A vacation's all I really wanted, hey hey!

[b33nman]

So, at Express it's "bid" or have it scheduled for you. I was attempting to take off the first week of January for Christmas. Most of my family lives in Florida, so do get out of Memphis for a while would be nice. This is the first time in 28 years I have never been home for Christmas. Due to the changes in the vacation policy, I lost the bid for my vacation time. I bid on a second week, lost it. Then a third. Lost it. So, I gave up. They come to us, complaining that we really need to schedule our vacation time. I told them I did and lost the bid. Again, they said "Well, you still need to schedule it."

So, as my brain began to implode on itself, I summoned the courage to ask a question, knowing the answer before I did. "Well, when can I take off?" They told me they can't decide that, I have to bid.

Get ready for it: *WORLDS BIGGEST FACEPALM*

How does a company subsist on making employees fight one another for their time off? I wish this was a joke, but I tried to take a personal day, on a Wednesday, for a minor surgery appointment. I was told I have to make the bid and see if I get it. I didn't realize surgery was option when concerning my health.

So, to sum it up: Seniority dictates when you have a vacation. You must schedule your vacation by bidding on it. IF you don't get it, they tell you that you need to schedule it. If you lose the bid again, they schedule it for you..using the classic phrase "Due to operational needs..."

Christ. I even interviewed for corporate for accounting jobs and was turned down. I didn't know enough of the industry when I was asked why.

So, should I just quit? Heh. Another rhetoric question, I know.

 

[Mr. 7]

Seniority dictates EVERYTHING.

Here's my idea on bidding vacation times. We still let the most senior people bid first but, in the first round EVERYONE only gets to bid 2 weeks. This gives the new guys with only 2 weeks of vacation a fair chance at actually getting some time off when they need it. Instead of everyone that has 5 weeks to bid to just plug them all into the "best" times.

 

[DOWNTRODDEN IN TEXAS]

Seniority dictates EVERYTHING.

Here's my idea on bidding vacation times. We still let the most senior people bid first but, in the first round EVERYONE only gets to bid 2 weeks. This gives the new guys with only 2 weeks of vacation a fair chance at actually getting some time off when they need it. Instead of everyone that has 5 weeks to bid to just plug them all into the "best" times.

Yes sir they do. Want spring break because you have school age kids? Fuhgeddaboutit. Not happenin' bub. All the 25 year and ups take it because they always have, even though they don't have kids at home and their grandkids aren't coming. They take it "just because". My SM nearly had a coronary when he asked why I didn't bid my vacation weeks and I told him "Sir, with all due respect, what's the effing point? I can't the weeks I want, or need for that matter..."

 

[STFXG]

Sounds like a difficult process. We pass around a sign up sheet that goes from the top on seniority to the bottom. Everyone takes a week and then the list goes back to the top. No bumping or fighting for weeks. You take what's there when its your time or you bribe the guys with more seniority with cash or sexual favors.

 

[b33nman]

Sounds like a difficult process. We pass around a sign up sheet that goes from the top on seniority to the bottom. Everyone takes a week and then the list goes back to the top. No bumping or fighting for weeks. You take what's there when its your time or you bribe the guys with more seniority with cash or sexual favors.

We used to do that, and if there was no conflict we'd have as many off at one time as we could handle. My current manager is a good one, but his hands are tied. He let me use all my sick time for my vacation, since I couldn't get the time off. I had to be off those days. It's a crap process for the hard workers who even want just a Wednesday off for a dental appointment. There's no justification of making a good employee beg for a day off by submitting paper work to bypass a flawed system. God, I hate it here.

 

[vantexan]

Sounds like a difficult process. We pass around a sign up sheet that goes from the top on seniority to the bottom. Everyone takes a week and then the list goes back to the top. No bumping or fighting for weeks. You take what's there when its your time or you bribe the guys with more seniority with cash or sexual favors.

Can't begin to tell you all the times lady couriers wanted a week I signed up for but insisted on paying me cash.

 

[overflowed]

They can't say no to a personal. That's why it's called a personal. I've seen managers lie to someone who doesn't know better, but they have to grant a personal even without notice.

