How do I ask my new employer for vaction time? (August: tax, getaway)

[specialk3]

Hi I'm going to be starting a new job in August however, I already have a 7 day cruise in the carribean planned in February of 2008 for my 25th birthday. Should I try and cancel my birthday getaway? Or should I just let my new employer know that I already have this planned and ask for the time off?

[EscapeCalifornia]

That's something you might want to disclose before actually accepting the job offer.

[kettlepot]

I agree with Escape mention this to your future employer beforehand.

That being said, unless you're in the Tax prep or Flower industries the company will probably be willing to accommodate your planned trip. However, given that you won't have accrued very much vacation time by them, be prepared to for several of those days to be unpaid leave.

[Paula Lynn]

Don't ask. Have a belated birthday cruise after you've been with your Company for a year.

[phoenixxphyre]

I think most employers ask about your availability when they hire you. I would tell them that you already have this cruise planned and payed for. Make it clear that you don't expect them to pay you to take this vacation, and that you're willing to work extra hard for the opportunity to keep it (put in extra hours during the following weeks, etc.) The worst they can do is say no.

[Rats]

will you be salaried? if so, and your employer refuses give you as little as 5 paid vacation days, then it's not a good place to work. 10 days is the least any employer should be giving to salaried employees.

[SoCalMomma]

I agree that you should tell them upfront. It's not like you are asking for time off in September. They'll have plenty of time to plan for your absence. We are business owners and we'd never hold something like that against a new employee, IF we knew upfront.

[Freebird]

I absolutely agree with phoenix and others too - tell them upfront that you have this booked and paid for and would like to know if it's ok to take it as time off without pay. It should be far enough out that it will be workable and especially if they know before you accept the position. . .I have done this with several jobs before (hoping they would say it was ok) and they did.

[canibeyou]

Guess you could answer this question by reversing roles. If you were hiring someone and they had a planned vacation, would you want them to tell you about it? Or would you rather they tell you a week before they go?

[Freebird]

But, I did let them know first that I absolutely wanted the position and THEN said there's one thing, do you think it could be worked out that I could take this already-planned /payed for trip as time off without pay. They should be reasonable about this for you.