What would you do?

I am in quite a pridiciment. so i am wondering what you guys would do. all input is welcome. Say you are 17 years old. been working 2 jobs for almost 7 months. but i work at a meat market. now remember i am 17 years old,worked FULL TIME for the meat market this summer,and live to deer hunt. my boss has just told me that i can either have opening morning of rifle season off,or second afternoon off, and one other full day the last week of zone 1’s season. What would all of you do here? i was hoping to get the first 7 days off and then work the rest of the season. guess it aint goin to happin this year. i want to put in my two week notice but at the same time i dont want to put it in. any help would be very appreatiated. thanks

wyatt

Time to come up with a *dead uncle*.

From a person being on both sides of this…believe it or not I was once 17 too…although a duck hunter…

First off, did you give him pleanty of notice that you wanted this time off? Assuming that you did…you might want to (in a non threatening way) tell him how much this means to you and that you were counting on it.

Second, do you know what the schedule is for other workers? Would it be possable to ask others to work your shifts..then go back to your boss and hand him the schedule that you designed? I think deer season is in Nov…maybe you could work some shift for others now…then they would cover for you later(?)

Third, (I hope you are in good standing with you boss for this…..last resort ONLY (if you are serious about leaving). Before you do this make sure that whatever he comes up with isn’t going to work for you and that your deer hunting is more important than the income, job satifation and benefits are. IF you are prepared to loose your job…read on…

Giving a two week notice…brings your employment to an end. Final….that’s it. If you were to sit down with your boss…where there isn’t any distractions for either of you…and just tell him….exactly the question you posted above. Show him that you like working at butcher shop X..and really don’t want to go, but you really need this time off. (I’m going to assume he’s not a hunter)..if that’s the case you might want to bring some of last years photos in and tell him “why” it means “that” much to you…

Avoid ultimatums (sp?) and threatening to quit…If you’ve explained the situation correctly…he will know that if he doesn’t let you have the time off…he will be spending money hiring and training someone else in anyway. It’s going to be in his…and the butcher shops best interest to …at the very worst…bite the bullet for a week while you were away.

Now, if you didn’t give him any notice…find a dead uncle….you’re screwed

Wyatt CALL OFF. You only have fifty years of work in front of you till retirement.

Well, if you’ve worked there full time, i’m sure you’ve mentioned that fact that you like to hunt a time or two….He’s bound to know that hunting season means the world to you. But as mentioned above, I hope you gave him ample notice.

If he knows this and still denies you, I’d tell him to FO and find a new job. You’re young, there should be plenty of stuff out there for you to do.

Well i agree with Slop.You are only young once,and i know the money is short when you are a teenager.I think if you want to go hunting the opener go for it.If he dose not like do what Slop say’s.Remember what you do not do while you are young,you will wish you did while you are old.

Hmmmm. Some of you guys..

First off. Have you been a GOOD employee. I am not busting your chops, but only you know deep down if the boss thinks highly of you, or or have you just “shown up for work”. Is it a good job and work that you enjoy? If you are a good employee and the boss values your work, go to him and tell him you were hoping for a little more time off. It may be a little much to expect a whole week off. Maybe a compromise can be found and you could have say 3 full days and a couple mornings until noon.

Ask him if you have acrued any “vacation” time and if so you want to take it. Explain to him that deer season is important to you.

Offer to work extra over Christmass or when other employees want off in exchange for more time off during deer season. Does the shop proccess deer? If so, they will be very busy from the end of deer season, offer to work extra then for time off now.

BrianK also had a good suggestion with seeing if you can find others to work some days for you, creating your own version of the schedule.

My last words of advice. Anyone can quit, thats the easy, lazy way out. Being a butcher is a skill/trade that must be learned. I assume your doing that. Its also a small “community” and if you quit, I am sure word gets around. Try to work out a solution thats viable for you and your employer. There are other opportunites to hunt, late season, archery, muzzleloader etc. Quitting should be your last option and surely over something more than a scheduling conflict.

