Once a Vacation is booked and approved by boss....

[minnie mum]

We lived with that possibility for 37 years while DH was in the military. His leave could be cancelled at any time, even if he was already on the trip. Fortunately he only had approved leave cancelled once, and that was before we had left. We were reimbursed for our nonrefundable expenses. It was just part of the job.

 

[Katy Belle]

This happened to us on our first Disney vacation. DHs job was having all kinds of trouble, working overtime for weeks, etc. Sixteen hours before we were going to leave, he called me at home and said we couldn't go, he couldn't leave work. He HAD to get these problems solved, in the next 9 days. I already had the van packed! I cried for 3 days, but I got over it. We lost a few hundred dollars, but not much. We went to Disney 3 months later and had a fabulous time.

 

[Mizzoufan]

I'd rather be out of the money for the vacation then out of a job.

 

[cluvsdisney]

I can't imagine any catastrophe at my company that would make cancelling a paid for vacation a necessity. We've never cancelled a non-refundable vacation but we have come home early.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

I can't imagine a situation where I would be asked to stay once vacation was approved in my current job or any I have had before. As a manager, I would be concerned if I realized that I had an employee who was indispensable (what happens if they win the lottery next week?), and we would work on cross-training and preparing their backup to step in while they are out rather than asking them to skip their approved vacation.

I have witnessed more than one situation lately where someone asked for vacation time AFTER they booked their flights. That doesn't always work out.

 

[Handbag Lady]

We've been asked to change plans due to someone else's mistake. We were graciously compensated and thanked for doing so, so we'd do it again if needed.

 

[kamik86]

I can't imagine a situation where I would be asked to stay once vacation was approved in my current job or any I have had before. As a manager, I would be concerned if I realized that I had an employee who was indispensable (what happens if they win the lottery next week?), and we would work on cross-training and preparing their backup to step in while they are out rather than asking them to skip their approved vacation.

I have witnessed more than one situation lately where someone asked for vacation time AFTER they booked their flights. That doesn't always work out.

I have done that... but that is because DH's retail job won't let him ask for time off more then a month in advance. It has never been an issue and he has never been denied... he knows what time of the year could be an issue and avoids those so it has never been an issue.

My work barely even "approves" vacation time. Its more like we book it and as long as we have it known and in our calendar before something gets booked at the same time we are good. The program has been expanding more we have alot less people that are indespensible for a given task so that is helping too

 

[bcla]

There would have to be a legitimate emergency that could not be handled without my presence AND I would have to receive reimbursement for my expenses, at the least.

Once I planned a road trip. My manager came to me after approving the dates, and even told me that the company would reimburse me for any expenses that couldn't be canceled or cancellation fees. All my lodging could be canceled and we were driving, so that didn't become an issue. However, it turned out that it wasn't as much of an issue as needed. That also happened again later but I wasn't needed.

However, once I booked two nights with a Priceline bid after my manager approved those days. Then my manager wanted me in for one day, then the next. I called into the hotel and they said they wouldn't cancel it if I didn't show up the first day and that it would be no problem coming in for the second night. However, that was nonrefundable and he didn't offer to reimburse me for my sunk expenses.

The strange thing is that the last time I showed up for jury duty, one of the excuses that the judge would accept was travel plans involving nonrefundable transportation or hotel rooms within the anticipated time of the trial. He didn't ask how much. Heck - I could have had a $40 nonrefundable hotel room stay 50 miles away and that probably would have worked. I suspect that a lot of people lied.

 

[ashmarie06]

At my previous job ( a department head at a long term care center) department heads were not expected to come home from vacation if you were already on it during any state visits, however if you had one planned and you were supposed to leave the day after they came in, you were expected to postpone. Depending on your position and the amount of time you were off or the vacation you were going on portions of it were reimbursed. It never happened to me though! Their visits were always random but I managed to already be on vacation 2 of the years they came!

At my current job, work life balance is HUGE and they would never ever ask you to do anything like that!

 

[Carrie_Cat]

In the UK Annual Leave is considered a right to take it. Obviously you need approval, but in 99% of cases people take it as a contract that it's been agreed and as such you've booked and paid for a holiday, so you can't change your leave. There would be employment tribunal all over the place if employers started retracting holiday approvals.

Same in France - We put in our holidays at the start of the year we get the ok and that's it we are going.

I'd never not go because a boss wanted me to stay and work - Tough you'll have to find a temp but I'm off

 

[Rhombus]

Fortunately, in my current company, vacation leave is inviolable. A bigshot might grumble under his breath that Rhombus is going on vacation next week, but no one's ever been asked (or told) to cancel or postpone a vacation.

