Question on PTO

[canadianinmd]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maryland
I work for a large company and we are granted 4 weeks a vacation each other that either can be used as sick or PTO days.
Our department is constantly changing and we currently have a new manager.
We have had her for about 9 months now and the problem is that she gives us a hard time every time we want to take PTO. My department has 3 people and we monitor our computer systems and we always have never schedule the same time off.
So I put in a proposal to take 2 weeks off and a single day in July. I ironed out a schedule that all systems were covered by my 2 co-workers (who agreed to this). Anyhow she is giving me such a hard time about it and I dont think she is going to approve of it. I have accumulated a lot of PTO that rolled over from last year and have about 21 days left to use and I simply want to take 11 days vacation.

Do i have legal rights here? I believe the company must grant me these days as they have documented vacation benefits.

I am strongly considering going to Human Resources or even her boss. Thanks for any advice.

Regards

[pattytx]

No, the company does NOT legally need to grant you those days, or any other days you request. Have you followed up with her regarding her approval?

[canadianinmd]

Originally Posted by pattytx

No, the company does NOT legally need to grant you those days, or any other days you request. Have you followed up with her regarding her approval?

It is such a big company that I feel if I was to make an issue out of it, they would quickly grant it. But I am not the type of person to cause problems.

I have followed up with her and provided her a nice detailed outline of Coverage while I am out (she likes diagrams).
The only reply I got was "Jason -- I'll setup some time for us to talk about this proposed coverage schedule. Please expect an invite.
Thanks"

I am not sure how to take that.

[pattytx]

I'd take it that she's trying overly hard to be "professional" and stake her territorial claim. "Expect an invite"? To discuss a simple vacation request? Sheesh.

[canadianinmd]

Originally Posted by pattytx

I'd take it that she's trying overly hard to be "professional" and stake her territorial claim. "Expect an invite"? To discuss a simple vacation request? Sheesh.

Ha ha you are so right. It is definitely a power trip issue. I have bugged her three times about my vacation. Out of eight years in this company and several managers, this is the first time I have ever had a problem.


Thanks for the advice!

[cbg]

Canadian law and US law are very different. I don't know what the situation is in Canada, but in the US your vacation is taken at the convenience of the employer. They have no legal obligation to allow you to take them when you want to, or to take as many days as you choose to. They may legally set a limit - no more than five days at a time, for example - and they may legally refuse to allow you to take vacation at the time of your choosing. If they want everyone to take the time the first week of August, for example, then everyone takes the time the first week of August, and if you wanted to take it the last week of June it's too bad so sad.

When you address the question with HR, or your manager, or whoever you end up addressing it with, you might want to keep this in mind. It'll serve you much better if you don't come on too strong declaiming your "legal rights" since the legal rights you thought you had - you don't.