Offer letter - help me translate

[escrow]

What in the world does this mean?


"Four weeks paid vacation; with up to 5 consecutive business days at any given time (more than 5 business days off in a row is possible but must be explicitly approved by xxx). Employee will have the option to take one, and only one, of the full weeks as paid vacation (calculated as 1/52 of annual salary)."

I get the five consecutive business days part, the rest looks drunk to me. I have replied asking for clarification but thought I'd get some fun replies here

[shamrockshake]

maybe you can turn in one week of vacation for pay?

[escrow]

May 22, 2015 13:00:55 GMT -5 shamrockshake said:

maybe you can turn in one week of vacation for pay?

That kind of makes sense. It is just worded very strangely.

[rosiebear]

I've read that 5 times and I have no idea. All four weeks are paid vacation, but you can only choose one week as paid vacation? Huh?

[shamrockshake]

May 22, 2015 13:01:41 GMT -5 escrow said:

May 22, 2015 13:00:55 GMT -5 shamrockshake said:

maybe you can turn in one week of vacation for pay?

That kind of makes sense. It is just worded very strangely.

it's worded very strangely, that's the only thing I can possibly come up with from it though

[rosiebear]

May 22, 2015 13:00:55 GMT -5 shamrockshake said:

maybe you can turn in one week of vacation for pay?

But you're already getting paid. 

ETa:  oh, like you can opt to get an extra week's pay and only take off 3 weeks?

[shamrockshake]

May 22, 2015 13:02:30 GMT -5 rosiebear said:

May 22, 2015 13:00:55 GMT -5 shamrockshake said:

maybe you can turn in one week of vacation for pay?

But you're already getting paid. 

we have the option to sell back a week so we'd get 40 hours vaca pay as well as 40 hour regular pay for that week

[rosiebear]

May 22, 2015 13:03:07 GMT -5 shamrockshake said:

May 22, 2015 13:02:30 GMT -5 rosiebear said:

But you're already getting paid. 

we have the option to sell back a week so we'd get 40 hours vaca pay as well as 40 hour regular pay for that week

Ah.  I get it now.  That's the only thing that makes sense. 

[dexteroni]

May 22, 2015 13:00:55 GMT -5 shamrockshake said:

maybe you can turn in one week of vacation for pay?

I'm guessing that's what it is, but it's worded not just awkwardly, but incorrectly. I would ask them to clarify just to be sure.

[Deleted]

I would ask HR to clarify. That looks like a typo or other communication error rather than an actual policy.

[cville]

It means that ONLY once a year can you take one full business week off. The other three weeks' worth of days have to be taken in increments of four or fewer days.

[pamela]

I think it's that you can only take 1 full week off a year and the others have to be partial.

[rosiebear]

The "only one 5 day week" allowed is possible, but it also says that you can take longer than 5 consecutive days with permission. I guess you just can't get permission to take more than 4 business days after your one week? So poorly worded.

[dexteroni]

May 22, 2015 13:08:46 GMT -5 pamela said:

I think it's that you can only take 1 full week off a year and the others have to be partial.

If this is the case, it's a terrible policy.

[escrow]

May 22, 2015 13:00:55 GMT -5 shamrockshake said:

maybe you can turn in one week of vacation for pay?

You were right! And he was like "yeah, we need to work on that wording"

[pamela]

May 22, 2015 13:11:25 GMT -5 dexteroni said:

May 22, 2015 13:08:46 GMT -5 pamela said:

I think it's that you can only take 1 full week off a year and the others have to be partial.

If this is the case, it's a terrible policy.

Personally I'd rather have 4 weeks like that than my 2, soon to be 3, I get now. I can rarely take a whole week off at a time anyway due to commitments, so it wouldn't bother me.  

[janegold]

May 22, 2015 13:12:13 GMT -5 escrow said:

May 22, 2015 13:00:55 GMT -5 shamrockshake said:

maybe you can turn in one week of vacation for pay?

You were right! And he was like "yeah, we need to work on that wording"

Well good, that is much better than the alternative. 

[dexteroni]

May 22, 2015 13:12:13 GMT -5 escrow said:

May 22, 2015 13:00:55 GMT -5 shamrockshake said:

maybe you can turn in one week of vacation for pay?

You were right! And he was like "yeah, we need to work on that wording"

I'm glad it's this and not forced partial vacation weeks.

[escrow]

Okay, now I AM SOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is a very small company, I give them a pass on their poor wording.

Four weeks vacation to start, PLUS ten sick days? Sold.

And it is 100% work from home which is so awesome, I currently commute an hour each way.

[delawarejen]

That wording is terrible. All they had to say was "Employees may cash out one week of vacation time per year".

[escrow]

May 22, 2015 14:10:10 GMT -5 delawarejen said:

That wording is terrible. All they had to say was "Employees may cash out one week of vacation time per year".

It is really bad. Maybe once I have been there a bit I will send them some suggestions.