It never happened to me, but in my former company, a handful of people did have their vacations cancelled. One was practically at 4:59pm on the Friday before his leave. I think this guy was only planning a staycation with a day trip or two to the beach or zoo with his kids, but still. And it wasn't like those were vital employees whose absence would severely hurt the company. The work could easily have waited until their return. Or divvied up among the others if necessary.

Earlier in my career I probably would have caved if asked to cancel a vacation. But not now. Not unless I was GENEROUSLY compensated for it. And I don't mean a $50 gift card to Golden Corral.

 

[bigbabyblues]

My current boss values vacations--his own, and his employees' also. I work in a school, and even though I do work through the summer, I can't imagine being asked to cancel.

My husband's current employer cannot cancel an employee's vacation after the request has been approved, per the contract.

A former employer of his did ask him to cancel once, the day before we were supposed to leave. It was basically hinted that if he took the time off, he would not have a job to come back to (no union, no contract). This was not surprising, he had suspected it was coming. He had a copy of our vacation rental contract (a house on the Outer Banks) with him, and told his boss he didn't have vacation insurance and couldn't afford to lose the money; if they wanted him to cancel, he would need a check for the full amount of the rental before he left that day. They called him to accounting five minutes before he left to pick up the check. He was furious, but we were not in a place to be without his job at that time. It happened to be the day after Disney released the 7 for 4 deal in 2004, and I called as soon as he got home and booked a trip for three months later. He left that job not long after we took that trip.

 

[superme80]

Nope. If it is booked and paid for we are going. His company does not value him enough for me to care if they run into trouble while he is gone. He took a couple days off last week, and they still called him. I told him to let them know that while we are in Disneyland, his phone is mine and he is not accepting any phone calls. This company calls him on weekends, evenings, and any scheduled time off. The fact that they are too cheap to hire someone else is not my problem. My children needing daddy's undivided attention is.

 

[Poohforyou]

I'm fortunate to have work for reasonable employers and have had reasonable managers so this hasn't ever been an issue. We've had vacation blackout periods but they've been made known well in advance.

I can't imagine drawing a line in the sand saying I'd never change plans or take calls on vacation. I can't imagine my spouse expecting me to tell work not to call. How embarrassing.

 

[sasywtch]

I think I'm surprised at how many people would cancel their plans or take time away from their family on vacation for the job while on vacation. I use to joke in my younger days that I spent more time with coworkers than my kids (9 hours a day 5 days a week vs the 3-4 hours a day with my kids before bedtime) so there's no way I'm missing out on their vacation.

 

[DisneyPrince1982]

I think I'm surprised at how many people would cancel their plans or take time away from their family on vacation for the job while on vacation. I use to joke in my younger days that I spent more time with coworkers than my kids (9 hours a day 5 days a week vs the 3-4 hours a day with my kids before bedtime) so there's no way I'm missing out on their vacation.

Same here, very surprised. I think it just really depends on the fear level of losing the job if they try and call the company's bluff and if they could reasonably expect to find another job quickly.

 

[Jon84]

Same in France - We put in our holidays at the start of the year we get the ok and that's it we are going.

I'd never not go because a boss wanted me to stay and work - Tough you'll have to find a temp but I'm off

Most of the French get an obscene amount of paid Annual Leave, in my last job we could never get hold of the teams in Paris during the whole month of August!

 

[Poohforyou]

Same here, very surprised. I think it just really depends on the fear level of losing the job if they try and call the company's bluff and if they could reasonably expect to find another job quickly.

Fear of being fired really isn't my reasoning. I work for a company that is very flexible - allows people to work from home, change work hours when needed for appointments and such. Because of that I do my best to be flexible when it's needed. I can count on 1 hand the number of times I've been called over the last 20 years. There's always been an apology for disturbing my vacation and it never took long. A 15 minute phone call doesn't take away from my family time. We aren't joined at the hip.

 

[DisneyPrince1982]

Fear of being fired really isn't my reasoning. I work for a company that is very flexible - allows people to work from home, change work hours when needed for appointments and such. Because of that I do my best to be flexible when it's needed. I can count on 1 hand the number of times I've been called over the last 20 years. There's always been an apology for disturbing my vacation and it never took long. A 15 minute phone call doesn't take away from my family time. We aren't joined at the hip.

15 minute phone calls aren't the end of the world. I think it's more of "Sorry Bob, I know I approved you to take a week off and it's coming up, but something came up and we're gonna need you to stay."

Does Bob say: "Yes sir, I'm here for you." Or Does Bob say: "Sorry that's a no go boss, I will be in Disney World."

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Luckily, I work for a place that doesn't do that sort of thing. However, the emails don't stop when folks know you're on vacation. I generally can't help myself from responding so at least once a year I take a cruise or some other vacation without Internet.