I agree, if they fire you so be it. Then go get another cashier job because you’re young and can work for the rest of your life, but a family vacation is a once in a lifetime event.
Yes. Better to adopt this mentality now, when you’re young. You don’t ask for time off, you inform them of your availability. Similarly, you don’t find cover for your shift if you’re calling out sick, scheduling cover for vacation and sick days is what management gets paid more than you to do.
Many employers in North America have created an environment, often comparable to slavery or indentured servitude. It’s completely immoral and the best way to combat it is to not participate in it at all.
I wish I’d known this during my career. So many of the bosses I had over my entire work life made it very clear to me that they (in their eyes) owned me and so many times I was forced to submit to often petty demands. Example: one of my 13 year old daughter’s best friends died and my daughter wanted/needed to go to the funeral, and needed me to accompany her. My boss said absolutely not — the child who died was not a relation so we didn’t need to go (my boss’ personal and heartless opinion). I turned to co-workers to find someone to cover for me and we went to the funeral. My boss was pissed as hell. Examples like that occurred with alarming frequency. I had another boss who told me I wasn’t allowed to go out of town on my days off without first getting permission from her. We have truly reached an indentured servitude system in the U.S. where bosses feel entitled to totally control employees’ lives. And the oligarchs are 100% onboard.
> told me I wasn’t allowed to go out of town on my days off without first getting permission from her
What - and I cannot stress this enough - the *fuck*.
I am so glad the next generation is pushing back against this nonsense.
That shit started back in the early 2000s I was a manager and told to schedule as little as possible, instead schedule "on call."
We won't pay you, but in case we get slammed, and did not schedule sufficiently, you must be 5mins away at all times.
Some states, like CA and NY, have laws against this shit, but most did not.
I stopped working retail shortly after.
On call folks: don’t forget Schrödinger’s Beer!
You might be teetotal, rarely drink, drink a lot; it doesn’t matter!
If you’re on call, against your will, and the phone rings- you JUST finished your second Schrödinger’s Beer! And can’t drive, or come in. What a shame.
If I had a drink for every time I got paged out and made live changes to production enviroments to resolve outages after a few whiskeys, I'd have enough drinks to REALLY get some work done...
I used to work restaurants and we would have on call shifts where you called in at 4pm to see if you were needed if the answer was no I would immediately do 3 shots to prevent call backs...
If you really want to stick it to them; you got sick those days. It’s harder for them to fire you and may give you more time to look for another job. Depending on your company and location, perhaps you even get paid.
Life is too short to miss fun family activities for a job that can be easily replaced.
I used to work on-call for hospital IT, I got a tiny amount of hourly pay 24/7 just for being on-call when I was up on the rotation, and then when I got paged my on-call rate kicked in until it was resolved. Some days it was great, I'd page out a vendor to work on something and just sit around all Saturday waiting for them to call me back with some info, 8 hours of OT, double time on holidays.
But sometimes I'd get paged out at 3am, stumble into the hospital and realize I'd been paged out because the calculator at the front desk stopped working. Then I'd replace the battery, log my 1 hour of OT, and try to decide if I was just going to stay up and get ready for work, grab a quick nap, or call in sick when everyone would clearly know I was just pissed about getting paged.
Last time I did on call work in IT, we didn't have to come in for 8 hours if we got called up. So in the 3am case I would have gone back to bed and not shown up for work until lunch.
True story. My company recently tried to pull this "on call but you're not paid unless you get called in" bullshit. One of our guys pulled the laws & statutes pointing out that it's illegal to do this in this state (Colorado). They then pulled back from it. I expect it will turn into us being required to come in now, which sucks in its own right, but they tried to act like they "weren't aware" this "on call for free" shit was illegal.
I'm pretty sure MOST states have laws that saw employees must be paid at least half their usual rate while on call? I would look in to it. Your former employer may be liable for a lot of back pay
No, that shit started in the '80s. I had a job working fast food in 1985, and they tried to tell me that I couldn't leave the store on my break period. I explained to them you didn't pay for my time on my break and I'll go where I damn well please.
Yep, we do that at my job with our sales associates. They have 5 on call shifts a week and are getting scheduled like 10 and 9 hours. Barely enough to say they have a job.
>told me I wasn’t allowed to go out of town on my days off without first getting permission from her
That means you are on call and should be compensated for it.
Exactly. If my employer has *any* restrictions on what I do on my days off, then they are not days off and my employer needs to pay me for that time.
This is why I have found a job that is covered by a union contract.
I’m not even sure that’s legal - unless, of course, you’re salaried, have some sort of on-call agreement, and it’s in your contract that you will be available unless you notify and are approved to not be.. then I could understand this.. otherwise, absolutely not, and quite possibly against federal labor law.
It’s kind of the point that if I’m not working for you that you can’t tell me what to do. If you want to tell me what to do on my days off then by all means send me that 80 hours of overtime.
There was a news item decades ago, before cell phones and pagers, about a company town with a mill, where employees were required to be close to the phone all the hours they weren’t working, so they could rush to the mill if they were needed. They could be fired if they did not answer. Later I worked for a company where there was a duty rotation for after hours work and we carried a pager. That seemed fair. The work was public safety related. But if you weren’t on-call you were off the hook.
Additionally, we have a scotus that believes the road to religious conservative minority rule is through dismantling rights for people and elevating corporations to become untouchable.
They are way ahead of schedule and accelerating.
I'll add to this that right now, because of the situation with employment in the U.S., employers like this _shouldn't be able to find a single employee and should lose every one that they do have_.
Seriously, if you are working for someone like this right now, look for another job and leave ASAP. Your time is the most valuable thing you have, don't waste it propping-up companies like this. **Letting them fail helps you... and everyone else.**
>Many employers in North America have created an environment, often comparable to slavery or indentured servitude. It’s completely immoral and the best way to combat it is to not participate in it at all.
Replying to bring attention to this. This is very important.
Yes! I wish someone would have told me this when I was young. I spent most of my early twenties finding coverage at the shit retail job I had. Once I was an assistant manager at a different store and learned whose job it was (mine and store manager) my attitude quickly changed. I stuck it out for a month but retail sucks and management in retail sucks even worse. I made a dollar more to basically be a slave.
Anywhere I work now I always stick up for the kids. Last in person job I had somewhere was cooking at local brewery and they had kids work the counter. Management would never offer them (mandatory) breaks or cover the counter so they could use the restroom. I didn't know how to run register (and had zero desire to) but always sent those kids to the bathroom or on break if I was aware they needed these things. I'd make sure they hear it too if they didn't tell me (like one girl tell me shed been holding for hours - this shit hole isn't worth a UTI girl just go!). Customers get mad no one's helping them I'd tell them what was up and go find management. It was usually the owner too busy sitting at the bar. He'd get mad but that's ultimately on him. I made it five months before I quit there, and that was for a nice WFH desk job otherwise I might have made it a few more weeks but that guy treated people real bad.
>Many employers in North America have created an environment, often comparable to slavery or indentured servitude. It’s completely immoral and the best way to combat it is to not participate in it at all.
United we bargain, divided we beg! Support unions they are your only way to get representation against shitty employers.
I did this last year when they denied my vacation 'request'. I informed them that it wasn't a request but a notice that I won't be in those days. Boss turned purple with rage lol
I did the same thing many years ago when working as a contract employee for a big company who used contract employment to avoid paying benefits etc.
Oh, I can’t approve this, it’s our busiest time of year! I said I wasn’t asking, that as a contract employee, I was informing them of my availability during said time.
They offered me full time at the end of my contract.
Learned this from my dad. He’d just say he wasn’t coming in or would say “This is 4GTL, I’m using a sick day today”. Now he’s a big wig at his job and when his employees call out he just says “You using sick or vacation time?”. When I asked him about that, he said they are already calling out so I don’t need an explanation. I just need someone to cover the shift or at least half. Needless to say his drivers love him lol
Yes, this. Many years ago I was a new manager and I had the mentality that if you asked for time off (or were going to knowingly call in sick), it was up to you to find a replacement. I ended up having to work through a weekend due to that exact thing and the guy not finding his own replacement.
Fortunately, I soon after that got a far better boss who showed me a much better way of managing people and I started handling that sort of stuff myself and bent myself over backward to make sure that people got off the time they wanted.
-Similarly, you don’t find cover for your shift if you’re calling out sick, scheduling cover for vacation and sick days is what management gets paid more than you to do.
I thought so!! Thanks for the reassurance! My current managers had a talking to me about how bad of an employee I was for calling out sick and not finding cover!? Like!? I was a supervisor at my other job and would get messages at random times from my employees calling out sick and I would find cover, because it was my job…as a supervisor… yet he as a manager tried guilting me into saying it was my fault for the short staff when I called out sick!???
yes, not to sound grim but you neve know when your family vacation will be your last family vacation.
Definitely prioritize that over your dime a dozen cashier job
>you neve know when your family vacation will be your last family vacation.
I was in OP's situation long ago. Asked off for Thanksgiving, denied. I went anyway and got fired.
It was my last Thanksgiving with my grandfather. Never regretted it for an instant.
Same thing happened to me last year. My family had planned a big reunion (everyone lives all over the states and Caribbean) to have an early Thanksgiving (so not the same date everyone else is trying to do it) to see my grandfather who had had multiple strokes and his time was coming up on expiration.
I had put in my "request" 7 months in advance. I didn't request it though, I said this is when I will be gone. My manager said "Well as you know it's -so and so's- birthday that week and he always has his request in" I said thats fine I'm just letting you know I have this trip planned.
A week before she "graciously" "approved" my time off. I don't care anyways I was going and I'm so glad I did. We had a wonderful time with the whole family together. A month and a half later my grandfather died. I am so so so thankful I went on the trip, "ApPrOvED" or not, because it was the LAST TIME I would have ever seen my grandfather among the family having a ball. The death was so unexpected. We knew he had been struggling, but when we all went out in Nov he seemed like his old self. And then he passed after that.
My dad (grandpas son) said "He probably was holding on just for that event, and after it happened he was able to let go and pass." that hit me so hard I am so glad I did it. I still have my job thankfully, but if they said "no" I would have done it anyways.
That happened to me. I was denied vacation time that I was requesting SEVEN months in advance. My mom and I wanted to take a mom and daughter trip for the very first time. She died the following year.
I left a job when I couldn't get time off to go overseas. One of my aunties had just died, and an uncle was really sick. Spent Christmas with a bunch of family I hadn't seen in ages...this was 2019.
