A reader writes:
I just lately landed a job provide at a big world firm after taking a 12 months off. The job search was a tricky one, however after some bumps within the street I used to be fairly enthusiastic about this firm and accepted their provide. I ended up negotiating for extra trip time (4 weeks) to match my final function, which they granted.
I actually favored the individuals and firm tradition all through the interview course of. The one minor critique could be that the method took for much longer than anticipated on their facet (an extra two months) as a result of holidays and holidays. I took it to be signal that their workers really disconnected whereas out. I’ve a giant household trip that I’ve had deliberate for a couple of 12 months developing a couple of months after I begin, and I notified them of this once I accepted the provide.
I begin in about two weeks, and my future boss known as me for what I believed could be a “welcome to the workforce” name. Whereas she was nice and welcoming, she spent nearly all of the decision expressing shock over this time-off notification from me, and informed me that whereas my trip was authorised, I “shouldn’t count on to make use of all of my trip time” annually. She shared her personal story how she misplaced allotted days this previous 12 months, and since they don’t roll over or pay them out, she known as it “giving them again to the corporate.”
I’m fairly deflated, and my pleasure has been dampened. I completely deliberate to take all of my trip, as I negotiated for this in lieu of negotiating wage. I fully perceive not taking PTO at crunch occasions, however as she defined it the realm is understaffed and it’s all the time very fast-paced and busy.
That is my first job after a really poisonous office and whereas I’ve labored laborious on therapeutic, I’m terrified to stroll into one other. How large of a pink flag is that this and is there any recourse I can take to make sure I’m capable of take my negotiated PTO?
It’s a giant pink flag.
She’s overtly telling you that they don’t plan to provide the factor they promised you they’d provide you with — the factor you negotiated as a substitute of extra wage, and a part of the rationale you accepted the job.
And the concept that you shouldn’t use all of your trip time annually — depart that’s a part of your compensation and doesn’t roll over to the subsequent 12 months — since you ought to as a substitute “give again to the corporate” is offensive and ridiculous. It’s not that completely different than saying you’re anticipated to donate a few of your wage again to the corporate, or to go with out dear medicines so the corporate’s medical health insurance prices don’t go up.
Your trip depart is a part of your compensation. You negotiated that compensation, they usually agreed to it.
I’m curious whether or not you negotiated that enhance with the supervisor herself or with another person, like HR. Both means, it’d make sense to return to HR now and say you’re receiving combined indicators in regards to the compensation you thought had been agreed on, clarify what the supervisor stated, and ask them to make clear.
Alternately, you can return to the supervisor and say one thing related. For instance: “I used to be involved once we final spoke that you simply stated you didn’t count on me to make use of the total quantity of trip depart the corporate agreed to once I accepted the job. I particularly negotiated extra depart in lieu of negotiating wage and took the corporate at its phrase when it agreed to X weeks, so I hoped we might clear that up and get on the identical web page earlier than I begin.”
In all probability the best choice of all of them: say it to each HR and the supervisor in an e-mail to each, in order that she’s not going round them together with her personal, unsanctioned messaging.
Even after this, it’s potential that you can begin this job and all the things will likely be fantastic — you can be assertive about taking the time you negotiated and that it gained’t bitter your relationship together with your new supervisor in a big means. Some pink flags spell sure or near-certain doom, however I don’t assume this one is as clear-cut in the event you’re assertive about what you negotiated.
But it surely’s additionally potential that she will maintain it in opposition to you and/or will stress you about trip time in ways in which considerably alter the situations you thought you had been accepting once you took the job. You gained’t know till you begin, and possibly not till after a couple of months go by.
However comply with up on that dialog now and make it clear that you simply took the corporate at its phrase and wish them to stick to it. That offers you the very best probability of holding on to what they agreed to.