How to get time off work? FMLA help or?

[doc holiday13]

In life there are exceptions to every rule. My wife is in the business of selling expensive things to big companies and I’ve learned from her there is no such thing as a hard no. The success in getting to yes is getting decision makers to see what you’re proposing as a good thing for them, or at least it doesn’t hurt - that’s also the hard part.

You’re not a young dingaling that needs hand holding so there are more exceptions. I don’t know the internal politics of your union, but have you explored getting help on the union side? I’ve heard of time off requests coming from the union side that otherwise would not have happened, but unions vary so much I wouldn’t count on it.

Don‘t avoid asking for what you want, but it doesn’t hurt to understand the right timing and way to do it. You don’t have to lie, but you also don’t have to say what the trip is other than it’s important and has to happen on those days.

When we’ve been slammed at work with no vacations, I’ve told young guys to suggest banking hours prior to the trip and adjusting days off before and after so the company is getting as many hours of work.

This is definitely a front end approach.
Also doesn't hurt to see if your hunt could be moved.. you've got about 10 months to figure it out though so exhaust your options .

 

[Smithb9841]

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

Well for starters I wouldn’t post on an open public forum about asking for ways cheat fmla/disability. However there are a lot of people that do it. Hell my Old parts guy got months off for being an alcoholic and sitting at home to
Drink more.
If this is really what you want to do you need to start seeing a dr now because
Getting taken off work takes time. Now
If you want to be that person that does that that’s up to you. But I’d stop posting about it out in the open. And also understand it could put a target on your back from your employer

 

[svivian]

I'm sorry Mods.... I just cant take this thread seriously...

 

[hobbes]

If the company has given this much notice, it sounds like they place some value on communication. You need to do the same. Let them know that you were unaware this was coming, you've already invested cash into it and will lose some of that cash if you can't do it as planned. Ask for union support as mentioned. If you don't talk to them, you don't know. If you find out they aren't reasonable, then start your search for other employment if it's that important to you.

 

[4rcgoat]

Is the money you make worth the price you pay?

Well said!!

 

[displacedtexan]

I'm not in a union, have never wanted to be. I'm also in a right to work state, and have no intention of looking at a state I'd move to being union/RTW... And I'm not intending this as a backhanded slap at unions. I just honestly don't know much about unions in our modern day.

But... I've got a number of friends with union jobs (4-5 in Illinois) and a couple of them talk a lot about the union being there to make sure your rights and such are protected, and you don't get taken advantage of...

Anything your union could do to protect you and a hunt you paid for?

 

[ProStaffSteve]

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

I would ping them saying you have other commitments. And you’ll need the time off, if you’ve been a good employee and they are a good employer, they will let you take pto. Don’t listen to these union boys, if you see an alternative way, then do that. You might piss some people off but job hunting usually results in pay and benefits improvement…. Yolo

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

this is just sad. But I got a feeling you are trolling.

 

[Billy Goat]

 

[wyosam]

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.

Not most employers- its a rule of the program.


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[Kurts86]

If you employer is blocking out 2 months of time a year in advance they clearly have a pretty big project planned that they have probably been planning for years. The reality is that replacing an employee with a contractor for that period of time would cost them double or they just aren’t available at all. What’s happening is clearly important for the employer and you should recognize that. Is this a once a year thing? A once a decade thing or a once in a career type project because that definitely factors into a lot.

Do you have an attendance points system in place? Most similar jobs have some points scheme where you can have so many absences/late before you get disciplined. If you roll into next fall with them zero’ed out that’s an option, a shitty option but still an option. You likely operate in a system where seniority

This is definitely the point I would lean on the union. At a certain point number of consecutive days of required work is usually part of a contract at most places.

Communication is critical here regardless of what happens. I run industrial projects and the worst thing that can happen during a major shutdown is for half the team to no show. Project managers have planned a certain daily work content to meet a schedule. Maybe your task can be replaced or maybe this time there is an oversea’s team in place training you how to run new equipment before they leave.

It sounds to me like you have a job where you trade more time/commitment for more money. If that’s the case you have to recognize that and decide if something else is more worthwhile so you can live a better life outside of work.

My advice is to make yourself valuable and put yourself into a position to negotiate your terms at your current or next job. I’ve definitely run myself into the ground thru multiple shutdowns/start ups so that when I took my current job I could negotiate much more vacation and a week hunting trip within a week of starting that job.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I didn't read all the posts but essentially you will be committing fraud, and if caught, most likely from this thread in the internet you will get fired anyways.
And then all potential new employers will learn your a fraud.

I would talk to your boss once kindly and explain the trip was booked prior to this announcement.

If they still say no I quit.

BTW your union must be a pos

 

[long hunter]

go see your personal physician and tell him or her you need some time off to re Aline! feeling a bit stressed, he or she might give you a letter for your employer and prescribe some meds, pick up the meds and flush them.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

I'm sure there are work arounds and could find a provider to write you a note. But this is a slap in the face to the people that need fmla for legit reasons.

 

[grfox92]

I was going to write a really long drawn out post as I was responsible for scheduling of a 150 person staff at one point, 250 am another time, and dealt with this stuff all the time. Since the OP hasn't been back to respond to any of this I'm guessing he wont.

If there is a specific reason that the OP needs to be there, like a specific skill set, it would be a great opportunity to show leadership potential and train a subordinate, to step in and do your job for the time you are away to cover your responsibilities. This is the type of initiative that we appreciated and rewarded in my previous career.

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[Cedarsavage]

What good is 14 years and seniority if you can’t get vacation?

 

[bojangles808]

Unless it's a strip tag or a bighorn hunt I wouldnt piss all that seniority away. Postpone the hunt. Maybe negotiate with your boss to ensure it's guaranteed for the year after. WhY is it blacked out? If it's always gonna be blacked out then maybe I would think about a different job if huntinig that important to you

 

[RS3579]

Can’t you plan on getting the flu? Talk to a Dr in case a Dr excuse is needed. Good luck. You only live once!

 

[displacedtexan]

What good is 14 years and seniority if you can’t get vacation?

But the company really needs him to work!

 

[CorbLand]

What good is 14 years and seniority if you can’t get vacation?

I have a family member that works in an industry where seniority means everything. He always laughs at people that work for the smaller companies and wont leave for the bigger ones due to seniority. The smaller companies suck to work for and have crappy schedules. He always tells them "congratulations on being the most senior person of shitville."

I agree with you, whats the point of working someplace for 14 years if they wont work with you and your personal life?

Its all give and take. The fact that OP went straight to FMLA makes me think there is some more to this story. When I was a manager, I had a person that had worked there for 6 months. She proved to be flat out amazing at her job. There wasnt a day, week or month I wouldnt have given her off. My biggest concern when she took time off was she was interviewing somewhere else. She was way to talented for what she was getting paid.