No personal days?

[pjohns]

I just learned that our usual server, at the pizza place that my wife and I frequent about twice per week, has no personal days--none.

I found this to be utterly bewildering. And highly irritating.

Although I am well into retirement--it has been almost 14 1/2 years now--if I had been applying for a job during my working lifetime; and if the interviewer had indicated that there were no personal days allowed by the company (even if the hourly wage were substantial), the rest of the conversation would surely have gone something like this:

Me: "Back up just a little, please. What was that you just said about personal days?"

Interviewer: "I said that there are none given."

Me: "It sounded like that is what you said. I just could not believe that I heard you correctly."

Me again: "I think that we have discussed all that we need to. But I do wish you a pleasant rest of the day."

And then I would have simply walked out. Briskly.

[nathanbforrest45]

And I, as a potential employer, would have been immensely pleased to have dodged the bullet of hiring someone of your attitude.

40 years ago I was in the Teamsters Union working for Yellow Freight Systems. As a union member I got no sick days or "personal days".

[Hoosier8]

I just learned that our usual server, at the pizza place that my wife and I frequent about twice per week, has no personal days--none.

I found this to be utterly bewildering. And highly irritating.

Although I am well into retirement--it has been almost 14 1/2 years now--if I had been applying for a job during my working lifetime; and if the interviewer had indicated that there were no personal days allowed by the company (even if the hourly wage were substantial), the rest of the conversation would surely have gone something like this:

Me: "Back up just a little, please. What was that you just said about personal days?"

Interviewer: "I said that there are none given."

Me: "It sounded like that is what you said. I just could not believe that I heard you correctly."

Me again: "I think that we have discussed all that we need to. But I do wish you a pleasant rest of the day."

And then I would have simply walked out. Briskly.

Part time? What you mean is they do not have paid days off which would not amount to much anyway since they make most of their income from tips. Hope you left a good one, maybe enough where your server could miss a couple of days of work.

[jimmyz]

I have told all of my hourly employees in my shop that instead of sick days I will be calling them personal days.

That way, an employee can use them as they see fit without having to call in a phony sick excuse. In reality every person needs a day off sometimes to take their kid to a day-game or the park for quality time without having to use a ruse to get the day.

Vacation days remain the same and require a 14 days in advance request pending management authorization.

[Collateral Damage]

I just learned that our usual server, at the pizza place that my wife and I frequent about twice per week, has no personal days--none.
I found this to be utterly bewildering. And highly irritating.
Although I am well into retirement--it has been almost 14 1/2 years now--if I had been applying for a job during my working lifetime; and if the interviewer had indicated that there were no personal days allowed by the company (even if the hourly wage were substantial), the rest of the conversation would surely have gone something like this:
Me: "Back up just a little, please. What was that you just said about personal days?"
Interviewer: "I said that there are none given."
Me: "It sounded like that is what you said. I just could not believe that I heard you correctly."
Me again: "I think that we have discussed all that we need to. But I do wish you a pleasant rest of the day."
And then I would have simply walked out. Briskly.

pjohns, you are normally a rational poster, and this surprises me. I'm hoping it's because you are not understanding what a 'personal day' is, especially on the hourly side of things.

A 'personal day' is normally a day allowed by the company for the employee to take off, with pay. Since there can be waiting periods for people to become eligible for benefits like days off, not everyone has that as part of their employment package, especially hourly employees, and especially in the restaurant industry. When someone needs or wants time off, they let their superior know, and the schedule is adjusted so that all shifts are covered. Most restaurants may survive down one person, but if you get two or more out, life can get unpleasant for both the restaurant and the customer. If, as another poster noted, they are primarily tip workers, they would not be eligible for tips either.

Most employers will do their best to work around a needed day off other than the regular day. Some may include 'personal days', where they are paid also, but it is highly unusual, for the reasons I stated above. But when you have staff 'calling off' regardless of reason, someone businesses cannot function and the end result would be the dependability factor of employees being there.

[Peter1469]

With part time work all that I have heard were employees swapping shifts with each other. The one who works the shift gets the hourly wage and tips.

[DGUtley]

What is a personal day?

[EvilCat Breath]

When I was doing the hiring when an applicant started asking about time off I would nicely wrap up the interview quickly.

[Cletus]

What is a personal day?

Something business owners never get.

[pjohns]

And I, as a potential employer, would have been immensely pleased to have dodged the bullet of hiring someone of your attitude.

And just what "attitude" would that be, exactly?

I certainly do not imagine that I have some "right" to a job.

I just know that I would not accept a job offer of that sort.