 

[Route 66]

Yes sir they do. Want spring break because you have school age kids? Fuhgeddaboutit. Not happenin' bub. All the 25 year and ups take it because they always have, even though they don't have kids at home and their grandkids aren't coming. They take it "just because".

Not all. I'm an over 25 yr. employee who only schedules 2 weeks at bid time and leaves the rest open. I come by after the bidding is complete and fill in the slots. There are a few others at my location who do the same. Why? because it's the right thing to do. Give others a shot at some decent vacation time as well. Just because we work for a bunch of heartless, soul-less me!me!me! takers doesn't mean we have to carry on that trait amongst ourselves.

 

[vantexan]

Not all. I'm an over 25 yr. employee who only schedules 2 weeks at bid time and leaves the rest open. I come by after the bidding is complete and fill in the slots. There are a few others at my location who do the same. Why? because it's the right thing to do. Give others a shot at some decent vacation time as well. Just because we work for a bunch of heartless, soul-less me!me!me! takers doesn't mean we have to carry on that trait amongst ourselves.

I sell two weeks back every year. It's a grind with only two weeks off a year but it's money in the bank for retirement.

 

[whenIgetthere]

Way back when I was a handler about 13 years ago, SM put one week in June, July and August aside for low seniority employees. First one to bid, about a five year handler at the time, took all three. I didn't have kids, so I didn't care, but there were people ready to string him up.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

atleast he didnt take your last beer!!

 

[whatnthe]

What you are wishing for is Option 3? of the four FedEx approved vacation bidding policies. Well, it's close to it anyway. Everyone holds back two weeks of vacation in the first round of bidding. This at least gives the less senior couriers a shot at a week they want.

 

[SmithBarney]

The bid process at Express is dysfunctional, I can't imagine what a nightmare it is at a large station.
If your manager goes by "policy" We pretty much blindly choose weeks, then they get back to you...
then you try again, and again...

When I was elsewhere, The seniority list, and weeks were on a chart on the wall(for any given week there was a max allowed off for that week)
when it was your turn you went down the weeks until you found what you wanted(full weeks and closed weeks) were clearly marked.

It's not rocket science but FedEx can make the most simple task, more complicated than it ever needs to be.

 

[hypo hanna]

Keep in mind any one of those four can be rescinded for "operational needs". I know of a dispatch location that was way heavy in seniority. The guy on the bottom had 17 years out of 25 employees. They fought for and changed it to something like what was described above. Bid two weeks and then it went to the next in seniority. Lasted a year before it was rescinded. Went back to the old system where the top three employees got all the best weeks like 4th of July. They then would cobble together the extra week they gained and sold one back. Sweet deal eh? You still get 5 weeks and you get to sell one back! This was all ok by the mgmt.

 

[overflowed]

If you have no seniority don't schedule at all. Wait till summer and start asking the scheduling manager every week if anybody cancelled their vacation. This will only work if your at a semi large station. Always worked for me when I was green. Many moons ago .

 

[SmithBarney]

Funny thing I'm low on the totem, and have no problem getting vacation in the summer...

 

[DOWNTRODDEN IN TEXAS]

Not all. I'm an over 25 yr. employee who only schedules 2 weeks at bid time and leaves the rest open. I come by after the bidding is complete and fill in the slots. There are a few others at my location who do the same. Why? because it's the right thing to do. Give others a shot at some decent vacation time as well. Just because we work for a bunch of heartless, soul-less me!me!me! takers doesn't mean we have to carry on that trait amongst ourselves.

And you my friend are an exception to the rule and I thank you. Just wish some of the high seniority types at my station would do that.

 

[whenIgetthere]

My last station was the worst, I'd wind up with a two weeks in January, and two in March. I would like to have taken one in the fall and one in spring, but the seniority there was bad for anyone bidding with less than 20 years.

 

[Cactus]

Funny thing I'm low on the totem, and have no problem getting vacation in the summer...

When I was low on seniority (less than 5 years) it was like that about every other year for some reason.

 

[SmithBarney]

past 3 years I had weeks in June/Oct/April/July/Sep/Nov, and pretty much Personal Floaters or LWOP when ever I need. We are overstaffed..