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You are only young once,and i know the money is short when you are a teenager.I think if you want to go hunting the opener go for it.If he dose not like do what Slop say’s.Remember what you do not do while you are young,you will wish you did while you are old.

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I agree with the above. I am 60+ now and wish I had put a little more into the things I liked to do instead of work. If you worked full time all summer you deserve I few days off.

Don’t upset the BOSS, but tell him you are going hunting and you will give him 200% when you get back.

Maybe print this thread and show it to him and explain that is why your job is not your #1 priority.

JIM

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My last words of advice. Anyone can quit, thats the easy, lazy way out. …..

……Quitting should be your last option and surely over something more than a scheduling conflict.

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Fishaholilk…don’t scare me like that….we AGREE on something!

Geez! I’ve very surprized at some of these responses! Not that they are wrong and mine’s right…no ones point of veiw is wrong…

Working with young adults 16 to 18 years mostly) for 25 years, the one thing that saddened me most is when an employee didn’t give me a chance to work through a problem with them. No show…no call…then when they came back asking for their job back…I couldn’t…How could I? It just sent a message to all the other workers they could not show up and then they would still have a job…
Who suffers when someone doesn’t show up or quits? The other employees that need the job and YOU, the customer… But then we can sit here and complain about how bad service is…true..it does give us something to complain about.

Looking at employment from a bosses point of view… I could fire anyone person darn near any day…They would break some sort of policy rule and could be terminated…A TRUELY GOOD MANAGER, IS ONE THAT CAN COACH AN EMPLOYEE INTO BEING A GREAT EMPLOYEE…and A GREAT EMPLOYEE IS ONE THAT TREATS THE BUSINESS AS HIS OWN.

Would you give someone advise to quit school if you can’t get deer hunting time off?

As an employer today, I’m looking at a resume…Why did you leave your last employer…Oh, because he wouldn’t let you go deer hunting? No problem, I’ll hire you…NOT!

Again, my views are my own and I’m not forcing them on anyone with opposing views. Just voicing them here.

I’m also a firm believer that when I’m lying on my death bed…I won’t be looking back at my life saying “I wish I would have worked more”. That’s a quote from someone.

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Would you give someone advise to quit school if you can’t get deer hunting time off

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Not quit BK, SKIP!!!

Like I said b4, if the Manager knows anything about this Kid, he knows how much this means to him….what harm is a couple days off….(provided he’s a good employee)

there are too many if/ands/intangibles here that we don’t know….

I know a butcher who has this same problem each year. They often work late into the night. Offer to work after shooting hours.

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there are too many if/ands/intangibles here that we don’t know….

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That is true and I need more…

Nobody ever looked up from their death bed and with their final gasp utter “I wish I would have worked more hours”.

Follow the good advice listed above (especially Briank and Fishaholik) but also remember that you have to look out for #1. A lost deer season is GONE and there’s no way to get it back. The world is full of bosses who will bleed you dry if you let them.

Good luck

Rootski

I have to agree with BK and Fishaholik. Explain to him, in a nonthreatening and fair manner, that you need some time off to “regroup” and get back on track. Let him know that you enjoy the work, and appreciate the job, but your efficiency has gone down and you need to have some time to yourself. Don’t say vacation, just time off. If he is a good boss, and you show a need to get away, can find someone to cover for you, he should not have a problem.

I also have to agree with some of the other guys, if you have a solution to the problem and bring it to him, (others to cover for you), he cannot say no to a problem that does not exist. You also have showed incredible forsight and management skills to get others on track to solve a potention deal breaker. If you truely like this work, and would like to do it as a career, he will gain more respect for you, and you will have more advancement oportunities.

Stay away from the ultimatum (sp.). All that will get you is out of work.

And this is all coming from a guy who was 17 not too long ago, and remembers how hard it is to find something I wanted to do, and could make money at. Keep at it.

I have to agree with Fish and Briank on this one.

Being 17 you are probably low man on the totem pole. Most likely there are other guys that opener mean just as much to them. I would not quite over something like this but that is just me.

