Vacation time

[conf43]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
New York

I work for a company employing about 15 people. Each one of us is given x amount of vacation days per year. Recently, however, since the lady boss has a bi.chy attitude, she is only giving days to people she likes on a particular day. The rest of us are sent away following with very stupid comments.
I am sick and tired, so are the rest of us, of this unfair treatment. Is there anything we can do to basically notify her that these are the days we need to take without explaining where we are going and her saying "will see, I'll think about it" etc. and never getting back to us?

 

[cbg]

There is nothing in Federal law, NY law, or the law of any other state that allows you to take vacation time whenever you feel like it. It is ALWAYS up to the employer whether to allow you to take vacation time or not. Unless she is making the decisions as to who can take vacation when based on race, religion, national origin and so forth, it is entirely up to her whether you can take vacation at any given time or not, and she doesn't have to give you any reason why not, let alone a reason you find acceptable. And if she wants you to give her a reason why you want to take the day as vacation before she will approve it, then you have to.

Yes, I agree that it isn't fair. Yes, I agree that if the facts are as you have stated, she is not being particularly reasonable. But there is no law you can invoke to force her to change her ways.

 

[conf43]

Thank you. Every time I have any type of employment related question it all comes down to slavery. Now, at least, we are getting paid for it but still have no rights.

 

[cbg]

You have plenty of rights. Including a right that slaves did not have, which is the right to quit and/or find employment elsewhere. This is far from slavery.

However, one of those rights does not include being able to take time off whenever you want to whether the employer likes it or not.

Your slavery reference is offensive.

 

[conf43]

I did not mean to offend anyone. However, taking advantage of employees and their dignity is. My family owns a chain of businesses in Europe and has never treated their workers in a way my office and many others in New York are.

If I could find employment in this mess I certainly would but it is almost impossible in my field.

Bottom line is that we are being abused on the daily basis to the point that even senior members of my firm are scared to open their mouth. There is no law protecting people from being bullied at the work place, no law that states you cannot have “ghost workers” on the payroll either. Being told every day that you are lucky you have a job isn’t nice. So, please forgive me if I am a little ticked off.

In any event I do appreciate your response.

 

[swalsh411]

There is no law protecting people from being bullied at the work place

There are plenty of laws protecting employee safety in the workplace as well as FMLA, ADA, EEOC, etc. Verbal abuse is not illegal though nor should it be. (unless it's directed at a person due to a legally protected class) How exactly would you expect a court or legislature to define "bullying?". Should an employee be able to sue because they get yelled at? It is not the role of government to coddle people and keep them from getting their feelings hurt.

no law that states you cannot have “ghost workers” on the payroll either.

It is against the law to report wages under a fictitious SSN. But this really has nothing to do with your question.

Being told every day that you are lucky you have a job isn’t nice.

I'm sure it's not nice but these days it's often true. There are people who wouldn't mind at all in exchange for a steady paycheck and a chance to get off unemployment. Do you seriously expect a law to be written "It shall be unlawful to remind employees that they are lucky to be employed".