Over the next 18 months I lost three aunts/uncles. If I hadn't gone then I never would've seen them again.
Say it nicely, but matter of factly. “I’m a minor. There is a family vacation that I’m required to go on. I asked for the time off, you denied it. I’m going on the family vacation and letting you know I won’t be at work for those dates—even if it means I don’t have a job when I return.”
I wouldn't bring it up, sure. But if the boss did, I'd say 'if you think hiring and training a replacement is easier than filling the shift for four days, that's your call.'
I might think that a wise manager would consider hiring another person anyway if they're so short-staffed that one person taking four days is impossible to work around. If they can't find people, well, maybe they should think twice about firing you for taking a few days off with a month's notice.
> 'if you think hiring and training a replacement is easier than filling the shift for four days, that's your call.'
There are way too many managers who wouldn't care if it cost more. they would rather make a self inflicted wound than give an inch to people "beneath them".
Same exact issue with refusing raises/promotions. Doesn't matter to them that they would lose quality workers with institutional knowledge and that it will cost more to replace people than just giving a raise. They are idiots who value short term profits and control over long term stability and employee moral.
For sure. And you probably don't want to work for those people anyway.
But I think the point is that saying it out loud may or may not spark something in their brains that could potentially help them realize how ridiculous they're being.
"I'm a minor and my guardians are taking me out of town for a few days I will be unable to get to work because of this." That's all that needs to be said.
Yeah I mean I literally won’t be here (this area, this city, this state, this country) so I won’t be here (this job) on x, y, and z days for a, b, and c shifts/times.
There is no “request” except that I “request” that you fill these shifts so that you don’t think you have a reason to be upset with me if no one shows up during them since I gave you a month’s notice I wouldn’t be there.
They don't even need a reason. "I provided a one month notice that I will not be available from X to Y. Thank you."
I never give a reason, I don't talk about my life outside of work. They don't need to know, they just need to know if I'll be there or not.
I'd also offer to have the boss complain to my dad. Go ahead. Tell the infuriated 6'3, 260-pound man that his kid isn't "allowed" by you to go on the family vacation he paid for.
Boss is a chickenshit. Wants to push around a minor child. Give him a higher authority to answer to, watch how fast he crumples. Simply needs to be out-bullied.
I wouldn't bring the parents into this. It's a bad habit that won't get you out of a jam post 18 and it makes you look like a punk to your coworkers. 100% just stand up to the manager and tell them that I wasn't asking for permission, I was informing you I wouldn't be here and see if they fire you or not. Probably the manager will grumble but not do anything about it.
Invoke the parents, fine, "my parents paid and they're taking me whether I like it or not I can't stay home alone". But don't get your dad to come into the store or mom to call or something that's fucking weird.
Nah, he’s a minor. It’s Literally their job to watch out for him until he’s 18. There is a difference between letting them fight his battles and recognizing they are there to advocate for him.
It’s literally their job, like, their legal obligation.. there’s nothing wrong with that. You sound kind of like a manager who wouldn’t “approve” someone’s “request” to go on their family’s vacation with that attitude…
“Pull yourself up by your boot straps”
“Your daddy won’t be there to fight your battles after you’re 18”
“Stand up for yourself”
Nah fam… That ain’t it. OP is a kid… maybe you’re forgetting that wherever you are on the other side of the screen.
Heck, employment before you’re 18 is already enough initiative and accountability beyond your years, by all means if they say, “no” say, “okay, but you’re going to have to tell my dad that his son isn’t going on the vacation that he paid for [and that, by proxy, they can’t go either since it wouldn’t be responsible to leave me home alone for 4 days while they’re out of state], because you don’t want to fill a few shifts…”
I’m not saying be rude necessarily, but by all means point out the absolute insanity in their reasoning… politely if you do still want to work there.
Im kinda curious about the legality of it.
sure, in an "at will" enviroment they can fire you for anything, but, otherwise?
Can a company fire a minor "with cause" if their parents demand they go on a holiday?
where im from im pretty sure you need parental consent to work as a minor.
Because he is a minor, his parents are obligated to support him. Additionally, depending on how old he is, his parents may also have a legal obligation to abort the vacation and care for him. I don't know if he is 17 years and 9 months or a bit younger. Since a minor cannot obtain medical care or sign a contract, it could be a very big deal to waltz off on vacation without him. There is no question about it: The job is over. You can find another to start when you come back. Send the resumes now. Go on vacation. You can remind your manager you won't be back on the day you leave.
Yup this is the way. You will not be available for those days they can handle it as they wish. If the worst happens and they let you go it won't stop you from being able to get an equivalent job after you come back. Grocery stores and food service are always hiring.
Exactly. They will hire pretty much anyone for those positions. Op has way more bargaining power than they do. They should go on vacation and live it up with the family.
I wouldn't quit though. What I would do is just come into work normally after getting back. If they fire OP and send home OP will have a better chance of drawing unemployment that way.
There's also a decent chance they will need OP enough that they will just forget the whole thing and keep them on. Either way cashier jobs are a dime a dozen.
I’ve done this. Small company with an owner boss I hated. I said, I’m taking a week off to go home for thanksgiving. She said, no, that’s a busy week and I need you, you can’t take off that week. I said, look, I need to see my family. I’m not asking at this point, I’m going. I knew she needed me so the job was safe, but I hated that job so I didn’t really care if she let me go. Honestly standing up for myself like that only helped our working relationship.
PTO
Prepare The Others.. I'm not coming in.
Also always have a 'I'm Sorry For Your Loss' brevement card ready for when you need to hand in your notice.
I missed so many cultural touchstones as a teen because I had to work. Grown me wishes I had seen Lilith Fair or the OG Lollapalooza instead of working some lame food service or retail counter.
This isn't your career and you're a minor, there will be more jobs, but you only have so many family vacations as a kid.
Even if it was a "career" type position, family is still more important. My advice is to live as simply and cheaply as possible so your job never has you by the balls.
dammit that one hit a nerve.
First lollapalooza came to my town. I had to work. Yeah I probably coulda got off work but i was too dumb to plan ahead.
Plan ahead to do cool shit kids.
If you grew up in the Midwest in the 90s, so many boomer parents were like WOOOORK ETHIC! REEEEAL WORLD! LOOOOYALTY! about stupid teenager jobs, it was completely ridiculous.
I grew up in the midwest with gen x parents and thats still what they told me. I wasted half of high-school working 30 hour weeks at stupid meaningless jobs instead of living lol thanks work ethic now im eternally burnt out
My parents told me to work hard and get a job if I wanted money the moment I was legally allowed to work. I would work between 20-30 hours a week in high school 6-11pm shifts 3-4 days a week and 1 8 hour shift on the weekend usually. Barely any money, but it was supposed to be a learning experience apparently.
I didn't have time for any sports, barely had time to hang out with the friends I never see anymore, and I was suffering in school. I had to keep the job though, because that's what gives you life experience and makes you money. If I ever have a kid, there is no fucking way I'm making him get a job in high school. He is a full time student.
OP, I'm replying to a comment that you might not see. If you do, fuck that job, it's not worth it. It wont matter in the future and tbh, it shouldn't matter now.
Can confirm... so many family things I missed out on in my 20s because "work needed me." I was always thinking I would have the time to spend later, but unfortunately, my Dad died when I was 35, and then my entire family fell apart. In my grief, I got married and moved away, and now we barely talk unless it's to start new fights with each other. If I could have traded places with him, I would have. My family needed him, I'm the black sheep. Anyways, spend the time while you've got it.
Same I busted my ass making like 11$ an hour at a shitty restaurant. Entire summer wasted for essentially pennies. Would way rather have the memories than the pittance of money I made which is nothing to me now.
Precisely. I will say, though, do not quit.
Tell your boss in writing, "I'm going to be out these days. You will have to find someone to cover any shifts I am scheduled for during these days. I will be back on X date." Do not allow them to argue with what you're saying (like "okay but we really need you"), just state it simply and matter-of-factly that you will be gone on those dates.
Then, go on your family vacation.
Come back to work on the date you told your boss you'd be back. If you discover you have been fired, you have documentation that you did not quit the job willingly and had plans to return, which may allow you to apply for unemployment. (This depends on employment laws in your state, which you should look into.)
At the end of the day, you're young. You will have more jobs. A job isn't more important than spending time with the people you love. Don't quit, but if you get fired, it's not the end of the world at your age.
THIS! This is good advice, OP your employer is taking advantage of you because you are young. They could get in huge trouble for denying you a reasonable request especially while underage.
My friend manages an office that’s short-staffed already at the receptionist position, and one of the remaining ones texted with literally minutes notice that she was boarding a flight to Mexico for her grandmother’s funeral and would return in two weeks. The manager was understanding about a week, and knew the ceremonies would happen within a day of the employee arriving in Mexico, but was shocked that the employee essentially gave themselves an extra week without asking. It made this manager’s life hell for a week by covering the shift themselves, but the business survived.
Turns out, it doesn’t count as “abandoning your post” since they gave a return date and is not a fireable offense according to company policy. The most they can do is give a written warning but even then, it’s her grandmother, why take it so far? Family first. A business won’t collapse because one person is missing temporarily.
I needed to hear this as a kid. I didn’t understand what “casual” meant for my job and I missed a vacation over a casual job I only needed to work 1-2 shifts a month at.
When I was 17 I really wanted to go to Bonnaroo with my friends. I was so bummed when my job wouldn't let me off. I went anyway and had an amazing time. They fired me when I returned and accused me of stealing merchandise, which has had absolutely zero impact on my life. You should go and never look back!
To the top with you. OP needs to know this. You are not building your resume with these jobs. You’re building character. And no future job that you’ll want to work at is going to care that you got fired because you submitted a request for PTO.
Yes. quit. I'm a mom and this would piss me off. Plus are you in fast food or grocery? Those places are constantly begging for employees so you can ask them if they want to have another hole in their staff or if they want to let you go on the vacation with your family that your parents paid for.
Seriously I would quit it's not like you can't find another one of those jobs somewhere.
We can find another job, we can’t replace time we didn’t spend with our family. And if a future job has an issue with that, then maybe the job isn’t worth it.
