Vacation Time Changed

[Vycor]

This is in NY State.
I work for a private company and when I started I signed some paperwork that went over vacation times/etc...

What i signed basically stated that every year after my first year of employement I get 1 week of vacation. I'll be with the company for 5 years this upcoming February, so by my math im eligible for 3 weeks of vacation currently (4 weeks in February).

So i mentioned it to my emoployer recently because he was under the assumption I had 2 weeks. He basically told me that every employee gets 2 weeks and theres nobody who gets differnet. However i pointed out what I signed and he said that it basically didnt matter he runs the company and THIS IS the policy, 2 weeks.

Sooo what are my options. I like my job but im a bit pissed that my employer is holding this over my head. Its not realy fair since im a good employee and bust my ass and im one of the top managers, but hes really sticking this to me now and basically saying to "take him to court" if i have a problem with it... which he knows i probably wont do because i dont have the money for that, so its really not fair. I cant afford an attorney to fight for my extra week, but that was what i agreed to when i started and now hes "changing the policy" but still i signed something previously indicating i get that vacation.

So can he do that to me? And can he change the policy to something else now? I signed up indicating 1 week for every year i work, can he just change his mind and only give 2 weeks now and basically null out that previous contract?

 

[cbg]

You're assuming that what was signed was a contract. Maybe it is, but it's more likely that it isn't. Take it to an attorney in NY and have him review it, but don't hold your breath. Few if any offer letters constitute an actual contract.

If it isn't, he can change the policy any time he wants to. Not to mention the fact that a week for every year you work is really an unworkable policy; if you stay in the job for 20 years you'd have essentially five months of vacation every year. There is nothing in the law of any state that prohibits an employer from changing the benefit policy.

 

[Betty]

Notto mention the fact that a week for every year you work is really an unworkable policy; if you stay in the job for 20 years you'd have essentially five months of vacation every year.

Gee, I worked 36+ years for my employer before I took early retirement.

 

[cbg]

So, under the poster's interpretation, you would have had 35 weeks vacation per year, and working only slightly more than four months out of the year.

 

[Betty]

I could have handled that.

 

[cbg]

Me too.