Work issue/question

[charming23]

Hello. I have a work issue/question. I am on vacation this week from my job. It has been planned since springtime and originally I was supposed to go out of town. My mom just spent a week in the hospital so instead I am at home taking care of her. My boss just texted me to tell me I need to be on a conference call that our district manager had emailed about on Saturday. Problem is I was officially on vacation starting Saturday and never saw the email. Plus my mom has a doctors appointment today at 2:30 and the call is at 3pm.

My question is should I be expected to take this call when I am on vacation and not clocked in at my work? It is for a meeting that I will be attending in a few weeks and am happy to go to. I just want to know if I am crazy for feeling like this is my vacation and I earned this time off without having to worry about work issues.

 

[osopecoso]

Possibly they are not aware you are on vacation.

 

[rwdavis2]

I would say no especially if you explain the situation. It really depends on how big of an idiot your boss is.

 

[lynxstch]

Hello. I have a work issue/question. I am on vacation this week from my job. It has been planned since springtime and originally I was supposed to go out of town. My mom just spent a week in the hospital so instead I am at home taking care of her. My boss just texted me to tell me I need to be on a conference call that our district manager had emailed about on Saturday. Problem is I was officially on vacation starting Saturday and never saw the email. Plus my mom has a doctors appointment today at 2:30 and the call is at 3pm.

My question is should I be expected to take this call when I am on vacation and not clocked in at my work? It is for a meeting that I will be attending in a few weeks and am happy to go to. I just want to know if I am crazy for feeling like this is my vacation and I earned this time off without having to worry about work issues.

I would text your boss back, and tell them what you just told us. If you are on vacation, you should not be expected to do any work business, IMO

 

[CinderDuffy]

"Hi Boss, I am on vacation from X/X until X/X. Thanks."

 

[Wishing on a star]

AUTO RESPONSE - Hello, you have reached Charming... I will be out of the office unti xx/xx/xx.

I would tempted to not immediately reply to any personal text.

But, at this point, the thing is... with your job, would your vacation time now be filed as Medical Leave, as you are required to care for a direct family member (parent/child)

If possible, and you could document all of this, it could free up some of your used vacation time. If this is the case, I would contact HR or your boss, to inform them of the situation and clear it all up ASAP.

 

[kamik86]

At my job it would partially depend on what the meeting was and if I could do it. I have called into things and gotten work calls on vacation. I have also been on vacations where that wasn't an option and they managed just fine without me. Most of the time honestly me being on the call probably benefited me more to know what happened first hand then it really did them.

 

[anniemae]

It stinks, but sometimes you have to do work on vacation. DH has had to be on conference calls when we are on vacation. It just depends on what kind of job you have, how short staffed you are, work place environment, how "high up" you are, what will happen if you miss the call etc. Can you take the call in your car while your mom is in with the dr.?

If you really don't want to, then just text back saying, "I am on vacation and not able to be on the call." Then face the consequences when you return.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

If you don't have auto response on your email when you go on vacation, you should. I say ignore it or say you are on vacation.

 

[soccerdad72]

If you don't have auto response on your email when you go on vacation, you should. I say ignore it or say you are on vacation.

ITA - like another poster said, it's possible your boss didn't remember you were on vacation.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

There are times when I have done important work while on vacation - something like a call that was business critical and couldn't be rescheduled. However, there are also times when I have forgotten that someone is on vacation and I've asked them to do something. My response would be that I was on vacation and had missed the invitation. Unfortunately, I had scheduled an appointment that conflicts. If the call is critical, could someone take notes and fill me in, or if I am a key player, could it be pushed to a better time?

 

[charming23]

Thanks for all the responses. I texted her back regarding my mom's appointment and have not heard back yet.

I work in retail and have never had a company who requires so many conference calls. I am not even a store manager.

AUTO RESPONSE - Hello, you have reached Charming... I will be out of the office unti xx/xx/xx.

I would tempted to not immediately reply to any personal text.

