How to get time off work? FMLA help or?

[324matt]

I have a hunt booked for 2024. My employer notified me yesterday that all vacation will be blocked out from mid August through mid November. I work in Illinois and there are no laws preventing this.

Other than quitting and finding a new job, how can I use FMLA in my favor to get the needed time off? Any insight or advice? I could use the mental health aspect, but I’d have to lie and make up a bunch of BS and go see a counselor or psychiatrist or psychologist and I don’t need to. I’m fine, I just need the time off.



Any advice helps. Thanks

 

[wnelson14]

I would definitely tell that employer to get F*****. I used FMLA when we had a child, not sure how to use it for other reasons.

 

[324matt]

I’d love to quit. I work in an oil refinery and make a pretty good living with a good pension and 401k. My job is easy, but the corporate structure and management sucks. Been here 14yrs now in the union and I’m #1 in seniority now. Hard to leave a job that pays well enough to be able to afford to live a decent life and keep all these taxes paid.

I don’t work the system, but I guess I need to learn how to for this occasion

 

[Molon Labe]

Comfortable safe job or hunting?
Tough decision and good luck with it.

You understand yourself better than anyone…I hope. How important is hunting to you? Obviously it’s not super important or you wouldn’t even be posting the question…you would have changed jobs long ago.

Maybe you need to start looking into later seasons for booking hunts? Or do some of the Jan/Feb stuff out there. That way you keep the safe job and can still hunt a bit.

It’s all about choices and sacrifices.

 

[EdP]

Even thinking it is OK to use FMLA to get time off for a hunt shows a lack of integrity. You need to get your heart right.

 

[txjustin]

Y’all
Must be doing some installs or maintenance. Tough decision considering there isn’t another refinery anywhere near you. You can move to the gulf coast and have your choice of refining jobs


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[S.Clancy]

FMLA is not for the purpose you describe. Suck it up and don't hunt or find a new job. I would be doing option #2.

 

[three5x5s]

If you have never worked the system before, that tells you, that you would never feel good about working the system now. Talk to your bosses, tell them the hunt was long ago planned and paid for., maybe they can/will work something out. If they wont/cant maybe they also have a good reason to freeze time off. When all the cards are on the table you will at least know where you stand going forward and what kind of people you are working for.

 

[go_deep]

Can you move your hunt to 2025? If not maybe you need to explain that to your boss and since you've already booked a hunt, assuming you put a deposit down and will lose it, ask them to 1 give you the time off, or 2 reimburse you money lost.

 

[grfox92]

FMLA, Family Medical Leave of Act.

This is set up for people who's family members are sick or dying, people who have chronic illness and are physically unable to get to work. I'd feel pretty unethical if lied and used a program like that to get time off for hunting alongside some dude who's mom is dying of cancer.

Like others mentioned, how important is hunting for you? Some guys like to hunt but will fold from pressure from their wife, work or make excuses.

Some people like myself will rearange their lives and careers, make sure you marry the right woman, just so ensure enough time to hunt.

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[jimh406]

Most people only get significant raises when they change jobs. I would look for a new one. Maybe it's easy to get a higher paying job and build the vacation into the start date. I'd try that first.

Don't tell your current employer until you are hired at the new company to prevent an unexpected period without pay.

 

[hunt1up]

I help run our midsized family business so I deal in FMLA all the time and my wife works in HR at a college, so I know too much about these things. Employees stub their toe or something and "FMLA!" That's not how it works. FMLA is for a serious medical condition for you or an immediate family member such as a parent or child. You don't qualify for FMLA until you get past 3 consecutive days off for the same medical condition. A doctor has to approve this also. Honestly, there's nothing worse than dealing with an employee who sucks at their job and used Intermittent FMLA to cling to said job. Someone will claim they have digestive issues or something, and they just might, but they'll conveniently always have flare ups on Monday mornings after they got drunk on Sunday.

If we had an employee that we knew was trying to scam the system but faking an illness they'd be looking for a new job and would have plenty of time to go hunting.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

I have a hunt booked for 2024. My employer notified me yesterday that all vacation will be blocked out from mid August through mid November. I work in Illinois and there are no laws preventing this.

Other than quitting and finding a new job, how can I use FMLA in my favor to get the needed time off? Any insight or advice? I could use the mental health aspect, but I’d have to lie and make up a bunch of BS and go see a counselor or psychiatrist or psychologist and I don’t need to. I’m fine, I just need the time off.



Any advice helps. Thanks

You don’t wanna lie and call mental health bs but you’re willing to lie on something else. FMLA is medical. And most employers would require you to have a doctors note to use FMLA.

 

[Azone]

Find a new job man, don’t be one of the jackasses that plays the system.

 

[BullsDeep]

I work in a factory and FMLA gets abused like the plague.... it's not like you get paid for fmla days off so I say if u can find a way to get it. Go for it..... I know I think about it from time to time..... but long term if that's how things are going to be with your current employer then you have a decision to make

 

[Coopsdaddy]

Doctors will have to sign the paperwork on FMLA,I had to take some before my dad passed and my employer gave me the forms.
I think you need to decide that’s really we’re you want to work.I understand as I work for a company that offers a pension and I’m gone in a few years after my youngest gets out of high school.So many people get locked into a job because of a pension.You will still get your 14-15 years worth if you leave.Just don’t take a payoff if they offer.

 

[Dust Rider]

You got one year to find a new job.
Talk to the boss man and show him you already paid for a hunt. See what he says. If he is a prick and you got skills start looking else where. It’s a workers market right now and maybe this will open new doors and better employment

 

[Soj51hopeful]

make a baby

 

[knale87]

Move your hunt or get a new job. Don’t lie about mental health and certainly don’t post about it on the internet.

 

[twofer]

Sorry to hear your hunt may not happen.

Your employer is going to dick you around as long as you work there. In this case, your bossman wiped out most of a hunting season for you, and it was done so the company could have fewer people on the payroll. You will never get that time back. Your loss, their gain. How much of your personal life are you willing to sacrifice to make your employer richer?

Get a new job lined up. Set the start date for after your hunt ends. Give notice at your current job 2 weeks before your hunt starts. As you leave your current job, tell them you're quiting because they treat their employees like crap.

JMHO