10 tips to help you ask for time off (and get it!)

Among the countless random things I have done in my life (follow for more, like that time I puked on a castle lawn during a ghost tour), I have done a lot of HR work: interviewing, writing job descriptions and employment ads, sifting through mountains of resumes.

Vacation time? Yes please!

And then there’s this thing, vacation time or paid leave or PTO, or whatever your place of business uses for terminology. That thing? That scheduling vacation requests thing? I’ve done that for over 20 years. So let me give you some tips to give you the best shot at getting your request approved.

1. Ample notice. In most organizations, requests for PTO are supposed to be submitted at least 2 weeks in advance. For some offices, that’s a suggestion. For others, that is a hard and fast rule. Do yourself, and your schedule/payroll/boss-type person, a favor and double that margin. This also helps to show that you’re organized, a good planner and, considerate.
2. But not too much time. If they ask for a 2-week heads up when requesting leave, yes, give them 4. But please don’t ask for things years in advance, okay? Can you feel my exasperated expression over here? Cuz I’m wearing it. Be considerate, and also reasonable. You’re not funny. Your vacation’s gatekeeper is not going to be amused.
3. Be a familiar face. That goes double if this is your boss who handles these things. Make sure you know this person and that they know you. A pleasant smile and wave, a quick chat at the watercooler (it’s my story and I’ll tell it how I want, dammit). You don’t need to be a pest or a suck-up. Just make sure they know who you are…
4. Make sure they know who you are for a good reason. If you’re constantly late, forget to punch in, have to be reminded of deadlines, or are just a general pain in the ass? Please understand that no one is particularly interested in doing you any favors. Anyone. Even if you think the managers don’t know your name, in this instance you would be wrong. Famous, not infamous, okay?
5. Don’t rub their noses in it. Please. Yes, you’re excited for your trip and all the cool stuff you’re gonna do and see. Great! Now shaddap. The rest of the office is gonna be at their desks while you’re on the beach. And now you’re back! Great! You get one day to be unbearably cheerful. That’s it. Then turn the volume down. If you’ve been guilty of it before, I guarantee the powers-that-be remember.
6. Don’t make everything an emergency. If the only time you see someone’s face is when they’re telling you they’re mid-catastrophe, that’s not a good thing. It’s going to start feeling like the boy who cried wolf, Chicken Little. The more time and energy you take from other people on the daily, the less likely they are to play ball when you really do need it. Also…
7. You can’t always be sick. Okay, I know I’m going to get shit for this, so hear me out. If you have a health issue that is requiring some extra time, appointments, etc., have a clear discussion with your supervisors on how to arrange your schedule. Obviously. What I mean here is if your request has been rejected and you simply call out sick for a week? You’re not fooling anyone. Sometimes, you have to take your lumps. And if you learn from that and make sure to do it right, chances are good you’ll be back in good graces.
8. Don’t be a jerk. Here’s where that consideration comes in. If you’re a dick to the guy in payroll, but he’s dating someone in HR? HR knows you’re a dick. Sure, you can tell me it’s because of all the deadlines and high pressure and alpha. And I can tell you that if you’re toxic, no one is going to do you favors of any kind in any department.
9. RTFM (aka, Read the Fucking Manual). Is there a form you’re supposed to fill out to submit a time-off request? Please just do it. Don’t do it wrong because you can’t be bothered (and if this is a repeat offense, you deserve your NO will both barrels). Don’t skip it and then play dumb or coy. If it’s simply a barrier of red tape that both sides have to work around, then don’t make it twice as much work for the other person. Follow the policy — you get no extra points for freestyling.
10. Check ahead and follow up. Want to make sure that week is still open? Check ahead — they might just pencil you in to save it for you until you can submit it officially. (That means a day or two, not until the day before.) Likewise, if you’ve submitted a request and you haven’t gotten any response for several days, it’s okay to send a quick email to ask, make sure they got it, etc. That doesn’t mean an email every hour until you hear back.

Now, go forth and request!

Got any other suggestions or experiences? Share in the comments!