Vacation Bidding?

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
I wonder how the boys over at Ground bid their vacations.

Oh, that's right---they don't get paid vacations.

Kinda puts this conversation in to perspective.
 

dezguy

Well-Known Member
I wonder how the boys over at Ground bid their vacations.

Oh, that's right---they don't get paid vacations.

Kinda puts this conversation in to perspective.
They do up here. Every province requires 2 weeks paid vacation. Unless you're the owner, in which case, that's your choice wether to take time off or not.
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
There is no reason at all that every employee cannot get one week vacation in the summer if they want it. After that, let the more senior employees bid a second or third week if available. It's little things like that that boost morale and might possibly retain the less senior employees, which is exactly the ones FedEx is looking to keep.

Sigh. The summer vacation week is no good because Splish Slash is so crowded then. Much better to go in early January or February.
 

dex 84

Well-Known Member
I just take whatever is available that best works for me. I don't see much point in trying to leave good weeks for people after you. Say you only take 1 summer week instead of 3, that probably doesn't trickle down to people that aren't getting a week at all in the summer. Instead, a couple guys that would've only been able to get 2 summer weeks now can take 3.
 

retiredTxfeeder

cap'n crunch
Even tho I'm UPS and this is a FEDEX thread, There are some common things between the 2. In the feeder department I was in, Most everyone in the department had 5 or 6 weeks vacation a year. I think they allowed 10% of the drivers to take their weeks in the summer months. I wasn't able to take a spring break week with my kids till they were 18 and 20 YO, if I remember. Some drivers took that week even if their kids were grown. Was it fair to me? No, I didn't think so. When I was able to get those weeks, finally, I didn't. I wanted to let younger drivers get them if they could. That's the way seniority works.
 

dex 84

Well-Known Member
Even tho I'm UPS and this is a FEDEX thread, There are some common things between the 2. In the feeder department I was in, Most everyone in the department had 5 or 6 weeks vacation a year. I think they allowed 10% of the drivers to take their weeks in the summer months. I wasn't able to take a spring break week with my kids till they were 18 and 20 YO, if I remember. Some drivers took that week even if their kids were grown. Was it fair to me? No, I didn't think so. When I was able to get those weeks, finally, I didn't. I wanted to let younger drivers get them if they could. That's the way seniority works.

Those are the only 2 weeks that I think you should think of others for. Let the people with kids get the school vacation weeks, everything else, including the summer, is up for grabs.
 

dezguy

Well-Known Member
Even tho I'm UPS and this is a FEDEX thread, There are some common things between the 2. In the feeder department I was in, Most everyone in the department had 5 or 6 weeks vacation a year. I think they allowed 10% of the drivers to take their weeks in the summer months. I wasn't able to take a spring break week with my kids till they were 18 and 20 YO, if I remember. Some drivers took that week even if their kids were grown. Was it fair to me? No, I didn't think so. When I was able to get those weeks, finally, I didn't. I wanted to let younger drivers get them if they could. That's the way seniority works.
So, you'll take weeks just to make sure a younger guy won't get it? Wow.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
I had long advocated that our selection process is blatantly unfair to our younger drivers and needs to be changed as follows:

Round 1-----everyone picks 2 weeks.

Round 2-----anyone with weeks left picks 2 weeks.

Round 3-----all remaining weeks are selected.
 

retiredTxfeeder

cap'n crunch
So, you'll take weeks just to make sure a younger guy won't get it? Wow.
Wow. I don't think I said that at all. That's the way the ups system is set up. I take my turn to pick my vacations when it is my turn in seniority. I always tried to take 1 week in March, one in October and the rest in the summer. The system sucked when I was a new employee, but got better the longer I stayed. Working somewhere 38 years has it's benefits. When a junior employee came to me and asked me to swap weeks with him because he had a family function, I did it because I had nothing in particular planned that week. I passed on spring break weeks after I was eligible for them simply so a junior guy below me with kids might take them. Seniority is about the only thing going for you where I worked. You want me to give it up because a younger driver is entitled more than me? Wow. Just wow.
 

dezguy

Well-Known Member
Wow. I don't think I said that at all. That's the way the ups system is set up. I take my turn to pick my vacations when it is my turn in seniority. I always tried to take 1 week in March, one in October and the rest in the summer. The system sucked when I was a new employee, but got better the longer I stayed. Working somewhere 38 years has it's benefits. When a junior employee came to me and asked me to swap weeks with him because he had a family function, I did it because I had nothing in particular planned that week. I passed on spring break weeks after I was eligible for them simply so a junior guy below me with kids might take them. Seniority is about the only thing going for you where I worked. You want me to give it up because a younger driver is entitled more than me? Wow. Just wow.

"When I was able to get those weeks, finally, I didn't. I wanted to let younger drivers get them if they could. That's the way seniority works."

Sorry but that's exactly what I got from the last sentence of your comment.

Again, no where have I ever said you shouldn't take the weeks you want and give them to a less tenured person. What I'm talking about it people purposely hogging all the prime vacation because they somehow feel like less tenured people don't deserve to have a week off with their family.

