Asking for time off before job offer

sourapril · Nov 23, 2013

It depends on how your employer feels. In most cases, I wouldn't ask for days off if my employer didn't offer me a couple different starting days first. Put yourself in your employer's shoe. If you just hired someone and that person is already asking for some days off and the reasons being wedding and elective surgery, how do you feel about that?

schnookimz · Nov 23, 2013

I don't think there's a problem with this as long as it's preset days. I mean they know you have a life! But do you have a place to work?

If you graduate in May, you probably won't test until June, and then get your license in July and start working July/August on orientation--and that's if you get a job immediately. So you probably would only have 1-2 paycheck by August.

SquishyRN, BSN, RN · Nov 23, 2013

How hard is it to get a new grad job in your area? If the answer is "very hard," then wait until after your surgery to start a job. If you live in a saturated market, there is no incentive for an employer to hire a new grad that is already going to take a leave over one that can start with no inconvenience to them. A new grad is a new grad. Additionally, as the above poster mentioned, even if you were hired right away, you would only have 1 or 2 paychecks before leaving for surgery and you would probably be only finishing orientation. As another poster mentioned, look at it from the employer's point of view. Either way, if I were you, for the December dates I would wait until I was off orientation (or October, whichever comes first) and then turn in a standard time off request form per facility policy.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Nov 23, 2013

Hi, I am new to Allnurses. I am graduating in May '14. I have booked a wedding venue for 12/13/14 so I will need to ask for about 3 days off for that. However, I also want to have a breast augmentation in August before we get married. I am not sure how much time you have to take off for that. I believe it is about a week. I can't afford to have the surgery before I start a new job. Is that asking for too much right off the bat? I plan to let them know before I accept a job offer but I hope it doesn't ruin the position for me. Advice?

Welcome to AN! The largest online nursing community!

First....Congrats on your wedding!

Now I am going to say something that you might not like to hear. IF you pass your boards and IF, and that is a big IF depending on where you live in the US, you have a job offer....you will be on orientation for about 2 months. Employers frown upon vacation during orientation for they are already on a fixed schedule and every day is important and you want time off for a breast augmentation and a wedding?

Let's see...you graduate in May....you get to take your boards in let's say July. You pass and you have a job offer and start in August. Two months at least of new grad orientation and that puts you to October. You should work on your own for at least a month. Now we are at November. You want a week or two off and we are at Thanksgiving. You are back a week or so and need more time off for your wedding.

Do you think an employer will be happy about this in a new employee?

As an employer I wouldn't mind the wedding one bit...I understand that plans are made in advance. Your elective plastic surgery however wouldn't be viewed kindly. In this current job market with a plethora of grads for every position......I would consider the next candidate that can be more productive for the floor if I am going to spend money on their training.

It' a sad reality in the current market with hundreds of applicants for the few new grad positions out there....the nursing shortage does not exist.

I wish you the best!

cayenne06, MSN, CNM · Nov 23, 2013

I've never had a problem with this before. Just be upfront during the interview or after they offer you the job. I had a cruise booked in April 2013, and took a new job a few months prior.

As far as your breast augmentation- I wouldn't say anything more than that you have a surgery scheduled for such and such date, so you won't be able to work for x time period. There is no reason for them to know the nature of the surgery.

WhiteBird · Nov 23, 2013

Hi guys, thanks for the replies. I did an internship in the local E.D. here. The nurses all said they recommended me for the job in May as a graduate nurse. They said they are very short staffed and really need people, and would love to have me, especially because I like the psych patients and the nurses currently working there don't want to do that part. So I am not worried about finding a job around here. The 2 previous graduating classes had an employment rate of 96% before graduation. But I will have to think about the time off. Maybe I can stack 12 hour shifts to get the week off? Other than that I never take vacations or need time off. I suppose I will have to see how things go.

schnookimz · Nov 23, 2013

Just wondering, what area of the country are you in? Seems like excellent employment rates for new grads.

WhiteBird · Nov 24, 2013

State College, Pa. If you have heard of Jerry Sandusky or Penn State. They always say we live in a special bubble here as far as unemployment and the recession goes.