Eileen’s daughter just started working a summer job at the South Shore Plaza. They are planning on going away for a family vacation, but her daughter can’t get time off from the new job. She wants her daughter to quit but her daughter doesn’t want to. Should she force her daughter to come on the vacation? Should she get her own daughter fired from her daughter’s summer job?
Ayla Brown: Good morning Eileen. You have a daughter who has her first job. How exciting. Congratulations
Eileen: She is very excited, I have to say.
Ayla Brown: Okay. So what does she do? Where does she work?
Eileen: Okay. So first off, my daughter, she’s 15. She’s never had a job before, so this is a big deal for her. I get it. But she’s working down at the South Shore Plaza, at one of the retail stores there. She has now been there for four weeks. She really loves it. And we had a situation come up that I did want to ask about. Our family has a yearly vacation every single year. My husband’s family lives down in Charleston, so we try to all get together on the same time every single year. And it just so happens that that’s coming up. My daughter asked for time off and was denied. I’m sure it’s because she’s so new.
Ayla Brown: And they have a hard time finding people maybe to work and fill positions like that. So her new boss for her new job denied her time off because it’s only been four weeks. So why would he give a new employee time off already for vacation?
Eileen: Yes, I guess I just I don’t know. I just feel that this is completely unacceptable. She’s working at a retail facility. You know, it’s not like it’s something life threatening. I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t let somebody off for just a week or two. Okay. I don’t know. I only get two weeks off per year and I don’t plan on changing my vacation around, our family vacation around for my 15 year old daughter. She’s going.
Ayla Brown: She’s going to Charleston, South Carolina. No ifs, ands or buts about it. You’re getting your butt on that flight. Has her flight been purchased, by the way?
Eileen: Yes, that’s the thing. I’ve already booked this flight. I am not going to get money back for that. No. Her bottom is going to be in that seat.
Ayla Brown: What does she say about it? She’s 15. This is her first job. She’s at South Shore Plaza, working in a clothing store. What does she want to do?
Eileen: Well, she wants to listen to her boss. She’s trying to be a very good employee. And a part of me is very proud about that. But the other side of me is very frustrated. And so every time I try to talk to her about it, I just get met with you’re a jerk and just constant, constant attitude back. And I don’t know, I just need to know, am I in the wrong here? Am I really being a jerk for saying you have to go on family vacation with us and basically get fired?
Ayla Brown: Because did the boss say if she left, she wouldn’t have a job? And she came back basically fired.
Eileen: But again, I feel like that’s just threatening. I feel like that’s not going to actually be the case. If it is so difficult to find employees, you’re not going to find a good one.
