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#1676824 - 03/13/12 04:08 PM HR and vacation days
Anonymous
Unregistered

OK...suffering some culture shock here, coming from a larger bank to a smaller one...I cannot believe the vacation policies here and the minute detail with which it is monitored...first of all, there is the 2 week requirement, which I know has been hashed out so many times here already...but then, if you have more than 2 weeks, and decide to split it up, you cannot take, for example, 2 Tuesdays...it must be 1 Monday 1 Tuesday etc. with no discretion or flexibility on the part of a department to coordinate. There are other things here with regard to time off, personal days, sick days etc. that are micromanaged to the nth degree...surely HR people have much better, more productive things to do than to keep up with such details.
At my previous bank, you coordinated time off with your supervisor, and that was that...now I feel like I am back in the 19th century,..or earlier, with "Mr. Scrooge" peering over my shoulder. If I were so worried about being "abused" by my employees I would first stop to consider the caliber of employees that I had to begin with...there are other greater issues at stake if you can't trust people to manage time off appropriately. Just had to get this off my chest...and my hat is off to the many great HR people that take care of the important things without being micromanagers.

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#1676829 - 03/13/12 04:15 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
Night Train Offline
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Night Train
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,189
Down South
So sorry for your FI's rigidness.

I've worked for both, large and small, banks and I can say that you can find HR micromanagers in both settings.

One thing is for sure...it can be unpleasant if you don't know all of the "rules".

Nothing worse than HR sweating the small stuff!

Maybe there rules are in place because they've had problems with abuse in the past or possibly they haven't had abuse by employees with this policy...why change something that works. (?)

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#1676906 - 03/13/12 05:17 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
Anonymous
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I also recently moved from a large bank to a small one. Fortunately my new bank does not have the rigid time off policy as the orig anon's. Policies vary per institution.

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#1677107 - 03/13/12 08:51 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
chenin Offline
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chenin
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,120
Here as long as you have the time, and supervisors approval, you can take the time off. Sorry you have such a complicated vacation policy.

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#1677116 - 03/13/12 09:02 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
Sallaia Offline
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Sallaia
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 42
Tennessee
That is definitely the opposite of our community bank's vacation policy. They let the supervisor/manager handle my schedule and let me tell you, it is pretty flexible. From your description of the policy, I would be frustrated too.
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#1678573 - 03/16/12 02:23 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
HappyGilmore Offline
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 19,844
Pulling people out of the ditc...
it is my experience that these banks which are restrictive are usually family owned banks and the plan has not been updated since the dark ages. I left a bank that employees had to work 15 years before they got a 3rd week...it took me 3 years to get this change put in place t reduce non VP to 10 years, and VP and above to immediate, they just couldn't fathom that no one has that antiquated a policy. The big guy didn't care, he could take off whenever he wanted.
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#1678591 - 03/16/12 02:36 PM Re: HR and vacation days HappyGilmore
ACBbank Offline
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ACBbank
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,344
New York City
Originally Posted By: HappyGilmore
The big guy didn't care, he could take off whenever he wanted.


That's usually the problem. The top two or three people have free reign to do whatever they want, while the rest are expected to walk the line. And people wonder why banking has such high turnover.
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#1678756 - 03/16/12 05:20 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
girlsrope2 Offline
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 114
Land of Capitalism
Sad. . truly sad. It all seems so simple and yet owners/sr. management have a tough time with it. Happy employees = happy customers.
Last edited by girlsrope2; 03/16/12 05:20 PM.
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#1678790 - 03/16/12 05:50 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
Anonymous
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I think the point about the policy being some holdover from the dark ages may be correct. At the first institution I worked, no one could take the first 10 days, or last 10 days of a quarter as vacation, so never any vacation at Christmas/New Year's time. This was due to the fact that we calculated and paid interest by hand quarterly, and clients only got interest if they deposited in the first 10 days of the new quarter, so very busy times. Once everything was automated this policy was no longer necessary. Sounds like this policy was designed to work around those types of things?

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#1682549 - 03/27/12 02:38 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
PSB Offline
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 19
I work at a smaller community bank with 2 branches and have been here 23 years. The vacation policy has never been changed in those years. You must be here for 10 years before getting 3 weeks vacation and 25 years before getting 4 weeks. And 4 weeks is the maximum.