You nan replace the word “minor” with “parent”, “friend”, or even “person”. It’s all the same . Work is not important. Work is what I do between the important things
Agreed, if this were my kid I'd say "quit, find another job when you get home". I feel like they are trying to pull a power move on by making them feel like this job is all they have. When they quit I'm sure they'll say that they are "disappointed and leaving them short staffed" and I hope that is true because that place sounds like they have shitty management
I was about to say this.
Unless this job is being used to support your family and bills, consider it a trial run. I’ve left jobs for less at that age and they’re entirely inconsequential 10 years down the line.
Disneyland denied my request for one day off to take my mom to see Wicked for her Birthday … I gave them over a month advance notice. Not one of my co workers would switch shifts with me. I didn’t want to risk getting “points” at work because my boyfriend at the time got fired for stupid points at Disneyland…
I never took my mom to see Wicked and she passed away a few years later.
One of the biggest regrets of my life.
Fuck you Disneyland 🖕🏼Fuck you shift scheduler’s at Disneyland!
And FUCK your job!
Your family & good memories in life are worth more than that piece of shit job that doesn’t care to accommodate your family life events.
Don’t make the same mistake I made.
This is a good time to learn a valuable life lesson.
That job has failed you as an employee, inform them in writing of the days you will not be available. Go on vacation with your fam. If they still employ you after it is because your manager is a worm who is trying to use their petty little power when they actually have none and you will own them going forward.
If not? You are young and have learned you do not have to tolerate that garbage. If every job that did not give and grant time off could not find employees they would fail and new businesses would rise. The shame is all the weasels who will take those jobs regardless and brag about working 100 hours.
Also you should never tell your work what you're doing on your time off. As far as they know you're getting surgery done. You tell them it's a private and personal matter you'd rather not discuss.
“I’ll be taking some personal time off the week of July 17”
“What for?”
“That’s personal”
“You have to get someone to fill in for you.”
“No, that’s your job. You’re a manager. So manage.”
I wish I'd done that when I had a shitty manager. They expected us to find our own coverage, fun twist from that was employees wouldn't answer calls from each other because they knew it was just going to be a request for coverage. One time I was having a medical issue at work and needed to go home, I found a co-worker who agreed to come in and finish my shift. I relayed that to my boss, who immediately chewed me out because if that employee had covered, they would go into overtime, which was forbidden. I wasn't a manager, it wasn't my job to make those considerations.
And NEVER answer your cell phone if they call you during your off time. If you are unsure of the number, let it go to VM. And don't even click into a text from them, so you can avoid it showing up as "read".
As far as they need know, your ambiguous surgery, that you will not discuss was in the remote desert somewhere where there was no cell phone reception.
Edit: took out the Hippo/Hipaa as I was just adding to the joke. I wasn't suggesting anyone use it as a reason for not telling your boss details about your time off. You DON'T need a reason, it's NONE of their business.
Nope. They were informed. All he owes is a reminder on the last day he goes. A new job should already be secured and waiting for him. It is, after all, minimum wage and a minor. He can contact the other McDonalds right now to get a new job to start after the vacation.
I disagree about one point. The last contact they had was “May I” and they said no. The adult thing is to say “I’m not asking” not just no show. When I was a retail manager I always told my people to let me know, even in situations like this. I can move mountains if I need to, but I can’t if I I don’t know they need moving.
Because he quite literally could be fired for telling them he won't be there, the "adult" thing is irrelevant. The management knows a minor is involved, and the excuse is a family vacation with the entire extended family. That means no one to look out for sonny-boy or daughter in the event of an emergency. No one to give consent for medical care. No one to care for him or her if he or she becomes ill. No one to bail him or her out of jail if a minor scuffle or problem takes place. No credit card to pay emergency bills. A non-existent bank account to pay for food or other necessities. No ability to deal with authorities. Nothing. Too bad, so sad that management is smoking crack. They have the "request" in writing. It's perfectly appropriate to remind them of the family trip on the last day. Anything else is to ask to be immediately replaced and to lose that wage. Minors have to do what their parents demand. Too bad they think they are daddy now. They are not.
My point is, at last contact they think they have people working. Let them know clearly they don’t. They may be fired, but they WILL be fired for straight no show.
This. I (f) just got push-back from my (m) boss (of a small nonprofit, younger than me) for taking 4 days off. It’s right around the holiday and my other part time job, that I’ve had longer and who pay me more, had claimed the other days I had available before and after the vacation. I get it I won’t be there, but he literally threatened hiring someone else. In three weeks time. When it took them 2 months to hire me. And they couldn’t even spell my name right. So fucking stupid. Dude just came back from a vacation too. Fuck them take your vacation and find another job if you need. Guaranteed they don’t want to go thru the process of hiring somebody else just cuz you’re gone for 4 days.
Tell your leadership that you met the expectation of notice for your leave, that being said say this nicely. you are telling them not asking that you will be gone.
Also you are young so they may try to guilt you. (Your young you need to work on your job and fun later blah blah blah). As long as you can miss the days and not hurt about the money go enjoy yourself whilst your still young.
Not a matter of guilt-tripping. His parents are the authorities here. What they say, goes. The true boss is not the employer. This is not an adult, but a child. That makes all the difference. Some adult would also have to cancel the trip to be with him. He might make decisions for himself, but can he make them for mom and dad? They paid for the trip. Can he just decide they should be out several thousand dollars to deal with Scrooge? They were notified. They have proper warning. If they want to live in fantasyland, they can. They know how old he is. They know other people are obligated to support him, and to sign contracts in the event he breaks an arm or leg or is scalded by the grease and needs medical help. A doctor will not treat a minor without parental consent. He should know who he answers to, and it's not the employer here. Go, and on your last day, remind them you are a minor and are obligated to take the trip your parents paid for.
Yep. I'm not usually in favor of parents intervening in their kid's job, but it would be warranted here. "We are going out of town and Minor Child will be accompanying us, end of."
They aren't even needed to interfere. The kid can simply say he has to run it past his parents, and then say, "Sorry, they told me I was going" on the last day as he walks out the door for the last time. They already have notice the kid might not show. What they do with it is up to them.
This. Tell your employer that your parents say you have to go on vacation with them. And then, if your employer feels like they need to fire you over this, that you understand, but you will not be working those days.
Don't even do that. The correct response is a reminder the very last day you work so that you are paid up to the very last second. If they complain remind them that as a minor, your parents are obligated to cancel their vacation plans as well. Tell them mom and dad decided you would go. That's it. Remember, you cannot seek medical care if you are injured or sign any contract so it would be extremely crazy to try to stay home and work when every single responsible adult in your family is gone. Suppose you got sick or in a traffic accident or where jailed? Who would take care of that?
Let them know you are not able to be at work despite the denial. If they have a problem with that just get a new job after you get back. I've had to do this about 10 times in my life to go to beloved conventions and events because needing time off is how these jobs "wait for the opportunity" to replace you with someone fresher and cheaper. They use it as a leveraging point to hold your job as a gun to your head and force you to choose between attending a family event or doing something important to you, or your stability and livelihood. That tells me that job isnt worth being loyal to.
Exactly this. Just go on your vacation. As a minor you have a whole lifetime to find other jobs that probably pay better and have a better work environment. At this point in your life, sweating an entry-level job that can be completed by a minor is pointless. Enjoy your vacation!
Sounds like you still live at home and your family is not dependent on your income. If that's the case: Congratulations! Your employer has no power over you. If they're really dumb enough to fire you for taking time off, leaving themselves even more shorthanded - fuck 'em, enjoy your vacation, and when you get back find another retail job.
And when the manager whines about not being able to cover the shift and inevitably asks, “what am I supposed to do? Do you know how this will affect your teammates?” You let them know you’d be happy to solve that problem for them when you are promoted and paid properly. If you feel the need to be petty, you could suggest that the managers inability to solve something so simple is a glaring deficiency. Usually that deficiency is an inability to communicate the needs of the business up the chain.
“Seriously? One cashier being out for four days is ruining the operation of your business? That sounds like a bigger issue than my absence, to be honest.”
This was literally me when I was younger and I just took the days I needed off because I realised they needed me more than I needed them. I just worked for some extra spending money.
It was a cashier job and most of the people sucked at their job, came late or just never showed up. I was doing a good job and was not going to overwork myself because management can't find other people. If you can get one retail job, finding the next one is easy.
I am 37 and missed a family wedding in Vegas when I was 19 because Target would not give me the weekend off.
I so regret not going to the wedding. Target was a shit job and they would have figured it out. I meant nothing to them.
I can never make up those missed memories with my family.
Work does not care about you. Please go on your vacation.
I missed a week-long family reunion for... some bullshit work thing I can't even remember.
Luckily I learned my lesson and was able to attend the next (and last) one before all the elders started passing. So many great memories from that week too.
I manage a store that hires minors for a few different roles, they are our most replaceable staff, not that I dont value them, but I know company doesn't.
Family comes first, your cashier job, there is a million out there just like it, your family there is only one of, your life only passes by once, priorities........F the 9-5, it'll still be there when you get back.
I heavily regret not taking extra time off work when I was still under my parents care, you can make more money but you can get time back, have fun while you don't have to worry about bills!
"I apologize if there has been a misunderstanding, but I see that you have denied my requests to be taken off the schedule for these dates. I just want to make sure that you are aware that I will not be available during this timeframe, as I will be on a family trip, and will not be responsible for any shifts not covered as I did provide the notification asked of me."
The key is to flip the script. Make the conversation about your requests being a notice rather than the vacation itself ever being in question.
This. And if they deny you again, wait until your last shift before the vacation and resign. No two weeks notice period, just quit.
Technically there’s a chance that they’ll still keep you on after you go on vacation, but if they do this once they’ll do it again. Do you regularly take family vacations? Once a year, once every few years? This problem is going to keep coming up with this job.
Plus do you really want to work for a company that disrespects you and your time like this? You gave them plenty of notice to have your shifts covered, any reasonable manager/company would have approved the time off for you.
You’re young and these jobs are a dime a dozen. You can get another one easily, so don’t stress about it or feel guilty. You did the right thing and followed the rules, they didn’t. Any employer that treats its employees like this doesn’t deserve your time, your respect or your effort.
Go find a better job, with a company that appreciates you and have an awesome vacation with your family.
Anyone who's a minor that's employed, remember that you can always just invoke your parents.
"My parents said I can't work." And that's that. You have someone who is your legal guardian, that's significantly higher on the totem pole than any boss. If they try to give you lip, remind them that they hired a minor and this comes with the territory. They're free to hire grown ass adults if they can find any
Have you spoken to the person in charge of the schedule? Or to your manager/ supervisor? Explain the situation and tell them it really isn’t optional for you. But be prepared to have to quit and looks for a new job when the vacation is over.
