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Just started my vacation from work and my co-worker asked if I can come in for 3 hours...What's the nicest way to say no?

Ultron

Ultron

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
2,768
If you're really just at home and there's an amount of money you'd do it for, you could ask for like quadruple pay and extend the vacation a day on the other end, but otherwise fuck that. If it's a co-worker asking, and not the manager, they probably don't have the authority to do that anyway.
 
Annubis

Annubis

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,656
Please contact XYZ who I set up as my replacement while I'm away.

(Assuming you did dictate who to contact while you are away.)
 
HiLife

HiLife

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
39,648
I wouldn't even answer the phone. Does this person not know you're using your vacation days? Those should be the days you're completely off limits.

Honestly I'd probably be a little harsh and annoyed lol.
 
Kraid

Kraid

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,256
Cuck Zone
fanboi said:
The flip side to this is that due to our good laws we tend to actually try to help since we have the freedom to actually say no without consequence.
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I was on a global team that got laid off a couple of years ago, and while my severance was quite good all things considered, some of my European colleagues got paid for over a year after the layoff.
 
bananab

bananab

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,858
The longer the explanation, the more it'll seem like he's owed one. Try to think about it like this: is the onus on you to explain why you can't work while you're on vacation, or is it on him to explain why you should? Make him spend those mental cycles, you don't have to.
 
Gwarm

Gwarm

Member
Nov 13, 2017
2,151
Tathanen said:
Cite a specific obligation, it's not just "I'm on vacation" (even though that's obv reason enough, but it's not very convincing), but something like "no I'm doing xyz because I'm out," something that prevents you from leaving it.
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See, I feel the complete opposite. I'm on vacation and therefore I do not need to explain myself to anyone. "sorry, I'm on vacation" is about all you'll get from me. If it was a regular week and I really couldn't do it then I might say way.

Same thing for sick days. Some of my coworkers feel like they have to justify it by explaining what is wrong with them in excruciating detail, where I prefer to just say "out sick" and be done with it.
 
LunaSerena

LunaSerena

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,525
thecouncil said:
well, thats a weird way to go. whats wrong with "im on vacation"/"im not in town"?
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He's on PTO, he has no obligation to answer. He already answered a coworker, which means the rest of his coworkers should know by know he's on vacation.
Courtesy extends only so far, and continuing to answer will only encourage the others to keep pestering him.
 
Dekuman

Dekuman

Member
Oct 27, 2017
19,026
Meelow said:
I just started my vacation from work and my co-worker asked if I can come in tonight to close the store...How do I say no in a nice way?

I'm actually kind of pissed about this because nobody else gets asked to come in on their vacation.
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Do you like this co worker? Why would they ask you over someone else who 8s not on vacation.
 
Tathanen

Tathanen

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,035
Gwarm said:
See, I feel the complete opposite. I'm on vacation and therefore I do not need to explain myself to anyone. "sorry, I'm on vacation" is about all you'll get from me. If it was a regular week and I really couldn't do it then I might say way.

Same thing for sick days. Some of my coworkers feel like they have to justify it by explaining what is wrong with them in excruciating detail, where I prefer to just say "out sick" and be done with it.
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I mean, I agree idealistically! It's my time, get fucked. But I'm just thinkin more about what makes for less friction in an interaction.
 

Ravensmash

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,797
thecouncil said:
well, thats a weird way to go. whats wrong with "im on vacation"/"im not in town"?
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Yeah, I'd probably lean towards a generic response like this.

Especially if there's a chance people may not be aware.

Just add on a "I've received a couple of messages now, can you let the team know I'm away please?"

Done.
 
radioactivez0r

radioactivez0r

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,278
I was on board with the simple "I'm on vacation" but I've come around to just ignoring them. They are already disrespecting your time off, so there's no need to be polite in response. Just silence those people.

Tathanen said:
I mean, I agree idealistically! It's my time, get fucked. But I'm just thinkin more about what makes for less friction in an interaction.
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This is a hard lesson to learn; it has been for me. It's a fear of confrontation. If you let someone disrespect your time and boundaries, they learn it's OK. It's not OK. This is the smallest version of it - they have no right to your time off. If it creates "friction", that's on them and you'll know you stood up for yourself. I've had to push back on a recruiter lately who keeps trying to get me to change my schedule for him. Nah, sorry, that's not happening.
 
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Huncho_Houdini

Huncho_Houdini

Member
Dec 31, 2017
7,097
You're not obligated to respond as you're not working. If you do, then just keep it simple.

Frankly you've already wasted enough time on this by making a thread and deliberating.
 

Dark Cloud

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
61,087
Why would he tell them "sorry". Some odd responses in here. He's on vacation. He doesn't need to do anything and they know it.
 
terrible

terrible

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,294
Toronto
Vacation = not working. Not working = no reason to even respond to any work related requests unless being available like that is actually an agreed upon part of your job.
 
HardRojo

HardRojo

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,119
Peru
"New phone, who dis?"
Tbh I don't mind getting called from work while on vacation if it's a small thing or a quick call (30 mins tops), especially now that I can do that from anywhere with my phone and wfh, but requiring 3 hours and actually going somewhere? Nah, fuck that.
 
Anustart

Anustart

9 Million Scovilles
Avenger
Nov 12, 2017
9,049
Call em and tell them yes, then don't show up. Company has no record of it and you're laughing all the way to the beach.
 
Couleurs

Couleurs

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,351
Denver, CO
Don't ignore the text OP, that's just gonna lead to awkwardness. Tell them no, you are on vacation. You don't owe them anything (don't tell them that part). If you are bored and want the extra money, that's up to you. But it isn't your obligation to do it just because they asked.
 
Violence Jack

Violence Jack

Drive-in Mutant
Member
Oct 25, 2017
41,743
I'd ignore it if they already knew you were on vacation. That's not showing any respect towards you, so give them the same courtesy.

But that's just me because I'm petty and hate my job. I would instead just send a quick "I'm on vacation" message.
 
0ptimusPayne

0ptimusPayne

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,748
Pretty simple just to say Hey ________I'm unavailable and on Vacation. There's no need to say sorry at all, you haven't done anything wrong…
 
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