Negotiate For More Vacation

Posted on by Forest in General, Opinion, Saving Money & Finances, Vacations

Negotiate For More Vacation – Let’s face it, vacation policy in the USA sucks, it’s stone age authoritarian bull crap and doesn’t exactly shine of giving a crap for workers lives. Times are hard in the world of employment but if you keep your wits about you work smart and hard you may be able to negotiate more vacation and keep the bosses happy.

Negotiate For More Vacation

Negotiate For More Vacation

Let’s face it, even if you love your employment, you don’t work for a living because you love working. A job is normally a way to earn money to enjoy life and under current USA vacation time policy most companies only offer 9 or 10 starting days to new employees with an increase of 1-2 days per year of service. Granted there are normally another 9-10 days of federal observed holidays for most places but it’s still pitiful compared to the golden pastures of the European vacation policy. Do you think companies in Europe get less work done or earn less money? It’s possible but I very much doubt it. So how on earth do you get more vacation time signed off with the big cheeses? Let’s take a look at some of your options.

Negotiate For More Vacation if you are negotiating for a new job….

I won’t go making grand statements here. The job market really sucks and if you have been offered a nice job in a well respected company and position it is very likely you fended off 100-300 other able applicants to get there. Sure the company wants you but they could find similar people from all the other screaming people waving their resumes! So before you even start, tread carefully.

That of course doesn’t mean you don’t have any room. Most packages are offered to new employees with a little leg room to re-negotiate the deal and the company know this. Plus professional and reasonable negotiation may actually impress your employer.

You should always enquire if there is room to increase the paid vacation days or if not if there is any chance of adding unpaid days contractually. They may take this route if it’s about money and maybe if money isn’t really an issue to you (life is often worth more) then maybe consider accepting a small salary drop if they offer up more vacation. Just be careful and don’t over pressure anything. If they don’t move on anything then you may have to sit tight for a while.

Related: Best ways to negotiate salary

Negotiate For More Vacation if you are already in the job….

Now you are established in the company, everyone knows you are a hard, trustworthy and important worker. Great, you are in a good position. You shouldn’t run right in there and spout off about how much you deserve but maybe work up a plan.

Get yourself really organised at work, get your duties in order and if in a position start delegating some tasks to others. Pull a little OT here and there and improve your work place image to the point where you are seen to be the most organised person in the office. Of course this all may be harder than I am saying but you see where I am going.

When you feel confident list down your duties, what you offer the company and how you will be covered if you have extra vacation (your good organisation skills should come into play here). Call a meeting and ask for more paid days as a start. Of course you can fall on the unpaid days if that doesn’t fly as well as you hope and you can eat the wage drop.

Alternatively you could look at asking for time off in lieu. Basically if you work an extra hour every monday and tuesday night, unpaid, the hours should add up to days off in no time if you employer is hip to the idea of arranging more flexible working and time off hours. This is becoming a lot more acceptable these days so even if your company has never done it, it may interest them and you never know could spread to the whole office.

Of course there is a chance none of this could work and you are back to square one but at least you tried and it may give you a boost you need to start considering other options.

If you are looking for more time and organisation in your life I really really recommend you read The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris, you will be inspired.

I would love to hear your thoughts, tips and real life experience with trying to ‘Negotiate For More Vacation’. Thanks for reading as always.

Tags: job tips, more vacation, vacation