Ron

When I was in those predicements growing up the job always came first. What kind of precedence would you be setting for yourself not to mention your reputation if you quit your job to hunt a certain day? If it’s a crummy job and your boss is a jerk then quit. Otherwise welcome to adulthood.

Take this advice for what it is but at least know that I have been down this road as we all have, but I made the wrong decision………..

DON’T BURN YOUR BRIDGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you never know when you might have to cross back

I quit my landscaping job when I was 17 to go up for opening fishing, worked there for 2 years was never late, alway did my job was well liked my boss and the owner, I got invited to xmas parties, and days out on the boat, but when I said if I can’t have it off I’ll quit, he said threats don’t work see you later!!

well I did get another job, but it sucked,,,,different company, different boss not the same fun that I had before…

went back to ask for my job back and he said no…. if you would have explained things to me and asked to work it out things might be different….. oh well right??

well out of college I didnt’ have a job right away and asked him again, this time he said yes, luckly he’s a good guy and taught me a great lesson!

Well said Suzuki!!!!

You will go far in life if you have good job ethics. Today’s employers BEG for people with good job ethics. Calling in sick or walking away, because you want to have fun is not the right way to start off in life.

Yes, you have your whole life in front of you, so you in the first place need to make decisions as to whether you want to be employed in life or you want to just screw off, fishing, hunting, chasing girls………

Put your priorities in order at what is important to you in the long run. You have your whole life to play.

Talk more to your boss as what options exist so you can go deer hunting. Inform him of how important it is to you. But do you really want to put your boss in a bad predictament, where he is left short handed???? Have you ever gone into a McDonald’s and waited 15 minutes for a Big Mac and complained about it???? Well, that was because someone with bad work ethics didn’t show up to work…….. Do you think that person is on the right path in the job market????

I would only quit if you have another job lined up. a couple of months from now when a bill is due or you want to buy something you may miss your paycheck more than a day of deer hunting. it will definitly hurt to miss the big day at first but you will get over it. this year i was given a new schedule at work which meant working sat. mornings and i missed my first sat. morning of opening bass season ever. i was pissed and almost gave my 2 weeks. in hind sight i am glad i didnt and have just learned to play around my schedule. there are many speed bumps in life ahead of you, you have to learn to go over them slowly. do you know anyone in southern wi. our seson in cwd areas is open from oct.27-jan 3

I agree totally with you Gary. He is only 17 and God Willing he will have many, many years ahead of him to deer hunt. I don’t know his whole situation at work but now is the time in his life he needs to get and keep his priorities straight. Bending over for his boss now can go a long way towards the kind of relationship he has with future employers. I can’t see giving up a good job just so I don’t miss a week of deer hunting. I would imagine that he might be able to work with his boss and the other employees to see about possibly getting at least the opening day off. If that isn’t possible then just suck it in and work.

Eyehunter

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If he knows this and still denies you, I’d tell him to FO and find a new job. You’re young, there should be plenty of stuff out there for you to do.

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If you take this route, make sure you find a new job first. Don’t get your in a sling. It’s almost Xmas time, a lot of places will be hiring seasonal help.

Also, at future job interviews, explain to your potential employer that under no uncertain terms you need the opener off. It will let them know where you stand in advance, and they won’t hire you if it’s that crucial to them for you to work at that time.

I do this regarding a week in spring for an annual BWCA drinking uh fishing trip I take. I’ve only had one employer renig and I don’t work there now.

Finally, try to compromise, keep your cool, and use every angle you can. Don’t burn any bridges and only tell them to FO as a last resort, but say it in a really nice way.
“I’m sorry boss, but this is really important to me. I’m not going to be in to work at these times for these days. I hope you understand. If it costs me my job it’s both our losses. I hope when I get back I’m still employed…”
Good luck.

Take a hard realistic look at your situation.

