 3 x 12 or 3 x 40?
Does a vacation day replace a normal work day, or can you request a vacation day on a day you normally don't work?
Do you have a fixed schedule (same days, same time every week)?
Are you required to work certain days each week (must work one weekend day)
If your schedule is not fixed, do they allow you to not be scheduled more than two days in a row? When The Wife worked for Contain Thy Self (CTS), the weekly schedule could not have two days off in a row. She worked 4-5 days.

[Pixilated]

Yeah, it is ridiculous but ... multi-billion-dollar corporation. Too much trouble to pop out vacation pay cheques for everybody when they could just tag on a few bucks to each existing paycheque.

Lemme try to respond to your questions.
1) Not sure what you mean by 3x40 but what I am entitled to is three weeks of vacation each year -- every 12 months.
2) I don't see any reason why I can't request a day off on a day I wouldn't be scheduled for. They would just take extra care NOT to schedule me that day. See #5 below.
3) Not really a fixed schedule. The person making the schedule does a lot of cut-and-paste but my schedule can change. Last couple of months I've had no weekends. I think the weekend shifts are going mostly to the students we employ and for the record, I'm fine with that. My schedule lately has been Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
4) I'm expected to be available on weekends but as I said above, I'm getting no weekend shifts at the moment.
5) Yes, I can ask to NOT be scheduled for two consecutive days. I should add that a few years ago I asked not to be scheduled on Mondays; my apartment building had several groups and we had a "crafts" group that met Mondays. That group is long gone but my ban on Mondays is still there -- mostly because I'd actually forgotten that it was there.

[csquared]

Ok. Let's clarify...
1. When you take a week or a day of vacation, how many hours to you get paid for?
2. If you ask for a day of vacation, will they automatically take away one of your working day? If not, see #3.
3. Rather than loosing your paycheck (American spelling ), take you usual three days and ask to have one of the four unscheduled days be vacation.
4 & 5. Taking days off results in a smaller paycheck whether you use your vacation for it or not. Doesn't make sense to bank vacation days. If you can use #3, do it and burn them. If you need time off, sound like you can just ask for it.

[Pixilated]

Hmm, some good questions there.
1) I have no idea. Normally my shifts are four hours; I have no idea whether my vacation 'day' is four hours' pay or a full eight hours. I go back in Tuesday; will ask then.
2) No, they won't do that. They will continue to schedule me for three days that week IF possible (if I've asked for too many days off in one given week, or a whole week off, of course, there may not be three days left! )
3) Yeah, that's kind of what I'm thinking: just arrange to ensure I won't be scheduled for one or two specific days in a week. It won't cut into the next week's paycheque but will ensure that I have those days off.
4) Yes, as long as I schedule those days off in advance, there's generally no problem.

TBH I don't even really notice that I'm NOT taking any vacation time, partly because of my part-time schedule.