Disclosing vacation plans as a final candidate

Q: I am planning to take a family vacation this summer. We have already booked our plane tickets and hotel for the first two weeks of July. I am also interviewing for a job and am a finalist for two different roles. My question is when do I disclose my vacation plans? I don’t want to be kicked out of the final pool just because of a family vacation.

A: Vacations are important, a time to recharge the batteries and make memories with family and friends. A two-week vacation, especially around the first two weeks of July, should be disclosed to a prospective employer.

Many employers will ask a final candidate if the candidate has any time off planned. Their goal is not to deny the time off planned but instead make sure that they can accommodate it. An employer does not want to be surprised by a new employee’s vacation plans either. There are certain weeks which are more commonly requested vacation weeks too, including time in early July (around Independence Day), late summer weeks (around Labor Day) as well as the late December (between Christmas and New Year’s Day).

As a final candidate, I would recommend that you disclose this information now. You don’t want to surprise an employer with this information and “start off on the wrong foot.” Rarely will a candidate be eliminated from a final round because of vacation plans. You should, however, make sure that you understand the company’s vacation plan and any pay that may be part of the vacation policy. Employers are permitted to set their own vacation plans and some may offer pro-rated vacation time during the first year.

As a newbie to the company though, realize that you may not be eligible to take these commonly requested weeks in future years. Often companies let the most senior employees take these weeks, if there are several employees who have asked for these week.

Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.

Holiday vacation "blackout"

Q: We have Christmas approaching. In past jobs, I have taken the week off between Christmas and New Year's to visit family out of state. I just started working at a new company and employees recently received a memo that taking vacation time is not allowed during that week. It is called a "black out" week. I have never heard of this and am really disappointed. Is this legal to do?

A: Vacation time is a benefit offered by many employers. Usually full-time employees receive vacation time benefits and sometimes part-timers do as well, usually on a pro-rated basis.

It sounds like this restriction was a surprise to you. The week between Christmas and New Year's is a popular vacation week, particularly for those employee traveling for the holidays. Most companies have a policy that vacation requests should be submitted in advance and then the employer can use a specific criteria, like seniority, to decide who is able to take the week off. However, there are often exceptions. For example, if an employee is planning a honeymoon or if an employee is attending a memorial service for a loved one out of state.

Your company's "black out" practice is legal. Employers can mandate when employees use vacation time. However, I would explain to your manager that you were not aware of this practice when you were first hired. You can politely request an exception, but as a newcomer, don't expect it. A valuable lesson is to mention a planned vacation before accepting an offer. You have more leverage asking for an exception before you accept an offer vs. after you have been hired.

Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.

How Vacation Time Works

Q: Can you explain to me how vacation time typically works at most companies? Do you have to earn it through the year and then use it? Does that mean most employees have to wait until December to take any time off? This seems crazy to me.

A: Vacation time is an optional benefit that many employers offer employees so employees can enjoy time off and re-charge their batteries. Hopefully after a vacation, the employee returns to the workplace refreshed, energized and ready to dive back into work.

In most states, including Massachusetts, companies can configure their own vacation benefit programs. Sometimes this benefit is offered to full-time employees only. How much vacation an employee is eligible for is often based on length of service within the company. Sometimes there is a waiting period before new employees can take their vacation time.

Most companies do not want all employees to take vacation during the month of December. In fact, sometimes there are situations when a manager must balance vacation requests with operational demands. Everyone cannot take the week after Independence Day as a vacation week. Usually seniority within the company is used as a way to decide who gets what week off.

Vacation time is typically earned throughout the year. As an example, Joe is an employee who has 3 weeks of vacation. Joe earns 1.25 days for every month worked. In April, Joe wants to take 2 weeks of vacation. However, Joe hasn't earned that time yet. Most employers would allow Joe to take the 2 weeks of vacation in advance of earning it. However, if Joe left the company before he earned the 2 weeks of time, the employer would calculate what he took for vacation vs. what was earned. In many cases, the employer would deduct (from his final paycheck) any vacation time that Joe did not earn.

To answer your question, many employers will allow vacation time to be taken before it is earned, assuming the employee will work the full year.

Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.

Calculation of vacation payout

http://www.boston.com/jobs/news/jobdoc/2013/01/calculation_of_vacation_payout.html

Job Doc blog - how to respond to vacation requests

From today's Job Doc blog -- responding to vacation requests!