Vacation time woes >=O

[Hawkeye Jenny]

Hey all. Anyway last may my fiance and I signed up for the 'Fall WDW Castmember Trips.' It costs $699 a person and this covers the round trip flight, hotel stay (port orleans) magical express luggage service, taxes and all transportation. BEFORE I signed us up and paid the $$$ I asked my managers about how difficult it might be to be granted the time off for the trip (7 days in November.) I asked both my area managers and scheduling managers. They all said we're hiring like crazy and between that and the fact that it's during the off-season "it shouldn't be a problem at all. Sign up and have fun." Okay then, so I went ahead and plunked down the $1398 and reserved us a spot for the November trip. Mind you, much of that money is nonrefundable and it's almost fully nonrefundable if we cancel less than 2 weeks before the trip date. We also pre-bought tickets for typhoon lagoon and Seaworld.

The deadline to cancel the trip before 2 weeks passed yesterday. I still haven't gotten a reply as to whether or not I will be allowed the time off that I asked for 3 months ago. I've called and called and made sure that they know I will be out over $1000 if they don't give me an answer by Oct 26th. Too late now! Anyway the closest thing I got to an answer when I called today was that there's a good chance I will not get the time off regardless of the nonrefunable $$$$$$$$$$. They said they're having to deny a lot of similar requests but I should have an answer within the next 72 hours. I asked them why they advertised the WDW trips all over the resort and encouraged castmembers to sign up when they ended up denying a lot of the time-off requests - and waiting until it's too late to get refunds - and thus costing the CM's major $$$$$$$$$. My answer was 'well we thought we'd be a lot better off by now what with all the hiring and such.'

Yeah, shit happens. Fed-up and exhausted cm's are quitting left and right - casting just can't keep up with it. But they advertised the trips and took our money..then tell us we can't go and yet they're keeping the money? Shouldn't those who are denied the time off before the 2 week deadline get a full refund? That strikes me as bordering on theft.

Now I need to decide what I'll do if denied. If I just call in for a week - I'd be fired without a doubt. I had to use up my call personals to help my mom after her back surgery. I already have a verbal and a written that are NOT supposed to even be on my record. (I was put on medical leave after a work-related injury and marked no-show no-call for each day unbeknowst to me, then slapped with the verb/written over it 3 months after the medical leave. The union is working to get the points and verb/writ pulled off and they say it will happen..it's just going to take a while.) I rocked the boat hard over those undeserved no-shows and we all know that boat rockers - especially those who go to the union - are happily fired for any tiny reason they can find. Ergo if I call out all week I'm 99.9 percent likely to be termed. No, I won't be able to find enough people to cover my shifts. We are understaffed, overworked and everyone is protective of their days off. I couldn't even get one dinky 4 hour shift filled so I could use my 3-week-prior prebought Haunt tickets, had to sell them to someone who could use them.

So what to do? Put in a 2 week notice if denied so my last day comes on the day I return home, then call out all week while in Orlando? Most people would since the likelyhood of a term upon returning home is almost a guarantee. Call out sick back-to-back (3 points every 4 day or some such) and pray I'm not termed, as futile as it may be? Just take the large money loss and lick my wounds? At any rate I need to decide on my intended action asap, if any. Last I heard they are checking to see if someone with more seniority in my location has asked for the same time off. I've been working in Foods for 6 months as a rehire (originally worked a year in attractions) and with what's going on in Foods that puts me in the upper rungs of seniority (sad huh?) I did transfer from French Market to Gibson Girl 2 months ago and that may effect my location seniority. Maybe I have nothing to worry about, eh? Right? No worries? Assurance, anyone? ARRGH!

[CBeilby]

Also, regarding the no call/no shows you have for the job related medical leave, I'd talk to your shop steward about those. If you recieved points for those in spite of them being authorized medical leave due to an on the job injury, they CANNOT give you points for them, and you should probably file a greivance.

[Stduck]

I think Julie XXXXXX.

[font=Trebuchet MS][Moderator: Surname removed to protect the innocent or guilty, as applies. Gang, if you want to send somebody a full name, please send it directly by email or PM, don't put them in the forums. Thanks!][/font]

[coldfire409]

Boy with that kind of turnaroud time for approving vacations it's no wonder why people are quitting. If I was in your position I would just call sick for the days you are at WDW. But from what you posted it seems like your managers are not intrested in retaining any CMs, just terminating them left and right. Too bad these people do not get a taste of what they have put you through.

[littlehope]

I'm out on medical leave right now but before I went out I put in vacation for December, which I just found out got denied, again. I haven't had a vacation approved in over 2 years. I've applied for pre-approved vacation everytime it comes up and it keeps getting denied. I'm tired of this happening. Maybe cms wouldn't be getting hurt so much if they get some time off.