Vacation Time and Sick Time stories

First of all... I am a current and happy GD employee. I do, however, have some complaints that I would like to share.

Vacation Time:

I don't mind accruing 4+ weeks of vacation time... but I would like to use it. Time and time again, I request vacation days, only to be denied. I work during the week, so I am not asking for weekends off... just a few days to chill out and relax and get away from the stress. We are told we cannot ask for vacation more than 90 days in advance, but don't wait until 89 days before because you will be denied by the 'Workforce Management" group. Personally, I have been denied on 85% of my requests in the last 6 months. Only 1 of these days was within 60 days of the actual date. I work on the best shift you can get in my group, and usually spend 45-75 minutes a day waiting for calls to come in. This is called available time... or in lamen's terms, downtime. This downtime is never taken into consideration for vacation days being honored. You see, I have about 60 in my work group, and about 40 on my shift. We are allotted 2, count them, 2 vacation slots per day in my shift. I can do the math like anyone else, but there is just no way to accommodate all the vacation time that we accrue. 40 people times 4 weeks is 160 weeks to use... 52 weeks per year times 2 slots is 104. So we come up a little short... like 40% short. The slap in the face comes when they 'encourage' you to take your vacation around the holidays because you have more than 125 hours to use. Really... so its OK if it is convenient for the company so they don't have to pay me out. The second part of this equation is this: when questioned about denied vacation days, our management says, "the last time we had 3 or 4 people out, I didn't hit my goal." So the reality of it is the managers will not hit their bonus goals, so they keep the most people on staff to accommodate this. The math is simple.. 10 people averaging 1000 a day is 10000, where 7 people averaging 1200 is only 8400. The top end fails even though the averages are higher. I get this... but we need to focus on reality here. People burn out quickly in a call center, and until the HR department is notified of this policy we will get nowhere.

Sick Time:

This is secondary only to vacation time because this is how to get time off when you can't get the day approved 60 days in advance. You call out, you get a free pass. You call out again within 90 days, you get a verbal warning. Again in 90 days, written, then final, and then termination. Most people do not call in much, but some have sick kids, doctors appointments, broken down cars... and the like, and have to deal with this type of policy. I don't think the progression is wrong, but since the vacation issue is so prevalent, this BECOMES and issue. Mitigating the affects of the previous issue will make this moot.... but right now it is an issue.

I want to strengthen the fact that this is not a dig at the entire company, but only part of the policy. I am one of the top performers in the entire company, but need to vent outside the workplace, because it gets me nowhere to vent at work.

Post your comments/suggestions...

Sounds as if their sick-day policy violates federal law (especially the issue with parents with children).  They can't fire you for sick days where you've actually accrued the necessary sick leave to cover those days.  However, I am not a lawyer.  You should check with one about this.

Do not take your issue to HR, they will fire you.  Imagine "Corporate Defense Department" on the HR door instead of HR.  They are not there to sell $10 Godaddy T-Shirts and resolve your complaints about the company.  They are there to stop any lawsuit from occurring, "if you have a problem, then you are a problem" So unless you know what you are doing and how to protect yourself, DO NOT GO TO HR.

This goes for all employees, bring your issues to the attorneys.

Take the issue to our attorneys:

Call Katie Flaherty, Esq. she is currently on retainer handling issues for all Godaddy employees due to the class action:
602.277.3000

I agree with "EmployeeClassAction".  If you take anything of concern to GoDaddy's HR department, you will be fired.

So, BEFORE you talk to HR, document, document, document your experience (names, places, dates, witnesses, etc.) and then talk to an attorney.

Remember this . . . HR is NEVER your friend.

Go Daddy retaliates.  Do not vent, complain, or talk to Go Daddy HR because it will come back to haunt you.  Keep your face down and never make eye contact with HR.  Do your work and go home. 

I admit, I was on my last "violation". (Injury) Long story short, a friend who was about to be promoted to a very cool dept. decides abruptly to leave the state. She was young and great at it and was a great opportunity, so even at work, I left to go talk and be a friend. Had cats. Got a nice allergic reaction and couldn't go back to work that day. She stayed. Promoted. Few weeks later, I was walked out. Sorry I was fantastic at customer service and eh on sales, but you would think I would have gotten the benefit of the doubt. And yes, many of the Sups were idiots. Some couldn't even drink yet! The more I think of Godaddy the place to work, the more it bothers me.

And yes, they will totally screw you on bonuses. And ironically, my last check from them was the largest bonus I ever received. Yay to whatever idiot I convinced to buy a server. Bet he got a refund. Normally, I would never do that. Oh well. Oh, and far as the call center I was in, I was the LAST person to still be left from my training class. I was there about 10 months.

I remember a couple years ago someone went to HR about the Sup's non-use of deoderant.  The guy was gone 2 days later.