Hello - first time posting
I work for a retail company full time. I have been there for 1 year and 3 months and I have earned 2 weeks vacation time this year (as of Dec 06). I wanted to take 2 sundays off (family parties) and use some of my vacation time for those days. I was told by management that I can not use my vacation time for these 2 days and will have to take the full 2 weeks in July and not before or after that month. They are not busy now and I was a little confused as to why I could not use my some of my vacations days now.
Can the employer tell me when I can and cannot use my vacation time?
Thanks

Yes, your employer can make the rules about when vacation can and cannot be used, regardless of whether they are busy or not. No law gives you the guaranteed right to take vacation whenever you like.

ask for the company vacation policy which should have been included with your new hire packet when you started with them

This should outline how and when vacation time can be used. A company can request you ask for time off well in advance, or to use it in minimum blocks of time, but I highly doubt they can force you to take YOUR vacation time - this is your time, not theirs remember - when they tell you. If you request the time off within the guidelines set forth by the company, they are supposed to grant it.

In some manufacturing jobs they will tell you upfront they close for a particular week and you have to use vacation to cover that time if you wish to get paid, but it is optional.

If the policy leads you nowhere, go talk to your HR manager and find out what you can do.

A company can request you ask for time off well in advance, or to use it in minimum blocks of time, but I highly doubt they can force you to take YOUR vacation time - this is your time, not theirs remember - when they tell you. If you request the time off within the guidelines set forth by the company, they are supposed to grant it.



Well, actually, a employer CAN force an employee to take vacation at a specific time, or in specific blocks of time. Just because the employee has earned the time does not mean the employee can take it whenever they want, without supervisory/company approval.

"Guidelines" (if there are any) are just that. They hardly ever rise to the level of an enforceable contract, i.e. "they are supposed to grant it"; at least, legally.

I believe you reiterated almost exactly what I said.....

Almost every company I have ever worked for has a written vacation policy that clearly states how to get time approved and if there are periods when it can/cannot be used. Its just a basic thing companies have.

It's also retail, which sucks, but the first step is getting the policy and going from there. That should provide the answers and where the next step should be.

Nonetheless, the fact remains that EVEN IF there is no written policy, it is entirely up to the employer whether or not to approve vacation time. There are NO circumstances, barring a bona fide contract that says otherwise, in which the employer is required to allow an employee to take vacation time whenever they wish.