Mandatory Vacation / PTO

[mallards]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? My company is based in Georgia, but I am field based and live in Arizona. I pay Arizona state income taxes.

My positon within the company requires 90% travel. This is listed on job postings for open positions within our department, plus on our job description. Historically whenever there has been a week with a holiday in the week, we have been allowed to travel if we want or we could work from our home office that week as Admin time. This time would allow us to catch up on paperwork and call our clients, return emails, complete expense reports, etc.

Recently in the past 2 quarters we have been required to take 1 week of admin time per quarter to save expenses. 4th quarter we were given a mandate to take the week of November 17th as admin time.

Today we received an email from our boss that we are forbidden to travel from December 22, through the end of the year. The email went on to say that this time would be mandatory vacation time and we were to submit our time card stating that we were taking vacation pay from December 22 through December 31st. (Actually in checking the calendar, we wont be able to resume travel until January 5th and I'm sure they will also require mandatory vacation pay for Jan 1 -4).

Had we had more advanced notice, we could have actually planned a vacation for our now required vacation time. It is too late to book a cruise or something of the like. If we were going to forbid travel the final 9 days of the year, why wouldn't we use that week as our admin week instead of the required week of Nov 17th for admin time.

The employment handbook does not state that mandatory vacation time would be required.

I need my vacation time for a surgery that I have scheduled in January. We are salaried employees ... Exempt.

Can the company mandate vacation time for such an extended period of time with such short notice? We have not had time to plan for this in the accrual of our paid time off.

Thank you for your help.

 

[cbg]

In all 50 states, it is entirely up to the employer when vacation and PTO can and cannot be taken, with VERY limited exceptions that do not apply here.

 

[Roo]

At the university I work for, we've always been required to take vacation during the Christmas break. A week ago that policy changed and now we're required to work that period. Company policy changes. It may not be fair or convenient but them's the breaks. (no pun intended).

 

[eerelations]

There are lots and lots of last-minute vacation options for sale out there, real cheap. Try SellOffVacations.com - Lowest Price Guaranteed, Anytime You Travel. Mexico|Cuba|DR|Caribbean|Europe|Las Vegas and similar sites.

 

[mallards]

Not company initiative

Let me clarify .. this is NOT a company initiative. My colleagues in other departments are not required to use their PTO time during this time ... ONLY my department as mandated by my Manager.

 

[CourtClerk]

There are lots and lots of last-minute vacation options for sale out there, real cheap. Try SellOffVacations.com - Lowest Price Guaranteed, Anytime You Travel. Mexico|Cuba|DR|Caribbean|Europe|Las Vegas and similar sites.

I also recommend Airline Tickets, Cheap Hotels, Vacation Packages & Travel Deals

I've gotten LOTS of last minute trips, including auctions on cruises, airfare, etc for dirt cheap. In fact, whenever I plan a vacation, I start looking there first.

 

[cbg]

Let me clarify .. this is NOT a company initiative. My colleagues in other departments are not required to use their PTO time during this time ... ONLY my department as mandated by my Manager.

Let me clarify. It doesn't matter one whit whether it is a company initiative or not. No law says that different departments cannot be treated differently. It is legal for your employer to force you to use your vacation at particular times whether that is the answer you want to hear or not.