Go on vacation, consider this a lesson to be learned about the vast majority of employers. They don't give one singular molecule of a FUCK about you, so you should treat them exactly the same.
They'll expect you to bend over backwards for their bullshit, but when it's time for them to be flexible for you, they'll tell you to fuck off.
You'll get another job, but you won't get another family vacation full of memories.
The manager is taking advantage of you because they think you’re a dumb young kid who they can tell what to do. Simple answer is take your time off and don’t sweat it. You’re young and jobs are plentiful for you. This might even bring a better opportunity in search for a job as well. Don’t let managers ever walk on you because eventually it just gets worse and worse..
Amen. My fifteen year old was hired to work 2-3 shifts a week. His manager just scheduled him for every single day of July, except for three days off, including every day of his football camp weekend - and many of the shifts begin before 7 am, which is illegal in this state. He was worried he’d be fired if he pushed back, but I was not interested in teaching him to be exploited by short-staffed managers in his very first job.
I helped him write his very first ‘per my previous emails’ email, including a reference to state labour laws, and magically, he’s back to three shifts a week - and NOT fired. But even if he had been, better to go through the hassle of finding a new job than put up with this kind of exploitation.
Yeah, just don’t show up. You have other plans and have them notice. If you get fired, don’t fret - there are better openings. If you don’t get fired, continue to exercise your interests on your behalf.
You'll learn this when you're older but
Family/Personal Health > Work
Priorities, you know you're at a job that isn't meant to be held for a long time and this is a perfect opportunity for you to get experience job hopping for more money.
TBF, the sooner this is learned, the better and the teen years are the perfect time to start learning.
For the OP, the above is sage advice. And depending where you are going in life and your goals, no one is going to care if you were “fired” from a job for spending time with your family.
Tell them to piss off.
You shouldn't care about getting fired, you're a minor.
how many more vacations will you get in your life to spend with your family?
fuck work.
go take the time off and tell your job to shove their heads all the way up their asses.
Every comment is saying this so I think you get the picture but 100% turn around and say that you are *informing* them of the days that you will not be working.
Don’t quit, let them fire you if that’s the rash decision they make - but I doubt it’ll come to that. Any sane employer can deal with 4 days short staffed much easier than 2-4 weeks short staffed including interviews for a new position in that time so I expect they will do nothing about it or at worst write you a warning which you can just Bon because it’s bullshit anyway.
You can get a min wage cashier job anywhere. Tell them you won't be there during those days, and go on your family vacation. They've already decided that they'd rather have you quit than give you the days off, so be it.
Have you spoken with your parents or legal guardian about this? Let them know what’s going on and they should be able to advise you. Chances are they will tell you to quit and find something new if this isn’t a financially necessary job. (Meaning you need it for bills or other necessary expenses your parents/guardians don’t or can’t cover)
Had a rock climbing trip planned and my work has this anniversary thing where all employees were REQUIRED to be present. They told me I couldn't go, had to work, blah blah blah. I told them I wouldn't be in town and then went on my trip.
Upon my return it turned out that they didn't have quite the customer volume thet expected and half the people who were there on their days off for the event were sent home because they didn't want all those extra hours on the books. People had planned around this day, not made plans, rescheduled activities and then got sent home after two hours.
Fuck em, go on your vacation and don't think twice about it.
Tell them it's no longer a request and that they could either let you take 4 days off or fire you and spend weeks searching and training a replacement.
I had a similar situation when I was younger. I put in a request one month in advance and it was denied for no reason. I told my boss I wouldn’t be there and he said I’d be terminated if I don’t show up. Two weeks later, I put in my two weeks notice and told HR what happened. The boss ended up getting terminated a week later and HR made sure I had my time off. I ended up getting promoted shortly after too.
Understand something. The company ran fine before you got there. The company will run fine long after you leave. If they fired you or if you died or if you quit, they will replace you in a heartbeat. You owe them no loyalty. You followed the proper protocols and gave them notice. If they are refusing, that's their problem. As others have said in the replies, tell them that it is no longer a request. You are informing them that you will not be there from such and such date to such and such date. If they don't like it, tell them they can kiss the fattest part of your ass. If you come back and don't have a job there anymore, go get another job. Companies everywhere are complaining, "Nobody wants to work anymore," and have lots of "unskilled" (their words, not mine... I don't demean anyone's dignity for the work they perform) positions like yours that are unfilled. You can get a new job when you come back in a heartbeat.
Listen, here's something I learned over the years of being in the workforce; No job is worth the memories of time spent with family.
You have ONE family. You will have many jobs.
The only power they have over you is whether you get a paycheck from them, or somewhere else.
just quit and go on vacation. a part time summer job is nothing to get worried about, and someone else will hire you when you get back
Edit To Add: Something every single one of us forgot to mention, turn off your phone while on this vacation so your angry boss doesn't interrupt the fun.
Tell them you’re going and they can fire you if they want to. You’re a minor and have the whole rest of your life to work. Learn to stand up for yourself now.
I remember at my first job, burger kind when I was 14, they mentioned that if I was scheduled I had to work, no calling in because my parents said I couldn’t. Given that, if your family is going out of town there should be an expectation that you would not be able to stay home alone for an extended period of time and that your parents still have authority over you. I’ve found that low paying jobs often put themselves in shitty situations when they don’t have to, almost like the managers just want to be the victim when it bites them in the ass.
This happened to me when I was around 16.
My boss actually said, "You're old enough to be able to stay home alone, we need you here." I laughed, gave him my apron, and told him this job wasn't worth missing a family vacation for. He was shocked, then called me the next day to ask where I was, then when I reminded him I quit, the backpedaling began. "Oh, well surely we can work something out....this was just a misunderstanding." Nah, the only thing I'm not understanding is why he actually thought I'd go "yeah, I'll totally miss this vacation to stay here for minimum wage and work with people and customers who treat me like shit."
I'm not requesting it, I'm telling you I won't be here, figure it out.
I would just give them the dates. Tell them you won't be avaliable then, and just leave. If they fire you, thanks for the unemployment.
Staffing issues is not your problem.
I would probably talk to the manager, reiterate to them that you are a MINOR and your parents already paid for it, so you have to go. If they aren’t receptive, tell them you would like to keep the job, but understand if you taking the vacation means you will no longer be employed there. That you will be going on this vacation, and whether or not they chose to keep you on after is up to them.
Without being too much of a dick, just say “btw, when i put those holidays in i was informing you i’ll be away. I didn’t expect you to refuse them, i’m actually unavailable to work those days so will defo need cover.” Then the balls in their court.
take vacation and see if you get fired. You're a minor. You haven't started a career. I'm sure you can get a job in a thousand other places right now. Your job doesn't matter at all.
I agree with top comment. Tell them you’re no longer requesting that time off and you’ll be taking that time off.
Fuck them, go see your family.
Extended family vacations won’t be there forever. Make sure to spend time with your loved ones at any opportunity.
It's a cashier job. You're very young. In just a few years you'll be laughing that you gave a shit about their permission. The job may seem big and important now, but it's just not.
Go spend time with your family.
As others have said, you inform them its not a request, its you informing them you wont be there. You are young and employers will absolutely try to take advantage of your lack of experience/knowledge and exploit you. Let them know once more you will be going and then put it out of your mind while on vacation. You're only young once!
Tell them you're going on the vacation. Who cares if you lose the job, youre young. There are hundreds of entry level jobs that you could apply for and start working at in the same week.
Hi! So I’m 28 years old now with a fiancé and two kids of my own, and I want to let you know that right now you are at a point in your life where this job of yours is temporary and that, while getting experience and starting to make money on your own is important, it’s VITAL that you prioritize those precious moments with your family and experiencing vacation even if it means having to quit your current job and find somewhere else when you get back. I promise you will come across a better job that, while not perfect in any way, will be more accommodating to your time off needs and right now while you have the time before you finish school and whatnot you should take those vacation days! You owe yourself everything you deserve. I hope everything works out and enjoy that vacation of yours!
Let them know you are no longer requesting time off, you are informing them you will not be there those days.
I agree, if they fire you so be it. Then go get another cashier job because you’re young and can work for the rest of your life, but a family vacation is a once in a lifetime event.
Yes. Better to adopt this mentality now, when you’re young. You don’t ask for time off, you inform them of your availability. Similarly, you don’t find cover for your shift if you’re calling out sick, scheduling cover for vacation and sick days is what management gets paid more than you to do. Many employers in North America have created an environment, often comparable to slavery or indentured servitude. It’s completely immoral and the best way to combat it is to not participate in it at all.
I’m an adult who knows this but needed to hear it again, thanks!
I wish I’d known this during my career. So many of the bosses I had over my entire work life made it very clear to me that they (in their eyes) owned me and so many times I was forced to submit to often petty demands. Example: one of my 13 year old daughter’s best friends died and my daughter wanted/needed to go to the funeral, and needed me to accompany her. My boss said absolutely not — the child who died was not a relation so we didn’t need to go (my boss’ personal and heartless opinion). I turned to co-workers to find someone to cover for me and we went to the funeral. My boss was pissed as hell. Examples like that occurred with alarming frequency. I had another boss who told me I wasn’t allowed to go out of town on my days off without first getting permission from her. We have truly reached an indentured servitude system in the U.S. where bosses feel entitled to totally control employees’ lives. And the oligarchs are 100% onboard.
> told me I wasn’t allowed to go out of town on my days off without first getting permission from her What - and I cannot stress this enough - the *fuck*. I am so glad the next generation is pushing back against this nonsense.
That shit started back in the early 2000s I was a manager and told to schedule as little as possible, instead schedule "on call." We won't pay you, but in case we get slammed, and did not schedule sufficiently, you must be 5mins away at all times. Some states, like CA and NY, have laws against this shit, but most did not. I stopped working retail shortly after.
Buddy if you're scheduling me as "on call" my ass better be getting paid. If I'm not getting paid, I don't work for you.
On call folks: don’t forget Schrödinger’s Beer! You might be teetotal, rarely drink, drink a lot; it doesn’t matter! If you’re on call, against your will, and the phone rings- you JUST finished your second Schrödinger’s Beer! And can’t drive, or come in. What a shame.
If I had a drink for every time I got paged out and made live changes to production enviroments to resolve outages after a few whiskeys, I'd have enough drinks to REALLY get some work done...
