ME takes vacation on two hour notice

[Cubbiebum]

I'm not going to name names and I don't believe people on here know where I work (maybe a few) so I'm curious to get others thoughts on this.

I work all morning in the newsroom same as a couple reporters and the managing editor. I leave in the early afternoon for a baseball double-header and when I get back I see the status on our board for the ME as "vacation, back on Thursday." We have a weekly newsroom meeting and he hadn't mentioned any of this. It was also never mentioned on Monday morning when we were all in the newsroom.

I talked to a co-worker and he said the ME announced at 3 p.m. that he was taking a two day vacation starting at 5 p.m. because he had family in town. My co-worker, and all other reporters, knew nothing of this.

A managing editor going on vacation is always going to change things up but we are a small shop and he does most of the designing. Making it worse, the other main designer has Monday's off and thus will be in for a surprise tomorrow.

I am really at a loss for words. To me, it is extremely unprofessional for anyone to do this let alone the ME. It's something that if I was the publisher I would say too bad you have to work or find another job. It's one thing if it is an emergency but to my understanding it is simply he has family coming to town. That's not an emergency. Plus his family all live very far away and thus this would have to be something planned in advance.

All I can think of is he is either lying and it is something he doesn't want everyone to know or he is making a very unprofessional decision.

Is this something your newspaper would be OK with?

 

[Versatile]

Without having even the slightest clue about this person's work ethic, I think there's a good chance that this was a family emergency that he didn't want to tell everyone about. The publisher may very well know details that you don't have.

That said, if that's not true, it's very unprofessional.

 

[sgreenwell]

Ehhhh. I'm kind of with Versatile. How is his work ethic normally? If he's usually a jackass, then sure, this is probably another **** move. But if he's normally a decent guy, I'd be more willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, especially since it's just a two-day "vacation."

Other question: What has been his reaction to other people trying to take one or two days off with little notice? At past shops, this generally hasn't been a big deal.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Or maybe the ME has a job interview elsewhere and is using the family thing as an excuse? Just saying.

 

[Cubbiebum]

Without having even the slightest clue about this person's work ethic, I think there's a good chance that this was a family emergency that he didn't want to tell everyone about. The publisher may very well know details that you don't have.

That said, if that's not true, it's very unprofessional.

He's a nice guy. He gets the job done. He's not a workaholic but he puts in the hours needed.

 

[Cubbiebum]

Or maybe the ME has a job interview elsewhere and is using the family thing as an excuse? Just saying.

That thought occurred to me. I'm doing that in a couple weeks. Just said it was personal and didn't want to get into the details. That said I worked it into my normal off day so I'm only taking one day off and I have three weeks notice. I doubt someone is wanting him to fly in for an interview and gave him less than a days notice.

Sgreenwell, he will grant the day as long as it is in asked for in advance. He won't be overly happy about it but as long as you give a week or two notice he accepts.

 

[deskslave]

To me, if it's a family emergency, then use the words "family emergency," or something similar. Assuming he did say "I have family in town," that leaves open the door to people assuming that he just wants a couple days off to have a barbecue. I mean, it's up to him what he wants people to think, I guess. But I don't think it's all that big a deal to say "family emergency" or whatever.

And if it's not an emergency, and he wouldn't let anyone else skate off with two hours' notice, then yeah, he is being a ****.

 

[Stitch]

An ME being a ****? That's a new one.

 

[Ace]

I wasn't aware that people had to announce a reason to get the days off they are due.

That said, the ME should have had a discussion with some folks about how to spread out his duties.

I am going to assume it was some kind of emergency if he normally doesn't pull crap like this.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I've lost track of how many bosses I've had who would go on unannounced vacations. I asked one about it once and he said, "If everyone knows I'll be gone for a week, I get hit with a hundred different things before I go."

 

[Ace]

I wasn't aware that people had to announce a reason to get the days off they are due.

That said, the ME should have had a discussion with some folks about how to spread out his duties.

I am going to assume it was some kind of emergency if he normally doesn't pull crap like this.

I'd definitely give a reason if it was on short notice like this. It may be a bald-faced lie, but I'd give a reason.

Sure, if you want. It's just not required.

I figure people's off time is their business. Not mine.

 

[User 1019]

Yeah, my boss always details his vacation plans to me. ::)

Seriously, folks. The ME's supervisor apparently bought the reason he gave for taking off on short notice. That's all that needs to be said. Now, could he have sent an email explaining what his loss means? Sure. But if the folks in an office have to be told what to do in a supervisor's absence, they don't need to be there.

 

[Cubbiebum]

Turns out his mother is in town. (just had his first kid two months ago). One of our reporters is his wife's best friend and that is what she told me. Apparently she knew. So one out of the five newsroom workers knew and the rest were left in the dark until right before he left. Not the end of the world but unprofessional in my book.

 

[Cubbiebum]

Yeah, my boss always details his vacation plans to me. ::)

Seriously, folks. The ME's supervisor apparently bought the reason he gave for taking off on short notice. That's all that needs to be said. Now, could he have sent an email explaining what his loss means? Sure. But if the folks in an office have to be told what to do in a supervisor's absence, they don't need to be there.

Yeah because we don't have plans and things schedules already that we must now change/cancel because he gave us no notice. Not telling your workforce you will be out and thus everyone will need to pick up the slack and work a little different hours is wrong.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I don't think it's a big deal at all...

 

[User 11148]

When I was just starting out, I was in the office on a Sunday afternoon getting something done but I wasn't officially scheduled to work. I was planning to be there only an hour or so. My boss, who was the SE at the time and was scheduled to do the slot that night, called in to say, "DQ, my brother's coming through town tonight, so I'm taking the night off and you're going to do the slot. I think we'll all be better off if I am refreshed these next few weeks ..."

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Heck, just don't do the boss's work. You guys already have your schedules. Say you can't rearrange your schedules without more notice. Stick together on this.

 

[Stitch]

So the OP's ME has pulled this before? It might be unprofessional, but unless you want to risk your job calling him out, nothing will change.

 

[BillyT]

I wasn't aware that people had to announce a reason to get the days off they are due.

That said, the ME should have had a discussion with some folks about how to spread out his duties.

I am going to assume it was some kind of emergency if he normally doesn't pull crap like this.

I'd definitely give a reason if it was on short notice like this. It may be a bald-faced lie, but I'd give a reason.

I would give a reason to my boss, which he may have done, but he doesn't owe a word to anyone else.

Would have been nice, but **** happens.

 

[Oggiedoggie]

Perhaps the ME thought that, because you're all supposed to be journalists, you'd all do what it takes to know what's going on on your beat instead of waiting for a news release.