Comment by imgabe | Hacker News Reader

Comment by imgabe | Hacker News Reader

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As a former entitled young person (still entitled, but not so young anymore), I've made it a point never to ask for a day off. I will tell employers when I am taking a day off.

> asking for things whether they deserve it or not.

> Sometimes, it's cute. "I'd like a day off" out of no-where.

This is a troubling attitude, and I hope it's not what you meant. Does their compensation agreement include PTO? Then they "deserve" their day off. There is no other requirement. There is no explanation or justification needed. As an employer, you may request that I reschedule my PTO if there is an urgent business need, which I may or may not do if possible. But I've never understood the attitude that someone needs to come up with a reason to use the compensation they've rightfully earned. Would you hold their paycheck over their head and demand a reason why they should be allowed to spend it?

Sometimes company policy can get in the way of mental health days if you call them that. They will usually want to think of it as a sick day instead of PTO. While I know not every company does this, every company I've worked for requires a certain amount of notice for PTO which depends primarily on how much PTO you plan to take off. However when I use sick days I tell them I'm using a sick day and don't ask.

I consider someone lucky and fortunate if they have sick days in addition to PTO days, if either at all. Yes, American.

How does a “demand the day off” system work in a 24/7 work setting?

Hospitals are closed on Christmas? Hotels don’t clean or rent rooms on Jan 1? Planes don’t fly on Thanksgiving?

You coordinate with your coworkers and figure out who is willing to work when. The employer is responsible for providing sufficient compensation to make someone willing to work on those days. Not everyone celebrates Christmas or Thanksgiving or any particular holiday so having that day off may be less valuable to some than to others.

Who is doing the coordinating? What if too many people want off on a certain day?

My point is there doesn't exist a 24/7 business I know of that would be able to survive if they simply let employees "demand" days off. You can't rely on a bunch of coworkers to sort out who is working when. You request days off, a boss checks the schedule to see what can be moved around and whatnot, and then approves it.

I have yet to see a 24/7 business that works any other way.

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