The Peasants are Revolting
I sort of knew it was coming. My boss had hinted it might be coming months ago, but last week when I got off holiday I asked for clarification.
My company, along with most companies nowadays, try and con you into thinking you get more than your salary, you have to consider your ‘total package’ with them. This has included for the last 2 years the ability to ‘buy holidays’. This is basically unpaid leave, but they take it out of your wages spread out over 12 months rather than when you actually take it.
My boss said on Tuesday I could buy leave.
I asked again Wednesday, and she told me the same thing again.
Today, in a team meeting, Z, her boss, announced that nobody would be allowed to buy leave this coming year. I asked why not. “Because we are a business critical function.” My arse. “How can that be? In the disaster recovery plan where there is emergency provision for ‘essential personnel’ to move to offices where the essential work can be performed, our function is way, way down the list. We are among the last people to be considered for desk space.”
His reply was, “This is not up for discussion. Nobody is buying holiday.”
P then asked who was affected by this decision. “Everyone in C’s world.” P pointed out that this ought to be the case, and that it should be fully communicated, because it wasn’t fair if some of us couldn’t buy the holiday, and we found out that others had been allowed it.
Once again, “This is not up for discussion.” Then he made a very foolish mistake. “It’s because you work for two levels of American’s, and we already think you have far too much holiday.”
Kept my ‘pissed off’ face on, but inside I am rubbing my hands with glee.
Had several other meetings, and wasn’t free to actually do anything until around 3 o’clock this afternoon, when off I toddled to one of the meeting rooms downstairs.
“Hello, is that the Union? Well, I wonder if you can give me some advice………”
Turns out, as I suspected, they haven’t got a cat in hells chance of enforcing this. We all have grounds for complaint, made even more definite by the stupid “We’re American’s” comment.
It further turns out that not everyone in our part of the department has been told this anyway. It is only ‘our side’ of the office that this has been communicated to. And note that the communication has all been done verbally - surely it would have been easier to send out a global email?
Then we find out that another part of our department based in a different city have all had their requests approved.
Then we find out that the closing date for requesting these things is staggered - and for some people had actually closed last night, so anyone who has already requested it, will now get it.
We all get 3 weeks in which to make selections. There is great communication through all the usual channels - intranet, company magazines, emails - heralding what a great company we work for which allows us to do this. Yet they wait until just before the closing date for most of us to communicate it.
Around 1/4 to 5, when my boss finally got free I took her to one side. “I think you should know that people aren’t happy about this holiday decision. I know you are probably equally as annoyed,” which she is, because I know she also wanted to purchase days, “but I think you should be passing it up the line that people aren’t happy. The Union has been consulted, and I myself will be raising it with HR tomorrow as advised by the Union. I will wait until tomorrow because I think I need to be a little calmer, and maybe get a nights sleep in before I chase this.”
I then saw her go into an office with Z, where there was much discussion and arm waving.
Meantime, I have been talking and emailing with another colleague who is very unhappy as she has to make her decisions by tonight, and was told at 3 o’clock she has to back them out. She also discovered that Z is now not happy, because he was assured it would affect the whole department, only now it’s only part of it. Whatever else he may be, seems he is a man of his word - and he is very upset to have promised us that nobody would be allowed it, to find this is plainly not true.
At 5.30, boss has to leave. As she is putting her coat on, Z calls her over. Then she heads back to where we all sit, and asks me, “If you were allowed to purchase holiday, how many days would you like? And you too, ONB? And you, NB? How about you, Krazy K?” Then she goes back to her desk, coat on and ready to leave, switches on her pc and sits typing. Then she leaves.
To be continued…….