Pressured into taking vacation while on the bench?
Hello all,
I've recently started as a graduate analyst. I am currently on a role until the middle of December. After that I will likely be on the bench until January.
Some of my managers have suggested and hinted quite strongly that I should use my vacation days during the Christmas holiday period, which makes sense for the business for obvious reasons as the office will be closed. However, I don't really want to do that, as I was planning to use my days for various family commitments early next year.
My questions are:
1) How do you guys recommend I approach the situation?
2) What kind of consequences would I be facing if I chose not to take any days off?
Cheers
Managers on your current project, or managers at the office?
At the office, e.g. my personal manager, department operations manager
ouch...
not sure what kind of visbility your manager gets into how you bill your time but you might want to find out
Basically my operations manager (who's job it is to make sure I'm utilised as much as possible) asked me if I'd booked Christmas off, I said no, and she said "well you'll probably want to do that..."
My personal manager isn't as concerned as it's not his ass on the line, but when I asked him if I had to take the time off he said "It is preferred that you do..." I explained that I've got planned commitments next year and said I'd have a think about it and discuss things with the family and he was alright with that.
My personal manager definitely knows when I have time off as he is the one who approves it. AFAIK my operations manager can also see that kinda stuff, either way I'm not prepared to lie about it if asked. It seems to me that I can't be forced into booking the days off, and all they can do is try to pressure me into it.
Hence my original questions: what should I do, and how pissed are they likely to be if I don't book a holiday?
What firm (or class of firms) do you work at?
IBM
I don't really know much about protocol in these situations, but if your office is closed why would you have to book vacation days?
Are you sure he doesn't mean you should use your vacation days IN ADDITION to the time the office is closed? Turning a 1 week vacation into a 2 week vacation for example instead of overlapping them.
Yeah, pretty sure. The idea is they would rather I book bench time as a vacation because it improves their profitability and utilisation numbers (because then technically I'm on vacation, rather than on the bench). I have asked around within the company and it seems that they can't do anything and were just trying to 'encourage' me (read: take advantage because I'm new).
Thanks for the help everyone :)
Well it does help YOUR utilization numbers too
This:
If your firm is shutting down for a week (mine is as well), you're basically forced to take vacation. My firm is automatically deducting it from my accrued hours. If you're allowed to go negative on vacation, just take the hit during xmas time and also book your days for your personal events.
So despite your office being closed, you are still required to take PTO? Wow...
No, I doubt that's what he (or the hiring manager) means.
Christmas Eve/Christmas this year fall on a Wednesday-Thursday. So if he's staffed until mid December, he'll roll off the week before and be on the beach that week. Nothing is going to staff up on the Monday of a holiday week with two days off right in the middle of it, so he's not going to be working that week. Therefore, they are telling the OP it'd be better (for the firm) to be on vacation that week rather than billing 3 days if unassigned. Might be better for the OP, too, if it makes the holiday travel planning easier and if it's the kind of firm where billability gets measured closely.
No one is telling the OP to use a vacation day for Christmas.
Take the vacation....the way things are at the moment, you'll want to protect your utilisation numbers. There's pretty much zero advantage to being on the bench at this time of year.
An old post but for future consultants: Take the vacation (protect your utilization) and try to do what is right for your team. little compromise can go a long way, especially with your resource manager. You can figure out how to work the family commitment when it comes (pull against next years vacation etc.).
A good consultant should know what is motivating everyone, and try to balance that. Your RM and you are rated on utilization. Your office and team overall also plays a part. You don't have to do it, but if you were someone I was coaching at the firm I'd suggest you do it to support the firm and team. People remember these things.
TT
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