is this true?

Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Posts: 20 Location: anywhere , America

We've been told by our HR that it is "Corporate Policy" that we must give our years vacation requests by the end of February. My store HR has told us things in the past that were supposedly "corporate Policy" and we found out it was HER policy to make her job easier. Is this just my store, or is it really a new policy? Why can't we see it in P&P? Most poeple don't know in January when they will need to take their vacation time. Can we be written up/terminated if we don't? Is she making her own rules again and using G.O. as her excuse? Has anyone else been told of this new policy?

Joined: 23 Aug 2003 Posts: 19 Location: Central Florida

That sounds crazy to me. What if you have family from out of state and they decide to come vist you, but they don't inform you until later in the year. Are you going to have to tell them no because Lowe's has a grip on your life. I don't think so. How can this make the job easier for the HR anyway. This person sound like they want to rule everyones life. and Ruin it also. Sounds like a bad marriage where the spouse dominates your every move. I for one did not take any vow's in front of a preacher or god when I got hired. So let us live our private lives the way we should. Evil or Very Mad

Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 110

Not true
Go to the training room computer, or probably any thin client terminal, click on HR Guide, (on WKLN) then choose compensation and benefits (I think)(there are only about five choices to choose from)
I think at this time of the year everyone flips out because all of the sudden everyone realizes they they still have vacation time left, and only two weeks to take it in.....makes for bad coverage, especially since most stores have to watch hours this time of the year anyway.
Corporate would like for us to take our different weeks of vacation in different quarters, and this makes sense for the most part.
Bottom line, your store manager is the CEO of his store, and he or she can require different things, but this sounds totally unreasonable, and it simply won't fly.

Joined: 05 Jan 2004 Posts: 7

well if you look on one of the request forms it says that you must give a 30 day advance notice not a year notice. and it also says that the manager is supposed to give a copy back to the employee 6 days after tehy receive it. my question is if the manger does not give it back within the 6 days does the employee automatically receive the vacation anyways.[/quote]

Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Posts: 214

tuffgal,
Haven't heard anything about that policy, sounds like a local store power play. How many times have you heard about a change in policy by G.O. but they have nothing to show you to prove it? Make a call to HR at the home office and tell them whats going on. Keep in mind though that most Lowe's policies are open ended and have loop holes for Store Managers to play with. Take the smoking policy for example, some stores understand that smokers have rights to and kinda look the other way, because they know that a smoker can do a better job if they can run out and relieve their stress from time to time, while other stores make it a criminal offense to smoke. I'm not as productive as I was when we were allowed to smoke.
Back to the subject though, I guess some people might already know when they want vacation, but some don't. We start a new year for Lowe's in a few weeks, and I'm sure alot of changes will be coming down the pipeline, anything and everything is possible, nothing will surprise me. What can they do if you don't tell them now about vacation, they can't take it away from you.

Joined: 05 Mar 2005 Posts: 110 Location: illinois

Policy states requests must be made 3 weeks in advance. Your manager is to look it over either approve or deny, then it has to be signed by the store manager, he has the final say. Always, always make a copy of your request, managers do loose them. If you do not receive an answer in 6 days it is approved, but I would check just to make sure. Senority rules, if someone else in your department has requested the same time off, and there is no coverage, you will loose out to the person with senority if their request was put in before yours. We have a mad dash at the end of the year to get vacations in before january 31. Most managers will take the suffering in their departments to let vacation time be taken. Of course it is the customers who suffer and the associates who have already taken their time. Come on people if you have vacation time left don't wait until the last minute to take it. You know how much time you get, use it before it becomes a burden on the department. I take the same time off every year for a few days, I put in my request the first week in January. That way my request is put in first before the one with senority. I usually know a few months before a vacation day or days are needed, so I put in a request when I know family is coming or I need to get away.

Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 6

I had to look this up specifically for some people. And it does say to have them in by the end of Feb. However, my HRM told me you can still change them if need be, that it isn't set in stone. Weird? Yes. Confusing? Definitely! Welcome to Lowe's poilcy lol Evil or Very Mad

. It's on the 2nd or 3rd page of the vacation P&P. I understand why they have that in there, so you don't have all these people trying to take their last vacation days they 'forgot about' all in the same month but it just doesn't work out like they hope.

Joined: 05 Mar 2005 Posts: 110 Location: illinois

I can't believe a policy slipped by me. Thanks for that information. It seems stupid. No one follows it in our store. It is a mad dash in December and January to get vacations in.

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