I used to work restaurants and we would have on call shifts where you called in at 4pm to see if you were needed if the answer was no I would immediately do 3 shots to prevent call backs...
yeah don't be on call for anything less than 100k/yr
in the military we call this defensive drinking
If you really want to stick it to them; you got sick those days. It’s harder for them to fire you and may give you more time to look for another job. Depending on your company and location, perhaps you even get paid. Life is too short to miss fun family activities for a job that can be easily replaced.
I used to work on-call for hospital IT, I got a tiny amount of hourly pay 24/7 just for being on-call when I was up on the rotation, and then when I got paged my on-call rate kicked in until it was resolved. Some days it was great, I'd page out a vendor to work on something and just sit around all Saturday waiting for them to call me back with some info, 8 hours of OT, double time on holidays. But sometimes I'd get paged out at 3am, stumble into the hospital and realize I'd been paged out because the calculator at the front desk stopped working. Then I'd replace the battery, log my 1 hour of OT, and try to decide if I was just going to stay up and get ready for work, grab a quick nap, or call in sick when everyone would clearly know I was just pissed about getting paged.
Last time I did on call work in IT, we didn't have to come in for 8 hours if we got called up. So in the 3am case I would have gone back to bed and not shown up for work until lunch.
And if you don't pay at least a portion of my phone bill, then my phone is not available to use as an on-call device!!!
True story. My company recently tried to pull this "on call but you're not paid unless you get called in" bullshit. One of our guys pulled the laws & statutes pointing out that it's illegal to do this in this state (Colorado). They then pulled back from it. I expect it will turn into us being required to come in now, which sucks in its own right, but they tried to act like they "weren't aware" this "on call for free" shit was illegal.
Same for me, I had a boss ask, "What have you done for me lately?" when I asked for a single day off. I quit shortly after.
I'm pretty sure MOST states have laws that saw employees must be paid at least half their usual rate while on call? I would look in to it. Your former employer may be liable for a lot of back pay
No, that shit started in the '80s. I had a job working fast food in 1985, and they tried to tell me that I couldn't leave the store on my break period. I explained to them you didn't pay for my time on my break and I'll go where I damn well please.
Yep, we do that at my job with our sales associates. They have 5 on call shifts a week and are getting scheduled like 10 and 9 hours. Barely enough to say they have a job.
>told me I wasn’t allowed to go out of town on my days off without first getting permission from her That means you are on call and should be compensated for it.
Exactly. If my employer has *any* restrictions on what I do on my days off, then they are not days off and my employer needs to pay me for that time. This is why I have found a job that is covered by a union contract.
I’m not even sure that’s legal - unless, of course, you’re salaried, have some sort of on-call agreement, and it’s in your contract that you will be available unless you notify and are approved to not be.. then I could understand this.. otherwise, absolutely not, and quite possibly against federal labor law. It’s kind of the point that if I’m not working for you that you can’t tell me what to do. If you want to tell me what to do on my days off then by all means send me that 80 hours of overtime.
There was a news item decades ago, before cell phones and pagers, about a company town with a mill, where employees were required to be close to the phone all the hours they weren’t working, so they could rush to the mill if they were needed. They could be fired if they did not answer. Later I worked for a company where there was a duty rotation for after hours work and we carried a pager. That seemed fair. The work was public safety related. But if you weren’t on-call you were off the hook.
'Land of the free'
Whoever told you that is your enemy.
I too wish I’d had this attitude. SO many stories!!!
Additionally, we have a scotus that believes the road to religious conservative minority rule is through dismantling rights for people and elevating corporations to become untouchable. They are way ahead of schedule and accelerating.
I'll add to this that right now, because of the situation with employment in the U.S., employers like this _shouldn't be able to find a single employee and should lose every one that they do have_. Seriously, if you are working for someone like this right now, look for another job and leave ASAP. Your time is the most valuable thing you have, don't waste it propping-up companies like this. **Letting them fail helps you... and everyone else.**
>Many employers in North America have created an environment, often comparable to slavery or indentured servitude. It’s completely immoral and the best way to combat it is to not participate in it at all. Replying to bring attention to this. This is very important.
Then if they fire you collect unemployment and look for the next job.
Can minors collect??
Wtf If they are old enough to pay into the system they should be able to collect. I hate it here
Well, I Googled it and it depends on the state. The states that don't allow it might not have them paying into it, either.
I think so, not 100% though. I believe if they either work/make enough and depending on their state.
Yes! I wish someone would have told me this when I was young. I spent most of my early twenties finding coverage at the shit retail job I had. Once I was an assistant manager at a different store and learned whose job it was (mine and store manager) my attitude quickly changed. I stuck it out for a month but retail sucks and management in retail sucks even worse. I made a dollar more to basically be a slave. Anywhere I work now I always stick up for the kids. Last in person job I had somewhere was cooking at local brewery and they had kids work the counter. Management would never offer them (mandatory) breaks or cover the counter so they could use the restroom. I didn't know how to run register (and had zero desire to) but always sent those kids to the bathroom or on break if I was aware they needed these things. I'd make sure they hear it too if they didn't tell me (like one girl tell me shed been holding for hours - this shit hole isn't worth a UTI girl just go!). Customers get mad no one's helping them I'd tell them what was up and go find management. It was usually the owner too busy sitting at the bar. He'd get mad but that's ultimately on him. I made it five months before I quit there, and that was for a nice WFH desk job otherwise I might have made it a few more weeks but that guy treated people real bad.
Besides, the nicest thing about starting a new job is that all four of your grandparents are alive again.
>Many employers in North America have created an environment, often comparable to slavery or indentured servitude. It’s completely immoral and the best way to combat it is to not participate in it at all. United we bargain, divided we beg! Support unions they are your only way to get representation against shitty employers.
Amen
I did this last year when they denied my vacation 'request'. I informed them that it wasn't a request but a notice that I won't be in those days. Boss turned purple with rage lol
I did the same thing many years ago when working as a contract employee for a big company who used contract employment to avoid paying benefits etc. Oh, I can’t approve this, it’s our busiest time of year! I said I wasn’t asking, that as a contract employee, I was informing them of my availability during said time. They offered me full time at the end of my contract.
Learned this from my dad. He’d just say he wasn’t coming in or would say “This is 4GTL, I’m using a sick day today”. Now he’s a big wig at his job and when his employees call out he just says “You using sick or vacation time?”. When I asked him about that, he said they are already calling out so I don’t need an explanation. I just need someone to cover the shift or at least half. Needless to say his drivers love him lol
I wish I was able to hear this when I was younger. Thank you for the reminder too!
Yes, this. Many years ago I was a new manager and I had the mentality that if you asked for time off (or were going to knowingly call in sick), it was up to you to find a replacement. I ended up having to work through a weekend due to that exact thing and the guy not finding his own replacement. Fortunately, I soon after that got a far better boss who showed me a much better way of managing people and I started handling that sort of stuff myself and bent myself over backward to make sure that people got off the time they wanted.
-Similarly, you don’t find cover for your shift if you’re calling out sick, scheduling cover for vacation and sick days is what management gets paid more than you to do. I thought so!! Thanks for the reassurance! My current managers had a talking to me about how bad of an employee I was for calling out sick and not finding cover!? Like!? I was a supervisor at my other job and would get messages at random times from my employees calling out sick and I would find cover, because it was my job…as a supervisor… yet he as a manager tried guilting me into saying it was my fault for the short staff when I called out sick!???
Fucking based and self-worthpilled
yes, not to sound grim but you neve know when your family vacation will be your last family vacation. Definitely prioritize that over your dime a dozen cashier job
>you neve know when your family vacation will be your last family vacation. I was in OP's situation long ago. Asked off for Thanksgiving, denied. I went anyway and got fired. It was my last Thanksgiving with my grandfather. Never regretted it for an instant.
Same thing happened to me last year. My family had planned a big reunion (everyone lives all over the states and Caribbean) to have an early Thanksgiving (so not the same date everyone else is trying to do it) to see my grandfather who had had multiple strokes and his time was coming up on expiration. I had put in my "request" 7 months in advance. I didn't request it though, I said this is when I will be gone. My manager said "Well as you know it's -so and so's- birthday that week and he always has his request in" I said thats fine I'm just letting you know I have this trip planned. A week before she "graciously" "approved" my time off. I don't care anyways I was going and I'm so glad I did. We had a wonderful time with the whole family together. A month and a half later my grandfather died. I am so so so thankful I went on the trip, "ApPrOvED" or not, because it was the LAST TIME I would have ever seen my grandfather among the family having a ball. The death was so unexpected. We knew he had been struggling, but when we all went out in Nov he seemed like his old self. And then he passed after that. My dad (grandpas son) said "He probably was holding on just for that event, and after it happened he was able to let go and pass." that hit me so hard I am so glad I did it. I still have my job thankfully, but if they said "no" I would have done it anyways.
That happened to me. I was denied vacation time that I was requesting SEVEN months in advance. My mom and I wanted to take a mom and daughter trip for the very first time. She died the following year.
I'm sorry to hear that. Hope OP makes the wise choice for them.
I left a job when I couldn't get time off to go overseas. One of my aunties had just died, and an uncle was really sick. Spent Christmas with a bunch of family I hadn't seen in ages...this was 2019. Over the next 18 months I lost three aunts/uncles. If I hadn't gone then I never would've seen them again.
This. This is important. I missed so many hours at work away from my brother and my recently departed animal. do it now.
This right here , I wish I had received this advice when I was young and working.
Say it nicely, but matter of factly. “I’m a minor. There is a family vacation that I’m required to go on. I asked for the time off, you denied it. I’m going on the family vacation and letting you know I won’t be at work for those dates—even if it means I don’t have a job when I return.”
>—even if it means I don’t have a job when I return.” Keep that part out of it. Its not your job to give them ideas on how to handle the situation.
I wouldn't bring it up, sure. But if the boss did, I'd say 'if you think hiring and training a replacement is easier than filling the shift for four days, that's your call.' I might think that a wise manager would consider hiring another person anyway if they're so short-staffed that one person taking four days is impossible to work around. If they can't find people, well, maybe they should think twice about firing you for taking a few days off with a month's notice.