You work at a butcher shop, I’m assuming “Meats on Mille Lacs” and the man you work for has taken you under his wing and is teaching you a trade . Being taught a trade is very important in the absence of a college degree. Don’t screw it up because you want to basically….play! Back when this man took you under his wing he was planning at that time to have you trained and ready in time for this opening weekend. Be glad he has planned on giving you the time off he has. I’ve stopped in there many times on opening day, and the monday after opener, and usually by noon on opening day, he’ll have 40-60 deer brought in, and on monday, that number’s up to about 200, with more coming in. It IS his busiest time of the year. He needs you there. He built his business plans around having you there. If you aren’t there, it will cripple his business terribly.

Now I don’t know if you want to be a butcher, or if it was “just a job”, but you need to think about a couple things. If you want to be a butcher, walking out on him now will gaurentee you won’t get a favorable job reference anywhere else from this man, so basically that job experience is lost. Secondly, and even more importantly, if you think you want to be a butcher, face reality, you will have this problem every year for the rest of your life.

Santa doesn’t take time off in December, and butchers don’t take time off during deer season. There is no changing that.

As a recruiter for a company with a fair amount of turnover, the first thing I look for is the number of jobs a person has had in the past 5 years. I understand that it’s much more common for a person to have a few jobs in that period of time, but it tells me a lot about a person if they only have 1 or 2 jobs in the past 5. If you’re thinking about making a career out of this, miss some hunting. Down the line when you’ve built up some seniority, then you’ll get first dibs on time off. It’s a tough call, at any age.

One more thing, it is not uncommon these days for employers to release an employee on the spot when they give their notice. Reduces the risks of things “happening”.

As the owner of a small business, I would advise you to sit down with the owner and try to talk it out. Most owners want to keep their employees, if for no other reason than he has invested a lot of time and training. If you just quit, you have probably lost an opportunity at getting a good referral for any future jobs.

Good Luck,
Mike

Hey guys..

I didn’t REALLY mean for him to tell his boss to FO ….

I agree w/HOF, sit down and talk to him….if he still doesn’t budge for a even a day of hunting…I would SERIOUSLY tell him that you are going to start looking for another job…As an employee, don’t get taken advantage of when it comes to things like Vacation, time off, breaks, lunches, whatever…..I know you are in a different environment…but if it exists, look at the policies in place, know what you’re rights are…that’s all

Most of what everyone here has said has had its valid points…and like i said above, too many intangibles here to make an informed opinion….

Good Luck…hope you get off…

Another thing that I don’t know if was mentioned or not is to decide what is right for you. Lots of people can give you advice, but only you really know what is right for you. If you decide that it is best for you to quit your job, than more power to you, and same with keeping the job.

When I was 14, I had to miss the annual Canada fishing trip to take driver’s ed. I said many times that I would skip drivers ed and go on the trip because I thought it was more important at the time. Looking back on it, I am glad I missed the trip because when I got that drivers licence on my 16th birthday I was able to go fishing whenever I wanted to. Anybody that saw me during the week that everyone else was in canada knew I wasn’t easy to get along with then, but looking back on it 8 years later, missing that one year was much better in the long run that if I would have gone.

The advice that I can give you is to look 5 years into the future and think about where you want to be. Do you want to be working as a butcher or not? Think about the answer to that question and then YOU decide what is the best route to get to where you want to be. If I would have done that when I was 14, I wouldn’t have been such a pain in my mom’s backside the week my dad and brother were gone.

This is going to depend on how big of an outfit you’re working for too. If it’s a small operation you can probably sit down with the boss and come to an agreement. If it’s a big corporation I doubt they’d even listen to you. I worked for Defense contractor/Aerospace outfits for 30 years and you wouldn’t even think about asking for time off. If you did then you’d be on the “B” list and next quarters layoff come around and you’re gone.

The first time I saw the movie “Office Space” I thought it was a documentary. I’ve seen 90% of that movie happen in real life.

Rootski

I agree with Jack. Its a good job and the people are nice. There are alot of kids waiting to get in there. You dont get too many chances in that small town..