All the high seniority guys at my station never had to miss a summer vacation with their kids because they joined the company at the right time and we all able to get at least one week off a summer, when their kids were young. Now that their kids are out of the house and have lives of their own, they take all the summer vacation they can just because they can, preventing young guys with young families from getting anything before October, at which point, their kids are back in school. It's this mentality of I got mine so screw everyone else that has made this company a joke. Instead of looking at the greater good, we only have people looking out for themselves.

I'm no martyr but if I can effect some sort of change, great. Maybe if I only take a week or two in the summer and leave something for younger guys, they'll remember that and do the same when they're in the position I'm in. Eventually, hopefully, the system becomes such that people think of everyone and everyone gets a fair shake. It certainly isn't that way now.
 

whenIgetthere

Well-Known Member
I had long advocated that our selection process is blatantly unfair to our younger drivers and needs to be changed as follows:

Round 1-----everyone picks 2 weeks.

Round 2-----anyone with weeks left picks 2 weeks.

Round 3-----all remaining weeks are selected.

My station tried that, but all the belly aching from high seniority, got it nixed the next year. Didn't matter to me, I didn't get any summer weeks either way. No kids, so no summer or school weeks was never a problem for me.
 
I have just realized you cannot take one day off
You will always get denied even if no one else is off that day I guess because they are short
handed ? How is that my problem because they cannot hire anyone.
 

Operational needs

Virescit Vulnere Virtus
I have just realized you cannot take one day off
You will always get denied even if no one else is off that day I guess because they are short
handed ? How is that my problem because they cannot hire anyone.
It's not. I'm pretty sure they can't deny you a day off because they're short handed, if the schedule isn't full. Better learn to make a fuss.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
I have just realized you cannot take one day off
You will always get denied even if no one else is off that day I guess because they are short
handed ? How is that my problem because they cannot hire anyone.

I have tomorrow and the day after Columbus Day off. Put my request in two weeks ago. Approved the next day. One sick day left to be taken before Thanksgiving.
 

cosmo1

Perhaps.
Staff member
I have tomorrow and the day after Columbus Day off. Put my request in two weeks ago. Approved the next day. One sick day left to be taken before Thanksgiving.

I believe you mentioned you are senior driver in your building.

I was, too, for a number of years. I pretty much informed management that I was taking a day off, rather than requested.
 

scooby0048

This page left intentionally blank
"When I was able to get those weeks, finally, I didn't. I wanted to let younger drivers get them if they could. That's the way seniority works."

Sorry but that's exactly what I got from the last sentence of your comment.
You have a hard time paying attention don't you? The quote YOU quoted, the statement is right there in the first sentence. Maybe we should WOW you. My apologies to the other FedEx folks here for hijacking this thread.
 

dezguy

Well-Known Member
You have a hard time paying attention don't you? The quote YOU quoted, the statement is right there in the first sentence. Maybe we should WOW you. My apologies to the other FedEx folks here for hijacking this thread.
You're right, I apologize. It was early and I obviously misread what was posted.
 

!Retired!

Well-Known Member
Being that I have been given a hard time because people don't appreciate my positive outlook, I have a serious question that might have been covered months ago.

When bidding vacation, I know there are several different methods stations can take. Let the senior people bid ALL of their weeks before going to the next person. OR, let the senior person bid HALF of their weeks before going to the next person, then going back to the senior person to let him finish bidding. I know senior people like the first option and less senior like the second. How do your stations do your bidding?
We do 1st Round - bid all full weeks. Round 2 - bid broken weeks Round 3 - Personal and floaters. Even though, sometimes, I can't get what I want, I think it's right. Other than route bidding, it's the only benefit of being senior.
We tried your second scenario, and so many senior people complained that they went back to your first scenario. I agree with the second one because it's almost impossible for anyone with less than 20 years (at least at my location) to get a summer vacation or a prime week.

A lot of people take their family vacations during February, when we get a 50% discount a Splish Splash water parks, but only the Buffalo, Toronto, and International Falls, MN locations. It's a great perk.
I'm at 16+ and was able to get the last week of August and Spring break. I wanted Labor Day week for my birthday (got that last year), but August was my backup. There were plenty of weeks I could have taken in the summer.
Ditto. My entire station bids all their FULL weeks on the first round. 2nd round goes to anyone with partial weeks. 3rd round is for floating holidays and personal days for everybody.
Same.
I think mine does the same. I couldn't remember what happened in rounds 2 & 3. I never bid those rounds, except the day after Thanksgiving.
I'm not even close to getting day after Thanksgiving at 16+ years.
I'll usually take a week in the summer, the week after Christmas and Spring Break. The rest of the weeks I try not to schedule. After my daughter graduates, I'll give up Spring Break. I'd rather someone with kids in school get that. The week after Christmas, I will take for the rest of my time at Fedex. I need that week to rest and relax after Peak.
We have a husband/wife that take Fall break......they don't have kids. It screws it up for those that want it. My kids are 16 and almost 18. They could care less if I'm home or not.
 
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