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#1755703 - 11/06/12 09:42 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
Anonymous
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I am the original poster of this thread. I think that maybe the bank might just be re-thinking the 2 weeks' consecutive vacation, but for me it is too late...not only for that reason but for many others, which I will keep to myself at this point, I am moving on to another place. I hope that anyone else who has to contend with a mandatory 2 weeks' consecutive vacation can find relief [provided you find that to be a problem.]

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#1755705 - 11/06/12 09:46 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
Susielou Offline
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 362
Midwest
I have worked at a small community bank for 30 years. Still 2 week consecutive, birthday off and get third week after 10 years. That's it.

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#1755785 - 11/07/12 12:27 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
Retired DQ Offline
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Retired DQ
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 40,766
Turnpike Exit 10
I believe the 2 week consecutive is a layover from FDIC's best practices. In the past this may have helped detect insider abuse, but with current technology, I can't see how that can help.

That said, my fiance's bank requires 2 weeks together, and they are twice my bank's size, which does not have that policy.
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#1755787 - 11/07/12 01:08 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
NotDoneYet Offline
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NotDoneYet
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 482
PA
I have been at this smaller community bank for almost 5 years. I have to work 16 yrs to get ONE extra vacation day! No incentive to stay any length of time really. I didn't realize just how important it was to have negotiated 3 weeks vacation before I took the job.
I do hope to retire from banking in 3 yrs. No, I won't be quite "old" enough. It'll be time to find a job with shorter work days. Being here 10 hours a day isn't living.

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#1756154 - 11/07/12 07:09 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
Anonymous
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Never mind the time off, the pay tends to suck too. MS Degree but new to banking. Full compliance responsiblities. Started at $30,000 now up to $32 after 2yrs. I do believe that's less than entry level. Oh and I now speak fluent BSA/HMDA/SAFE/RESPA/MDIA etc. Doesn't matter. But I tell them when I'm taking time off and they don't say no. They know I'm here to help and don't need the $$.

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#1756168 - 11/07/12 07:32 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
Anonymous
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The previous bank I worked at you had to take two consecutive weeks. After 5 years you got 3 weeks and after 10 you got 4 weeks. We were aquired a couple of years ago and they only required you to take one full week (5 days in a row) off. We were lucky and they allowed us to keep what our current vacation weeks were (I'm up to 4) We are now merging with another bank and at this point I don't know what they offer. Rumor has it they are looking at us long timers to see if they will allow us to keep our current weeks as well. I'll just be happy if I still have a job when this is done.

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#1756203 - 11/07/12 08:25 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
Anonymous
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Originally Posted By: Anonymous
Never mind the time off, the pay tends to suck too. MS Degree but new to banking. Full compliance responsiblities. Started at $30,000 now up to $32 after 2yrs. I do believe that's less than entry level. Oh and I now speak fluent BSA/HMDA/SAFE/RESPA/MDIA etc. Doesn't matter. But I tell them when I'm taking time off and they don't say no. They know I'm here to help and don't need the $$.



For a reference, that is what I make but $32 after 1 year. Fresh out of college with no experience in compliance.

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#1756229 - 11/07/12 08:47 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
rlcarey Online
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rlcarey
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 83,227
Galveston, TX
Two suggestions:

1. As a college graduate feel lucky you even have a job.

2. If the pay and benefits suck, find something else to do that better meets your expectations.

Most banks compensate what they have to to keep positions filled. It is a simple supply and demand equation.
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#1829957 - 07/03/13 11:45 AM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
TryingtoComply Offline
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 2,199
The West
I'm a little confused, you said you don't need the money? Perhaps you have made it clear that you are independently wealthy and just doing your job for the fun of it.........

Seriously, be thankful you have a job. There are plenty of people that would like to have yours.
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#1830259 - 07/03/13 05:49 PM Re: HR and vacation days rlcarey
Anonymous
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We start out with 3 or 4 weeks depending on job function. After 5 years, it jumps to either 4 or 5 weeks. I have 5 weeks right now and after 10 I will get another week. I am them maxed unless I would become an Exeuctive Officer, which is unlikely.

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#1830273 - 07/03/13 06:07 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
Anonymous
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One week on, one week off at current employer. It seems to work for everyone.

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#1833870 - 07/17/13 11:00 PM Re: HR and vacation days Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered

My previous employer (a large bank) had a very lax and generous vacation policy but my current employer (a community bank) is more structured and not as generous.
I have found that even though they have a 2 week policy I just ask for the days I want and keep my head down and things work out good.

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