What would you do?

[Filter]

Ok, this is my first post, and it's a weird one.... So here is the deal, I found this site because I MIGHT be in the market for a used Trailblazer.

Right now I have a company car which is a 2012 Acadia AWD. I get free gas and free maintenance. The reason I get this free car is because of the mass amounts of driving I do. I Had a 2009 Acadia and put close to 90,000 miles on it in less then 3 years.

So I have a job offer on the table, no travel but also no free car. But at least I will know where I am going every day and what needs to get done. Which would be good for my family life.

They want me to start on January 3rd, which is fine but I have a vacation that I planned a few months back. It's a trip to the Grand Canyon with my wife and 15 month old son which means I'd need January 9th to the 13th off from work.

I called who would be my new boss and told him that I had this vacation booked for a few months and wanted to know if it would be a problem for me to take those days off.... He sort of laughed and said they really look forward to me working with them and think I will be an asset to the company, but he would like to see me start off on the right foot. And that he strongly urges me to get a refund for my airfare/hotel......

Am I crazy for thinking he is being unreasonable? I have had the trip planned for awhile and this job just sort of came out of no where, I wasn't actively looking for a new job. His tone and lack of empathy for the situation really has me second guessing if I want the job.

Opinions?

-Jeff

 

[Me007gold]

Personally, I would stick with what you got

 

[Decembersend]

Ya I would stick with the vacation as well, you'll prob. never see the money for the airfare again.

BTW welcome to the forum, Trailblazers are very strong and dependable vehicles.

 

[Filter]

I was really surprised by his reaction.

 

[Ghoster]

I think I would have told them up front that my starting date was the 14th. When they said we want you to start on the 3rd is when you should have said no. Then you could have negotiated starting on the the 3rd and having the days off that you wanted. At this point, I think its a take the job OR take the vacation situation. Which one is most important to you?

 

[BO TIE SS]

Does the new job involve a pay raise? Even if you're not having to travel for work, it seems to me that having to pay for transportation to and from work (and vehicle upkeep) where you didn't have to before is kind of like a pay cut.

 

[djthumper]

Unless it was a significant raise I would stay where I was at.

 

[Filter]

Does the new job involve a pay raise? Even if you're not having to travel for work, it seems to me that having to pay for transportation to and from work (and vehicle upkeep) where you didn't have to before is kind of like a pay cut.

It's a pay cut by $2.00 an hour, but within a year I'll be making more than I am at my current job. The job I have now is a smaller company and the new job is the Biggest employer in Rochester and the Six largest in New York. We have had a freeze for over 7 months now on the 3% match to our 401k. Our health care sucks, I pay $380 a month with a $5,200 deduct.

I would have started after the vacation but they were really pushing for me to start ASAP, and I did let Human Resources know that I had the vacation when they set up my start date. They said it was something I would have to talk about with my boss. Human Resources is so detached from the departments that they have no idea whats going on. The company is just too big.

 

[fishsticks]

It's a pay cut by $2.00 an hour, but within a year I'll be making more than I am at my current job.

Do you have that in writing? If not, walk.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

You said it ....the company is too big. Stay where you are if you are happy.

 

[Filter]

Do you have that in writing? If not, walk.

It's a union job so the pay raises are in the contract. They can't not give it to you.

 

[Ghoster]

Like i said, which one is more important to you? New job or vacation?

 

[Filter]

You said it ....the company is too big. Stay where you are if you are happy.

I am happy at times. But leaving the house at 5am and getting home at 5-6pm day in and day out gets old fast. I have a lot of pluses and minuses to both jobs. I don't think my current employer is in the best financial shape right now. We have one customer that is so big that losing their business would put us under. Plus where i am now is a dead end job. I don't want to this think the grass is greener on the other side just to find out its a water deprived burnt yard lol. But at the same time I don't want to loose out in taking a job at a company that is damn neat impossible to get into.

Like i said, which one is more important to you? New job or vacation?

Its not the fact id be losing out on the vacation that bothers me so much. Its the fact that my would be new boss had such an attitude about it. Makes me wonder what might happen in the future.

 

[Ghoster]

I am happy at times. But leaving the house at 5am and getting home at 5-6pm day in and day out gets old fast. I have a lot of pluses and minuses to both jobs. I don't think my current employer is in the best financial shape right now. We have one customer that is so big that losing their business would put us under. Plus where i am now is a dead end job. I don't want to this think the grass is greener on the other side just to find out its a water deprived burnt yard lol. But at the same time I don't want to loose out in taking a job at a company that is damn neat impossible to get into.

Sounds like you want the new job more. Vacations can always be rescheduled. You would have to go again anyway when the kid is old enough to appreciate it.

 

[fishsticks]

Its not the fact id be losing out on the vacation that bothers me so much. Its the fact that my would be new boss had such an attitude about it. Makes me wonder what might happen in the future.

If it's a union job, I wouldn't worry too much about your boss.


Sounds like you're seeing the writing on the wall at your current place.

 

[walterc4553]

Looked up what the largest employer in Rochester is and almost universally it was listed as the university of rochester.