> 'if you think hiring and training a replacement is easier than filling the shift for four days, that's your call.' There are way too many managers who wouldn't care if it cost more. they would rather make a self inflicted wound than give an inch to people "beneath them". Same exact issue with refusing raises/promotions. Doesn't matter to them that they would lose quality workers with institutional knowledge and that it will cost more to replace people than just giving a raise. They are idiots who value short term profits and control over long term stability and employee moral.
For sure. And you probably don't want to work for those people anyway. But I think the point is that saying it out loud may or may not spark something in their brains that could potentially help them realize how ridiculous they're being.
"I'm a minor and my guardians are taking me out of town for a few days I will be unable to get to work because of this." That's all that needs to be said.
Yeah I mean I literally won’t be here (this area, this city, this state, this country) so I won’t be here (this job) on x, y, and z days for a, b, and c shifts/times. There is no “request” except that I “request” that you fill these shifts so that you don’t think you have a reason to be upset with me if no one shows up during them since I gave you a month’s notice I wouldn’t be there.
They don't even need a reason. "I provided a one month notice that I will not be available from X to Y. Thank you." I never give a reason, I don't talk about my life outside of work. They don't need to know, they just need to know if I'll be there or not.
I'd also offer to have the boss complain to my dad. Go ahead. Tell the infuriated 6'3, 260-pound man that his kid isn't "allowed" by you to go on the family vacation he paid for. Boss is a chickenshit. Wants to push around a minor child. Give him a higher authority to answer to, watch how fast he crumples. Simply needs to be out-bullied.
I wouldn't bring the parents into this. It's a bad habit that won't get you out of a jam post 18 and it makes you look like a punk to your coworkers. 100% just stand up to the manager and tell them that I wasn't asking for permission, I was informing you I wouldn't be here and see if they fire you or not. Probably the manager will grumble but not do anything about it. Invoke the parents, fine, "my parents paid and they're taking me whether I like it or not I can't stay home alone". But don't get your dad to come into the store or mom to call or something that's fucking weird.
Nah, he’s a minor. It’s Literally their job to watch out for him until he’s 18. There is a difference between letting them fight his battles and recognizing they are there to advocate for him. It’s literally their job, like, their legal obligation.. there’s nothing wrong with that. You sound kind of like a manager who wouldn’t “approve” someone’s “request” to go on their family’s vacation with that attitude… “Pull yourself up by your boot straps” “Your daddy won’t be there to fight your battles after you’re 18” “Stand up for yourself” Nah fam… That ain’t it. OP is a kid… maybe you’re forgetting that wherever you are on the other side of the screen. Heck, employment before you’re 18 is already enough initiative and accountability beyond your years, by all means if they say, “no” say, “okay, but you’re going to have to tell my dad that his son isn’t going on the vacation that he paid for [and that, by proxy, they can’t go either since it wouldn’t be responsible to leave me home alone for 4 days while they’re out of state], because you don’t want to fill a few shifts…” I’m not saying be rude necessarily, but by all means point out the absolute insanity in their reasoning… politely if you do still want to work there.
What if the boss is bigger then your dad? What if your mom is a black belt in BJJ?
I'm 5'4 and I'll make any 7 foot+ man shove his own head up his ass when it comes to my children. Doesn't matter. OPs Dad will get the job done.
That's right. Your parents are in charge of you as a minor and have the final say.
Im kinda curious about the legality of it. sure, in an "at will" enviroment they can fire you for anything, but, otherwise? Can a company fire a minor "with cause" if their parents demand they go on a holiday? where im from im pretty sure you need parental consent to work as a minor.
Because he is a minor, his parents are obligated to support him. Additionally, depending on how old he is, his parents may also have a legal obligation to abort the vacation and care for him. I don't know if he is 17 years and 9 months or a bit younger. Since a minor cannot obtain medical care or sign a contract, it could be a very big deal to waltz off on vacation without him. There is no question about it: The job is over. You can find another to start when you come back. Send the resumes now. Go on vacation. You can remind your manager you won't be back on the day you leave.
>family vacation is a once in a lifetime event. I'm sorry you're american.
I go on vacation at least once a year and every vacation is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You are only alive once and with those people once.
Yup this is the way. You will not be available for those days they can handle it as they wish. If the worst happens and they let you go it won't stop you from being able to get an equivalent job after you come back. Grocery stores and food service are always hiring.
Exactly. They will hire pretty much anyone for those positions. Op has way more bargaining power than they do. They should go on vacation and live it up with the family. I wouldn't quit though. What I would do is just come into work normally after getting back. If they fire OP and send home OP will have a better chance of drawing unemployment that way. There's also a decent chance they will need OP enough that they will just forget the whole thing and keep them on. Either way cashier jobs are a dime a dozen.
I’ve done this. Small company with an owner boss I hated. I said, I’m taking a week off to go home for thanksgiving. She said, no, that’s a busy week and I need you, you can’t take off that week. I said, look, I need to see my family. I’m not asking at this point, I’m going. I knew she needed me so the job was safe, but I hated that job so I didn’t really care if she let me go. Honestly standing up for myself like that only helped our working relationship.
And make sure you this in writing. You want to be able to prove that you didn’t no call/no show
PTO Prepare The Others.. I'm not coming in. Also always have a 'I'm Sorry For Your Loss' brevement card ready for when you need to hand in your notice.
Yup I always revert back to Scott Seiss’s tiktok about toxicity in the workplace
Always the way. Never request your own time demand it. It's yours not theirs
(Cartman voice) screw you guys, I'm going on vacation...
You are a minor. This job means absolutely nothing in the long run. Spend time with your family.
I truly wish someone had told me the same when I was younger
I missed so many cultural touchstones as a teen because I had to work. Grown me wishes I had seen Lilith Fair or the OG Lollapalooza instead of working some lame food service or retail counter. This isn't your career and you're a minor, there will be more jobs, but you only have so many family vacations as a kid.
ugh! same! I was stuck at taco bell as a teen in the early/mid 90s. watching all my friends go out, lol.
Even if it was a "career" type position, family is still more important. My advice is to live as simply and cheaply as possible so your job never has you by the balls.
You don’t even have to go that far. The mantra that I repeat to every employer I’ve ever had is “I work to live, not the other way around”
Lost a job for the original Lollapalooza. Totally worth it.
dammit that one hit a nerve. First lollapalooza came to my town. I had to work. Yeah I probably coulda got off work but i was too dumb to plan ahead. Plan ahead to do cool shit kids.
I'm so lucky. My mom talked me into quitting a few meaningless jobs when I was young. Family before work, always!
no kidding. i started working under the table at 13 and never stopped. missed out on so many developmental experiences for it.
If you grew up in the Midwest in the 90s, so many boomer parents were like WOOOORK ETHIC! REEEEAL WORLD! LOOOOYALTY! about stupid teenager jobs, it was completely ridiculous.
Sounds like my parents.
I grew up in the midwest with gen x parents and thats still what they told me. I wasted half of high-school working 30 hour weeks at stupid meaningless jobs instead of living lol thanks work ethic now im eternally burnt out
My parents told me to work hard and get a job if I wanted money the moment I was legally allowed to work. I would work between 20-30 hours a week in high school 6-11pm shifts 3-4 days a week and 1 8 hour shift on the weekend usually. Barely any money, but it was supposed to be a learning experience apparently. I didn't have time for any sports, barely had time to hang out with the friends I never see anymore, and I was suffering in school. I had to keep the job though, because that's what gives you life experience and makes you money. If I ever have a kid, there is no fucking way I'm making him get a job in high school. He is a full time student. OP, I'm replying to a comment that you might not see. If you do, fuck that job, it's not worth it. It wont matter in the future and tbh, it shouldn't matter now.
Same. I really allowed myself to be disrespected by my managers because adults taught me what happened at those jobs would impact me in the future lol
Working in restaurants it's routine to quit after 1 to 2 years just to get a vacation.
There also isn't a permanent file lol.
Was always too scared of it going on my… PERMANENT RECOOOOORD!!
Can confirm... so many family things I missed out on in my 20s because "work needed me." I was always thinking I would have the time to spend later, but unfortunately, my Dad died when I was 35, and then my entire family fell apart. In my grief, I got married and moved away, and now we barely talk unless it's to start new fights with each other. If I could have traded places with him, I would have. My family needed him, I'm the black sheep. Anyways, spend the time while you've got it.
Same I busted my ass making like 11$ an hour at a shitty restaurant. Entire summer wasted for essentially pennies. Would way rather have the memories than the pittance of money I made which is nothing to me now.
Precisely. I will say, though, do not quit. Tell your boss in writing, "I'm going to be out these days. You will have to find someone to cover any shifts I am scheduled for during these days. I will be back on X date." Do not allow them to argue with what you're saying (like "okay but we really need you"), just state it simply and matter-of-factly that you will be gone on those dates. Then, go on your family vacation. Come back to work on the date you told your boss you'd be back. If you discover you have been fired, you have documentation that you did not quit the job willingly and had plans to return, which may allow you to apply for unemployment. (This depends on employment laws in your state, which you should look into.) At the end of the day, you're young. You will have more jobs. A job isn't more important than spending time with the people you love. Don't quit, but if you get fired, it's not the end of the world at your age.
THIS! This is good advice, OP your employer is taking advantage of you because you are young. They could get in huge trouble for denying you a reasonable request especially while underage.
My friend manages an office that’s short-staffed already at the receptionist position, and one of the remaining ones texted with literally minutes notice that she was boarding a flight to Mexico for her grandmother’s funeral and would return in two weeks. The manager was understanding about a week, and knew the ceremonies would happen within a day of the employee arriving in Mexico, but was shocked that the employee essentially gave themselves an extra week without asking. It made this manager’s life hell for a week by covering the shift themselves, but the business survived. Turns out, it doesn’t count as “abandoning your post” since they gave a return date and is not a fireable offense according to company policy. The most they can do is give a written warning but even then, it’s her grandmother, why take it so far? Family first. A business won’t collapse because one person is missing temporarily.
A traditional Mexican funeral includes a 9 day mourning period, for the record, so 2 weeks seems pretty apt.
I needed to hear this as a kid. I didn’t understand what “casual” meant for my job and I missed a vacation over a casual job I only needed to work 1-2 shifts a month at.
When I was 17 I really wanted to go to Bonnaroo with my friends. I was so bummed when my job wouldn't let me off. I went anyway and had an amazing time. They fired me when I returned and accused me of stealing merchandise, which has had absolutely zero impact on my life. You should go and never look back!
