Massive irritation

A little work-related fuming.

I requested (in OCTOBER of last year), time off in September 2008 for our trip to Hawaii. My ortho manager approves vacations...but is a bit absentminded and disorganized. When I turn in vacation slips to him, I wait a couple weeks then ask him if he has seen them and if I was approved. All I generally get is an 'oh, you're fine', and off I go. When I went to Australia--I got an' oh, you're fine' and went. I am supposed to get a copy of the request back for my records, but that never happens. Never. Not in the 2 years I have been working this UDF job.

So. I turn this slip in, along with some single days off I knew I needed for February and March. I wait awhile. I ask him about them...he says 'oh, you're fine'. I book the trip.

Now, SIX MONTHS LATER, I am being told that I was NOT approved, and that someone else already has the time off. Apparently, the 'oh you're fine' was to only mean the single days off, and not the big trip. AND, this someone is NOT hired as a UDF, works as a fill-in person for my days off, but is NOT officially hired into the position (and therefore should not count as being a UDF who is off on vacation--she was never hired!! She is an RN who fills in!).

This all came out the afternoon before my manager left on a 3 week vacation of his own, so he is not here for me to talk to and work things out. The assistant managers are telling me all this stuff.

Bottom line--I am going. Trip is booked, not my fault if they forgot that I was told that I was approved. Basically, the manager approves UDF vacations (me), and the assistant managers approve RN vacations. An assistant manager approved the RN-who-fills-in-as-UDF vacation, and is telling me I can't go. Not gonna happen--I am going.

To top this all off, today I am told that my April vacation (to Mazatlan), is not being approved. I turned it in a few weeks ago, but pulled it out of the manager's box to give to the assistant managers since this whole snafu with the September vacation happened. I told him that I had checked, and there were NO UDFs off at this time, no problems, and easy approval. This morning, they tell me that there are 2 floor RNs off, and I can't be approved. Since the policy has been 1 UDF off at a time, not paying any attention to the RNs who are off, this is crap. I am going. Already have plane tickets and hotel reserved. Going. I did my pary--checked to be sure there was no conflict with other UDFs, even spoke with a fill-in person to see if she wanted to cover some of my days off. You can't just change policy without telling people. No other UDFs are off....so I am going!!!!