So with that bit of more knowledge here is what I would say.

University's as with most Goverment employers are more strict about time off and when time off is taken. This factor is multiplied when you are new. My cousin is a manager that works MN Gov and they are told to be more strict on new employees.

Now for my direct experience over the last year.

I have moved companies twice in the last year. I had plans that could not be changed for November (baby) The first move I did was in March; The company said that I could use vacation if I had it built up otherwise I could declare time off without pay. Could not work from home and could not go into negative vacation. Because of a shorter drive, less pay and more benefits I took a new job again in August. My new boss was much more flexible. Letting me work from home, giving me time off, letting me go negative if I needed.

My first boss was not bad actually a decent guy but did not care in the least about myself or my family; neither did the company. My current boss and company are really flexible with my life.


If I was ever in the same situation again I would probably not take a position with a reaction like I had (close to the same you are having). But goverment jobs are different.

Also if you have never worked in government work before it is very different from the private sector.

 

[muddy tires]

Its not the fact id be losing out on the vacation that bothers me so much. Its the fact that my would be new boss had such an attitude about it. Makes me wonder what might happen in the future.

This is what would bother me too. For me, flexibility is very important as I have a life and family outside of work.

 

[tbuckalew14]

If you take the new job and don't like it...would your old boss take you back?

 

[woody79]

It's a pay cut by $2.00 an hour, but within a year I'll be making more than I am at my current job. The job I have now is a smaller company and the new job is the Biggest employer in Rochester and the Six largest in New York. We have had a freeze for over 7 months now on the 3% match to our 401k. Our health care sucks, I pay $380 a month with a $5,200 deduct.

I would have started after the vacation but they were really pushing for me to start ASAP, and I did let Human Resources know that I had the vacation when they set up my start date. They said it was something I would have to talk about with my boss. Human Resources is so detached from the departments that they have no idea whats going on. The company is just too big.

Welcome to the site ....Nice to see someone else from Rochester Care to mention what company it is you currently work for?

I would have to agree with Ghoster, that at this point its either the job or the Vacation. I personally would take the job. You can always book another vacation, although loosing all the money spent on it will hurt. I guess you have to think about the bigger picture, if the new job will pay more in a year as you say, then I would take it.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Filter]

If you take the new job and don't like it...would your old boss take you back?

Who knows, people can take it personal when you give them your two weeks notice.

 

[Filter]

Looked up what the largest employer in Rochester is and almost universally it was listed as the university of rochester.

So with that bit of more knowledge here is what I would say.

University's as with most Goverment employers are more strict about time off and when time off is taken. This factor is multiplied when you are new. My cousin is a manager that works MN Gov and they are told to be more strict on new employees.

Now for my direct experience over the last year.

I have moved companies twice in the last year. I had plans that could not be changed for November (baby) The first move I did was in March; The company said that I could use vacation if I had it built up otherwise I could declare time off without pay. Could not work from home and could not go into negative vacation. Because of a shorter drive, less pay and more benefits I took a new job again in August. My new boss was much more flexible. Letting me work from home, giving me time off, letting me go negative if I needed.

My first boss was not bad actually a decent guy but did not care in the least about myself or my family; neither did the company. My current boss and company are really flexible with my life.


If I was ever in the same situation again I would probably not take a position with a reaction like I had (close to the same you are having). But goverment jobs are different.

Also if you have never worked in government work before it is very different from the private sector.

This is what would bother me too. For me, flexibility is very important as I have a life and family outside of work.

Welcome to the site ....Nice to see someone else from Rochester Care to mention what company it is you currently work for?

I would have to agree with Ghoster, that at this point its either the job or the Vacation. I personally would take the job. You can always book another vacation, although loosing all the money spent on it will hurt. I guess you have to think about the bigger picture, if the new job will pay more in a year as you say, then I would take it.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Thanks for all the good info. Yes the job is at the U of R. Not a place that is easy to get into by any means. I would be loosing out on a lot of flexability but at the same time I wouldn't need so much flexability because i'd be working 7am-3:30 day in and day out. The job is not Governtment related as the U of R is a private University. My wife works at the U of R so I would be riding to work with her everyday, dropping our son off at daycare and picking him up together. So I would get to see a lot more of my Son. (which most days is a good thing

I believe I am going to take the job, it just sucks that I won't know if I made a mistake until it is too late.

 

[woody79]

Thanks for all the good info. Yes the job is at the U of R. Not a place that is easy to get into by any means. I would be loosing out on a lot of flexability but at the same time I wouldn't need so much flexability because i'd be working 7am-3:30 day in and day out. The job is not Governtment related as the U of R is a private University. My wife works at the U of R so I would be riding to work with her everyday, dropping our son off at daycare and picking him up together. So I would get to see a lot more of my Son. (which most days is a good thing

I believe I am going to take the job, it just sucks that I won't know if I made a mistake until it is too late.

On a side note ... My wife worked at the U of R (Strong). She worked with the orthopedic dept, both on site and offsite. She really enjoyed working in that environment. Not to sure if that helps, or what department your job offer is for, but I do agree that it is a really tough place to get into. Good luck!