Of rights and rewards
Mr. X takes fills a leave application in his office, takes 2 weeks off, goes to Malta with his family. He returns on a Saturday, so that he can go back to work on Monday. Unfortunately, he gets food poisoning from the plane food. He calls up his office Monday morning to inform them that he'll be coming on Tuesday because of his health and he needs to go to the doctor first. What do you think will his boss's reaction be?
Will he say 'No problem. Take care of yourself. Make sure to get a note from the doctor though' casually or will he sound a bit cross as his employee stretched his holiday by one more day?
If Mr.X had not been on a holiday, but felt sick one Monday morning and called to inform his office, would the reaction of his boss be the same or slightly less cynical?
On the other hand, Mr. X would try his best to go to work despite his health, or end up feeling guilty/scared of the consequences.
Falling sick is not a crime definitely! Why fear?
Mr. X has 20 days of leave in a year. He wants to take 5 days off for his best friend's wedding in June. What does he tell his boss? The answer in 80% probability would be 'Its my sister's/brother's/cousin's wedding' or 'a relative is in the hospital and his condition is serious' at a later stage. The truth is not a strong enough reason, you see.
If an employee get 20days of holidays in a year, he/she HAS EARNED IT. IT IS NOT A FAVOUR BESTOWED BY THE MANAGEMENT. How anybody wishes to spend those 20days is entirely up to them, as long as they inform the management of the dates beforehand, not the plans. But both the management and the employees feel otherwise in some corner of their mind.
The company is not to be blamed - its rule states 20days, but it is a person usually, who is interested in the details and feels free to decide whether taking those days off is fairly reasonable or not, in many cases.
There are so many incidents where the boss threatens the employee of not getting a promotion/raise if they are not 'hard-working'(read in between the lines), women returning to work after their maternity leave are given a step-motherly treatment, extra-hours, over-time is unacknowledged, unappreciated. None punishable by law when done in a subtle manner, but nonetheless not acceptable.
Having said that, if the management is in fact, 'open-minded' like we feel it ought to be, how many employees would not take an advantage of the system?
Is there any balance that can be attained without compromising the interests of the management as well as the employees?
This is more common problem in India I guess. The 80% probability is so true - someone is sick and serious is a reason I used to take leave for my cousin's wedding! LOL.
This is a big headache here... i swear ..!! u know a jeeta jaagta example ..dont u ;)
I've had experience of working for a start-up where I was the 13th employee or somewhere around 13-15. The CEO always stated that 'we are an open and transparent' company in fortnightly meets on Sundays (yes, we all had time to meet on Sundays, as rest of days we'd be deployed at client locations). Yet it was never 'open or whatever'. I tried questioning CEO, other core people - but never got an answer - it was only silence!
The worst part is my Bangalore trip for Navaratri had to be called of because I did not get my leave approved only for one of the specified days (21st sep), cos 4 other guys in my team are on leave for Eid, and that I wouldn't be given as I don't celebrate Eid. I don't like to be religiously biased, but then in the end - I hate it!!
both employers above are different ones.
@Anand - Welcome to my blog :)
I guess its more common in India for bosses to totally pry into their employees' lives
@DiDo - I know...I feel bad for her. All this pressure has changed her a lot
@Aparna - The first scenario is almost everywhere, I think. Claims of 'transparency, openness' is seldom true. But I am truly shocked at the second case. How unfair and biased that is! Gah... I wonder how you dealt with it - I can't imagine how I would have reacted...
I dealt it with sarcasm! And - yet another twist came up last night, when manager calls up at night 1.30 saying you have an weekly off tomorrow (21st Sep), so don't come to work at 5am (that is my work-start time). I was dumbfounded on why had I to cancel my tickets earlier, on the say of this same manager?? I don't know why this happens to me!
I went to my college area this morning and several few places, its been a year and half I ever went anywhere than office in mornings, so was a change.
Gosh you have a LOT of patience gurl!!!
M glad you made good use of the sudden weekly off!
I iwsh someone comes from above to help us -- the employees. :( seriously we get sandwiched badly.
@Aanya - Indeed we do dear... I think we must have a more flexible work culture...hmmmm
Looks to me like a typical Indian IT Industry problem... However there are one or two managers who have jumped from heaven who really understand and appreciate the real reasons... Have worked with one such person. But the are very rare...
i feel blessed that i have an understanding boss!!they help making your professional life so uncomplex by being example themselves...
@CM-Chap- welcome to my blog!
I am glad you have met one of those rare specimens :)
It's not just in IT though, my friends working in finance in MNCs face the problem too. I agree with you that it's more common in India...
@wishes galore- Great going! I am sure you deserve it :)
good bosses are indeed a blessing considering that you spend at least a third of your day at work. Makes life easy...