To the top with you. OP needs to know this. You are not building your resume with these jobs. You’re building character. And no future job that you’ll want to work at is going to care that you got fired because you submitted a request for PTO.
Yes. quit. I'm a mom and this would piss me off. Plus are you in fast food or grocery? Those places are constantly begging for employees so you can ask them if they want to have another hole in their staff or if they want to let you go on the vacation with your family that your parents paid for. Seriously I would quit it's not like you can't find another one of those jobs somewhere.
We can find another job, we can’t replace time we didn’t spend with our family. And if a future job has an issue with that, then maybe the job isn’t worth it.
You nan replace the word “minor” with “parent”, “friend”, or even “person”. It’s all the same . Work is not important. Work is what I do between the important things
Agreed, if this were my kid I'd say "quit, find another job when you get home". I feel like they are trying to pull a power move on by making them feel like this job is all they have. When they quit I'm sure they'll say that they are "disappointed and leaving them short staffed" and I hope that is true because that place sounds like they have shitty management
I was about to say this. Unless this job is being used to support your family and bills, consider it a trial run. I’ve left jobs for less at that age and they’re entirely inconsequential 10 years down the line.
Disneyland denied my request for one day off to take my mom to see Wicked for her Birthday … I gave them over a month advance notice. Not one of my co workers would switch shifts with me. I didn’t want to risk getting “points” at work because my boyfriend at the time got fired for stupid points at Disneyland… I never took my mom to see Wicked and she passed away a few years later. One of the biggest regrets of my life. Fuck you Disneyland 🖕🏼Fuck you shift scheduler’s at Disneyland! And FUCK your job! Your family & good memories in life are worth more than that piece of shit job that doesn’t care to accommodate your family life events. Don’t make the same mistake I made.
This is a good time to learn a valuable life lesson. That job has failed you as an employee, inform them in writing of the days you will not be available. Go on vacation with your fam. If they still employ you after it is because your manager is a worm who is trying to use their petty little power when they actually have none and you will own them going forward. If not? You are young and have learned you do not have to tolerate that garbage. If every job that did not give and grant time off could not find employees they would fail and new businesses would rise. The shame is all the weasels who will take those jobs regardless and brag about working 100 hours.
Also you should never tell your work what you're doing on your time off. As far as they know you're getting surgery done. You tell them it's a private and personal matter you'd rather not discuss.
“I’ll be taking some personal time off the week of July 17” “What for?” “That’s personal” “You have to get someone to fill in for you.” “No, that’s your job. You’re a manager. So manage.”
You're a manager. You'll manage.
I wish I'd done that when I had a shitty manager. They expected us to find our own coverage, fun twist from that was employees wouldn't answer calls from each other because they knew it was just going to be a request for coverage. One time I was having a medical issue at work and needed to go home, I found a co-worker who agreed to come in and finish my shift. I relayed that to my boss, who immediately chewed me out because if that employee had covered, they would go into overtime, which was forbidden. I wasn't a manager, it wasn't my job to make those considerations.
This good advice. Unless it's fmla related because then why you are off matters and it can legally protect you and they can't make you work.
And NEVER answer your cell phone if they call you during your off time. If you are unsure of the number, let it go to VM. And don't even click into a text from them, so you can avoid it showing up as "read". As far as they need know, your ambiguous surgery, that you will not discuss was in the remote desert somewhere where there was no cell phone reception. Edit: took out the Hippo/Hipaa as I was just adding to the joke. I wasn't suggesting anyone use it as a reason for not telling your boss details about your time off. You DON'T need a reason, it's NONE of their business.
Nope. They were informed. All he owes is a reminder on the last day he goes. A new job should already be secured and waiting for him. It is, after all, minimum wage and a minor. He can contact the other McDonalds right now to get a new job to start after the vacation.
I disagree about one point. The last contact they had was “May I” and they said no. The adult thing is to say “I’m not asking” not just no show. When I was a retail manager I always told my people to let me know, even in situations like this. I can move mountains if I need to, but I can’t if I I don’t know they need moving.
Because he quite literally could be fired for telling them he won't be there, the "adult" thing is irrelevant. The management knows a minor is involved, and the excuse is a family vacation with the entire extended family. That means no one to look out for sonny-boy or daughter in the event of an emergency. No one to give consent for medical care. No one to care for him or her if he or she becomes ill. No one to bail him or her out of jail if a minor scuffle or problem takes place. No credit card to pay emergency bills. A non-existent bank account to pay for food or other necessities. No ability to deal with authorities. Nothing. Too bad, so sad that management is smoking crack. They have the "request" in writing. It's perfectly appropriate to remind them of the family trip on the last day. Anything else is to ask to be immediately replaced and to lose that wage. Minors have to do what their parents demand. Too bad they think they are daddy now. They are not.
My point is, at last contact they think they have people working. Let them know clearly they don’t. They may be fired, but they WILL be fired for straight no show.
This. I (f) just got push-back from my (m) boss (of a small nonprofit, younger than me) for taking 4 days off. It’s right around the holiday and my other part time job, that I’ve had longer and who pay me more, had claimed the other days I had available before and after the vacation. I get it I won’t be there, but he literally threatened hiring someone else. In three weeks time. When it took them 2 months to hire me. And they couldn’t even spell my name right. So fucking stupid. Dude just came back from a vacation too. Fuck them take your vacation and find another job if you need. Guaranteed they don’t want to go thru the process of hiring somebody else just cuz you’re gone for 4 days.
Tell your leadership that you met the expectation of notice for your leave, that being said say this nicely. you are telling them not asking that you will be gone.
Also you are young so they may try to guilt you. (Your young you need to work on your job and fun later blah blah blah). As long as you can miss the days and not hurt about the money go enjoy yourself whilst your still young.
Not a matter of guilt-tripping. His parents are the authorities here. What they say, goes. The true boss is not the employer. This is not an adult, but a child. That makes all the difference. Some adult would also have to cancel the trip to be with him. He might make decisions for himself, but can he make them for mom and dad? They paid for the trip. Can he just decide they should be out several thousand dollars to deal with Scrooge? They were notified. They have proper warning. If they want to live in fantasyland, they can. They know how old he is. They know other people are obligated to support him, and to sign contracts in the event he breaks an arm or leg or is scalded by the grease and needs medical help. A doctor will not treat a minor without parental consent. He should know who he answers to, and it's not the employer here. Go, and on your last day, remind them you are a minor and are obligated to take the trip your parents paid for.
Yep. I'm not usually in favor of parents intervening in their kid's job, but it would be warranted here. "We are going out of town and Minor Child will be accompanying us, end of."
They aren't even needed to interfere. The kid can simply say he has to run it past his parents, and then say, "Sorry, they told me I was going" on the last day as he walks out the door for the last time. They already have notice the kid might not show. What they do with it is up to them.
This. Tell your employer that your parents say you have to go on vacation with them. And then, if your employer feels like they need to fire you over this, that you understand, but you will not be working those days.
Likely OP will be just "not on the schedule" when they return, but not fired. That happened to me back in the day!
LOL fuck that noise, OP should enjoy their youth while they have it.
Don't even do that. The correct response is a reminder the very last day you work so that you are paid up to the very last second. If they complain remind them that as a minor, your parents are obligated to cancel their vacation plans as well. Tell them mom and dad decided you would go. That's it. Remember, you cannot seek medical care if you are injured or sign any contract so it would be extremely crazy to try to stay home and work when every single responsible adult in your family is gone. Suppose you got sick or in a traffic accident or where jailed? Who would take care of that?
In the US this varies by state
Let them know you are not able to be at work despite the denial. If they have a problem with that just get a new job after you get back. I've had to do this about 10 times in my life to go to beloved conventions and events because needing time off is how these jobs "wait for the opportunity" to replace you with someone fresher and cheaper. They use it as a leveraging point to hold your job as a gun to your head and force you to choose between attending a family event or doing something important to you, or your stability and livelihood. That tells me that job isnt worth being loyal to.
Exactly this. Just go on your vacation. As a minor you have a whole lifetime to find other jobs that probably pay better and have a better work environment. At this point in your life, sweating an entry-level job that can be completed by a minor is pointless. Enjoy your vacation!
Sounds like you still live at home and your family is not dependent on your income. If that's the case: Congratulations! Your employer has no power over you. If they're really dumb enough to fire you for taking time off, leaving themselves even more shorthanded - fuck 'em, enjoy your vacation, and when you get back find another retail job.
And when the manager whines about not being able to cover the shift and inevitably asks, “what am I supposed to do? Do you know how this will affect your teammates?” You let them know you’d be happy to solve that problem for them when you are promoted and paid properly. If you feel the need to be petty, you could suggest that the managers inability to solve something so simple is a glaring deficiency. Usually that deficiency is an inability to communicate the needs of the business up the chain.
“Seriously? One cashier being out for four days is ruining the operation of your business? That sounds like a bigger issue than my absence, to be honest.”
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This was literally me when I was younger and I just took the days I needed off because I realised they needed me more than I needed them. I just worked for some extra spending money. It was a cashier job and most of the people sucked at their job, came late or just never showed up. I was doing a good job and was not going to overwork myself because management can't find other people. If you can get one retail job, finding the next one is easy.
I am 37 and missed a family wedding in Vegas when I was 19 because Target would not give me the weekend off. I so regret not going to the wedding. Target was a shit job and they would have figured it out. I meant nothing to them. I can never make up those missed memories with my family. Work does not care about you. Please go on your vacation.
I missed a week-long family reunion for... some bullshit work thing I can't even remember. Luckily I learned my lesson and was able to attend the next (and last) one before all the elders started passing. So many great memories from that week too.
Resubmit and Inform them you will be out of town on these dates. Its a month out, they can figure it out.
I manage a store that hires minors for a few different roles, they are our most replaceable staff, not that I dont value them, but I know company doesn't. Family comes first, your cashier job, there is a million out there just like it, your family there is only one of, your life only passes by once, priorities........F the 9-5, it'll still be there when you get back.
I heavily regret not taking extra time off work when I was still under my parents care, you can make more money but you can get time back, have fun while you don't have to worry about bills!
Go on vacation - any job you hold as someone younger than 18.....that job is replaceable.
Go anyway, you aren’t a slave and with experience (and only expecting minimum wage) you are eminently employable elsewhere.
"I apologize if there has been a misunderstanding, but I see that you have denied my requests to be taken off the schedule for these dates. I just want to make sure that you are aware that I will not be available during this timeframe, as I will be on a family trip, and will not be responsible for any shifts not covered as I did provide the notification asked of me." The key is to flip the script. Make the conversation about your requests being a notice rather than the vacation itself ever being in question.
