How is your company HR handling the snow days? (luxury, contractor)

[MagazineFreak]

I work for a non-profit membership association. We were closed last Friday, and all of this week. Yes, it is awesome. Most of us were still doing some work remotely, trying to keep things running, since we are a service organization.

I did have to take a day of leave last Wednesday since my kids didn't have school.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by VRE332

Me and the gang are being docked personal leave for the snow days. It does not seem fair that the snow caused me to loose a day of my vacation. What's everyone else doing? using sick time or vacation?

I got credited regular time and didn't lose any of my vacation time (as I know of). The company was closed for four days and 1/2 a day last Friday. When they close they pay you regardless.

[ngadude]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

The contract I worked on for 20 years was, at first, cost plus incentive fee and then on the last go round in switched strictly to fixed fee. We suffered more under fixed fee. I guess it all really just depends on how your contract rates are worked out.

You are right - I've worked on both types and it doesn't always follow that one type of contract is better than the other. Like you I've been in the industry for 20 years (actually more than that). Not all with the current employer either for that matter.

[Workin_Hard]

Originally Posted by ngadude

My company never closes for snow. We are a federal contractor and if we don't work billable hours then it would come out of the corporate bottom line. They say the shareholders would not be happy to see a line item like that. It is a business decision. I don't agree with it.

Anyway, I can't work from home due to needing to work on classified equipment.

So, all I can do is try to make up the 2 days I was out (Monday & Wednesday). I may work some this weekend so I don't have to burn 2 vacation days this pay period (which ends a week from today). If I work 8 hours this weekend, and work late a few days next week, I may be able to salvage those two vacation days.

I agree, it stinks. But such is life if you work for a federal contractor - we can't bill the gov't for hours we don't work on the project. It would have to be charged to overhead, and charging overhead is "bad".

There is no such thing as sick leave for us either.

I know awhile back there was some nasty thread on here that several posters made it sound like federal contractors were overpaid, underworked, etc. etc. compared to their federal gov't counterparts. We don't get sick days, we don't get snow days, but we may get paid better, and we get a pension plan (at least at my company, but some others as well). There are pluses and minuses, but many of us would have liked to have not burned vacation time this week, or else have to work weekends/evenings the rest of the pay period to make those 2 days up. It isn't always "the grass is greener on the other side" so to speak. I suspect it kind of evens out, but depends what is important to you in life. In my company we don't get off for President's Day either, by the way!

I think we may work at the same place. But then that's life in a bunker, eh?

[OrangeFish]

I work for a trade association and everyone received administrative leave. However, I have a big project going on and worked remotely throughout the week (as well as last weekend) as did several of my project team members.

[Green Irish Eyes]

Closed for Mod review.

[bmwguydc]

This thread is reopened with emphasis on the original topic: How various employers handle snow days in the region. Please stay on the topic at hand, and discuss that issue, only! Your cooperation is appreciated.

[ngadude]

Originally Posted by Workin_Hard

I think we may work at the same place. But then that's life in a bunker, eh?

You may be right! As you say, that's "life in the bunker". Literally speaking in my case - my equipment is in a Humvee and i've been out in the field in some foreign countries like South Korea! Anyway, I burned 2 vacation days last week, but the 2 week pay period ends this Friday. I may work 2 hours late a day or two and make up perhaps 4 hours of those 16 hours. I thought about going in this weekend, but decided, no, I didn't feel like it! The job is very rewarding though, and like any company, has it's pluses/minuses. "Grass is always greener on the other side' as they say, but for me, I'm happy where I am and there are benfits like pension plan and so on. No incentive to change companies at this point, unless the project gets canceled for some bizarre reason (Congress cuts funding).

I will say this, my employer's policy of not closing for snow - topic of much discussion this week! One manager openly said in a staff meeting that he hates it too! I don't think anyone likes it, but I understand the reasoning, it's a "business/financial" decision. It would come out of the company's bottom line, and as it is a publicly traded company on the NYSE I don't think the shareholders would like to see a line item that says "Snow day costs" in the deficit column! It would be illegal to charge that time to the gov't, obviously, as no hours were spent working on the contract for the days we were not at work. So, would come out of the company's "bottom line' as it were. I understand it, but I don't have to like it!

[athousandlogins]

I work for the Commonwealth. (And make less money than any of you feds or contractors, so I don't want to hear it, LOL). I get paid for snow days, usually. Though I didn't get paid for THESE snow days...my first day at work was supposed to be Monday. It got put off until Friday, because my office was closed until Friday. And the one circumstance when we don't get paid for snow days? When they fall on our start date. D'OH! Which makes total sense and as a taxpayer, I support this 100%. But I missed out on 4 days of pay, and don't even have the option of using it as vacation or whatever.

[Caladium]

Personally, I was very glad to go to work on Thursday. I'd had enough of staying at home, and I was glad to have something else to think about besides the 24-7 snow coverage on tv.

I work for a very small company. Like many other small businesses they were already struggling due to the recession. I'm very very very glad they opened on Thursday and were able to service customers and even land a few extra accounts because we were opened when others were closed due the storm. The sad thing is, this blizzard will be the straw that breaks the camel's back for many small businesses. I don't mind giving 250% right now to help my company make it through a tough situation because if a blizzards breaks them, I'm out of a job.