But, at this point, the thing is... with your job, would your vacation time now be filed as Medical Leave, as you are required to care for a direct family member (parent/child)

If possible, and you could document all of this, it could free up some of your used vacation time. If this is the case, I would contact HR or your boss, to inform them of the situation and clear it all up ASAP.

I left a message for our HR person asking her about this. I can have everything documented if need be. I had never thought of it this way.

 

[morgan98]

Are you hourly or salary? Not that being salary makes it okay to disrupt you on vacation, but that may change my opinion on you being expected to read emails etc.

I mean if this is an earth shattering conference call, it may be worth dialing into. Otherwise, I think you should remind your boss you are on vacation.

 

[sam_gordon]

If possible, and you could document all of this, it could free up some of your used vacation time. If this is the case, I would contact HR or your boss, to inform them of the situation and clear it all up ASAP.

I personally wouldn't recommend this (unless it took more than 2 hours). IMO, saying "I want 30 minutes of my vacation time back because I had to take a call" sounds really petty. How much time do you (general) use for personal items while at work (checking the Dis, making reservations, looking for a movie to go to, checking on your kids, making a hair appointment, etc)?

ETA: As a supervisor, if you told me you had an appointment and couldn't be on the call, or better yet, "ignore" the text until after the call, I'd be understanding.

 

[BLAZEY]

My boss, co-workers and I send out an office wide email before leaving the last day before vacation explaining when we will be gone, when we will return and who to contact if need arises while we are gone. That said I have taken a call or text on my personal phone while on holiday from those who were covering for me for clarification about something they were doing for me in my absence. 10 minutes of my time while I was in my hotel room for the evening would save me fixing something when I got back is much worth my time.

 

[sam_gordon]

My boss, co-workers and I send out an office wide email before leaving the last day before vacation explaining when we will be gone, when we will return and who to contact if need arises while we are gone.

Some of my coworkers do that. Personally, I'd rather get an auto reply when I send them an email. It's very possible I'll forget they have time off, especially if I don't have daily interaction with them.

 

[focusondisney]

To the original question: I think it depends on your company & your position. My DH is salaried management at a food production facility. He takes emails & an occasional call on vacation. Plus he tries to keep up with reports, etc. He does most of this to make his life easier after he gets back. But some if it does require up to where minute answers. So yes, he would possibly be expected to take the call. And we adjust our plans accordingly.

For myself, I am a health care worker at a unionized hospital. I get paid an hourly rate. Any meetings or training sessions must be part of my scheduled work hours. By contract I can not be required to come in or call into meetings on my off time. So for me, no, I would not be required to take that call. And since our vacation days are clearly marked in our posted schedules, no explanation needed.

 

[disneychrista]

They can totally expect/require you to call in for a conference call during your vacation. How your employer handles this is totally up to them.

As you have already done, call your boss and explain that you are on pre-approved time off. Let him know that you are not available to take the phone call at that time but will be happy to call in at another time or when you get back from your time off.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Sam, that is not what I said.

If the OP is now taking care of her mother, who was in the hospital and released, then she might, possibly, be able to list this time off as Medical instead of Vacation. And, not loose all of the vacation time for these days.
Depending on how her employer dictates and handles time off for these things.
Here, for us, medical and personal/vacation leave are two different things.

The question, from the original post, is "My question is should I be expected to take this call when I am on vacation and not clocked in at my work?"
Anyhow, I don't think anyone here can give 'absolute' answers, as we do not know the details of this OP's employment, compensation, vacation time, etc.

 

[sam_gordon]

Sam, that is not what I said.

If the OP is now taking care of her mother, who was in the hospital and released, then she might, possibly, be able to list this time off as Medical instead of Vacation. And, not loose all of the vacation time for these days.
Depending on how her employer dictates and handles time off for these things.
Here, for us, medical and personal/vacation leave are two different things.

The question, from the original post, is "My question is should I be expected to take this call when I am on vacation and not clocked in at my work?"
Anyhow, I don't think anyone here can give 'absolute' answers, as we do not know the details of this OP's employment, compensation, vacation time, etc.

My apologies. I thought you were referring to "freeing up vacation time" because she would have to do "work" on vacation.