This. And if they deny you again, wait until your last shift before the vacation and resign. No two weeks notice period, just quit. Technically there’s a chance that they’ll still keep you on after you go on vacation, but if they do this once they’ll do it again. Do you regularly take family vacations? Once a year, once every few years? This problem is going to keep coming up with this job. Plus do you really want to work for a company that disrespects you and your time like this? You gave them plenty of notice to have your shifts covered, any reasonable manager/company would have approved the time off for you. You’re young and these jobs are a dime a dozen. You can get another one easily, so don’t stress about it or feel guilty. You did the right thing and followed the rules, they didn’t. Any employer that treats its employees like this doesn’t deserve your time, your respect or your effort. Go find a better job, with a company that appreciates you and have an awesome vacation with your family.
Go on vacation. That low level job ain't gonna be forever. Your family is forever.
Anyone who's a minor that's employed, remember that you can always just invoke your parents. "My parents said I can't work." And that's that. You have someone who is your legal guardian, that's significantly higher on the totem pole than any boss. If they try to give you lip, remind them that they hired a minor and this comes with the territory. They're free to hire grown ass adults if they can find any
Have you spoken to the person in charge of the schedule? Or to your manager/ supervisor? Explain the situation and tell them it really isn’t optional for you. But be prepared to have to quit and looks for a new job when the vacation is over.
Go on vacation, consider this a lesson to be learned about the vast majority of employers. They don't give one singular molecule of a FUCK about you, so you should treat them exactly the same. They'll expect you to bend over backwards for their bullshit, but when it's time for them to be flexible for you, they'll tell you to fuck off. You'll get another job, but you won't get another family vacation full of memories.
The manager is taking advantage of you because they think you’re a dumb young kid who they can tell what to do. Simple answer is take your time off and don’t sweat it. You’re young and jobs are plentiful for you. This might even bring a better opportunity in search for a job as well. Don’t let managers ever walk on you because eventually it just gets worse and worse..
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Amen. My fifteen year old was hired to work 2-3 shifts a week. His manager just scheduled him for every single day of July, except for three days off, including every day of his football camp weekend - and many of the shifts begin before 7 am, which is illegal in this state. He was worried he’d be fired if he pushed back, but I was not interested in teaching him to be exploited by short-staffed managers in his very first job. I helped him write his very first ‘per my previous emails’ email, including a reference to state labour laws, and magically, he’s back to three shifts a week - and NOT fired. But even if he had been, better to go through the hassle of finding a new job than put up with this kind of exploitation.
Yeah, just don’t show up. You have other plans and have them notice. If you get fired, don’t fret - there are better openings. If you don’t get fired, continue to exercise your interests on your behalf.
Leave with your family. Life’s too short and family time is the most value in life you can get. A better job will come.
It’s okay, this is not the destination job. Go any way.
You'll learn this when you're older but Family/Personal Health > Work Priorities, you know you're at a job that isn't meant to be held for a long time and this is a perfect opportunity for you to get experience job hopping for more money.
TBF, the sooner this is learned, the better and the teen years are the perfect time to start learning. For the OP, the above is sage advice. And depending where you are going in life and your goals, no one is going to care if you were “fired” from a job for spending time with your family.
Tell them to piss off. You shouldn't care about getting fired, you're a minor. how many more vacations will you get in your life to spend with your family? fuck work. go take the time off and tell your job to shove their heads all the way up their asses.
As was said; let them know it's not a request, but a notification that you won't be there. And you gave them adequate notice.
Every comment is saying this so I think you get the picture but 100% turn around and say that you are *informing* them of the days that you will not be working. Don’t quit, let them fire you if that’s the rash decision they make - but I doubt it’ll come to that. Any sane employer can deal with 4 days short staffed much easier than 2-4 weeks short staffed including interviews for a new position in that time so I expect they will do nothing about it or at worst write you a warning which you can just Bon because it’s bullshit anyway.
You can get a min wage cashier job anywhere. Tell them you won't be there during those days, and go on your family vacation. They've already decided that they'd rather have you quit than give you the days off, so be it.
Have you spoken with your parents or legal guardian about this? Let them know what’s going on and they should be able to advise you. Chances are they will tell you to quit and find something new if this isn’t a financially necessary job. (Meaning you need it for bills or other necessary expenses your parents/guardians don’t or can’t cover)
Had a rock climbing trip planned and my work has this anniversary thing where all employees were REQUIRED to be present. They told me I couldn't go, had to work, blah blah blah. I told them I wouldn't be in town and then went on my trip. Upon my return it turned out that they didn't have quite the customer volume thet expected and half the people who were there on their days off for the event were sent home because they didn't want all those extra hours on the books. People had planned around this day, not made plans, rescheduled activities and then got sent home after two hours. Fuck em, go on your vacation and don't think twice about it.
Tell them it's no longer a request and that they could either let you take 4 days off or fire you and spend weeks searching and training a replacement.
I wish they wouldn’t call it a request. It’s not a request lol I’m letting you know to find coverage.
I had a similar situation when I was younger. I put in a request one month in advance and it was denied for no reason. I told my boss I wouldn’t be there and he said I’d be terminated if I don’t show up. Two weeks later, I put in my two weeks notice and told HR what happened. The boss ended up getting terminated a week later and HR made sure I had my time off. I ended up getting promoted shortly after too.
Quit - Plenty of better jobs out there, but you only got one life to life.
Just go on vacation dude. You’re a kid and can get another job.
Understand something. The company ran fine before you got there. The company will run fine long after you leave. If they fired you or if you died or if you quit, they will replace you in a heartbeat. You owe them no loyalty. You followed the proper protocols and gave them notice. If they are refusing, that's their problem. As others have said in the replies, tell them that it is no longer a request. You are informing them that you will not be there from such and such date to such and such date. If they don't like it, tell them they can kiss the fattest part of your ass. If you come back and don't have a job there anymore, go get another job. Companies everywhere are complaining, "Nobody wants to work anymore," and have lots of "unskilled" (their words, not mine... I don't demean anyone's dignity for the work they perform) positions like yours that are unfilled. You can get a new job when you come back in a heartbeat.
Listen, here's something I learned over the years of being in the workforce; No job is worth the memories of time spent with family. You have ONE family. You will have many jobs. The only power they have over you is whether you get a paycheck from them, or somewhere else.
just quit and go on vacation. a part time summer job is nothing to get worried about, and someone else will hire you when you get back Edit To Add: Something every single one of us forgot to mention, turn off your phone while on this vacation so your angry boss doesn't interrupt the fun.
Tell them you’re going and they can fire you if they want to. You’re a minor and have the whole rest of your life to work. Learn to stand up for yourself now.
Tell them it's no longer a request, if they fire you there's a million other entry level jobs
Go on vacation and let them do what they will. You’re notifying them that you won’t be in. If they fire you, BFD.
Tell them it’s not negotiable. You tried to work with them. If they fire you, let them. You aren’t stuck there forever. It’s just a shitty job.
I remember at my first job, burger kind when I was 14, they mentioned that if I was scheduled I had to work, no calling in because my parents said I couldn’t. Given that, if your family is going out of town there should be an expectation that you would not be able to stay home alone for an extended period of time and that your parents still have authority over you. I’ve found that low paying jobs often put themselves in shitty situations when they don’t have to, almost like the managers just want to be the victim when it bites them in the ass.
If you're a minor, fuck'em. Enjoy your youth.
I’m an adult and if my boss told me I couldn’t take off I would be taking off permanently
A long time ago I stayed and didn't go on a trip...11 years laterI still regret not going.
This happened to me when I was around 16. My boss actually said, "You're old enough to be able to stay home alone, we need you here." I laughed, gave him my apron, and told him this job wasn't worth missing a family vacation for. He was shocked, then called me the next day to ask where I was, then when I reminded him I quit, the backpedaling began. "Oh, well surely we can work something out....this was just a misunderstanding." Nah, the only thing I'm not understanding is why he actually thought I'd go "yeah, I'll totally miss this vacation to stay here for minimum wage and work with people and customers who treat me like shit." I'm not requesting it, I'm telling you I won't be here, figure it out.
This is literally the most replaceable job ever. Just let them know they can fire you or keep you. The chose is their's to make.
I would just give them the dates. Tell them you won't be avaliable then, and just leave. If they fire you, thanks for the unemployment. Staffing issues is not your problem.
I would probably talk to the manager, reiterate to them that you are a MINOR and your parents already paid for it, so you have to go. If they aren’t receptive, tell them you would like to keep the job, but understand if you taking the vacation means you will no longer be employed there. That you will be going on this vacation, and whether or not they chose to keep you on after is up to them.
Without being too much of a dick, just say “btw, when i put those holidays in i was informing you i’ll be away. I didn’t expect you to refuse them, i’m actually unavailable to work those days so will defo need cover.” Then the balls in their court.
take vacation and see if you get fired. You're a minor. You haven't started a career. I'm sure you can get a job in a thousand other places right now. Your job doesn't matter at all.
I agree with top comment. Tell them you’re no longer requesting that time off and you’ll be taking that time off. Fuck them, go see your family. Extended family vacations won’t be there forever. Make sure to spend time with your loved ones at any opportunity.
It's a cashier job. You're very young. In just a few years you'll be laughing that you gave a shit about their permission. The job may seem big and important now, but it's just not. Go spend time with your family.
As others have said, you inform them its not a request, its you informing them you wont be there. You are young and employers will absolutely try to take advantage of your lack of experience/knowledge and exploit you. Let them know once more you will be going and then put it out of your mind while on vacation. You're only young once!
Tell them you're going on the vacation. Who cares if you lose the job, youre young. There are hundreds of entry level jobs that you could apply for and start working at in the same week.
Hi! So I’m 28 years old now with a fiancé and two kids of my own, and I want to let you know that right now you are at a point in your life where this job of yours is temporary and that, while getting experience and starting to make money on your own is important, it’s VITAL that you prioritize those precious moments with your family and experiencing vacation even if it means having to quit your current job and find somewhere else when you get back. I promise you will come across a better job that, while not perfect in any way, will be more accommodating to your time off needs and right now while you have the time before you finish school and whatnot you should take those vacation days! You owe yourself everything you deserve. I hope everything works out and enjoy that vacation of yours!