Being a skier and corporate life

dlague · Nov 16, 2016

My wife's boss is in Netherlands. My wife works from home and globally manages people in recruiting. As a result, my wife often is logged in by 6 am and it is not unusual for her to respond to something as 10 pm. Of course she has the luxury to take breaks through out the day or even go do something else for a bit. That being said, her boss in Europe tells her that she works to much and just talked to her about choosing days where she will commit to not checking email a hours or talking calls all hours. She also told her that they are required by law over there to not work crazy hours as salaried exempt employees since it is considered free labor and potentially takes someone out of the work force. 4 people working an extra 10 hours per week = 1 FTE missing from the labor force.

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Krikaya · Nov 16, 2016

dlague said:
My wife's boss is in Netherlands. My wife works from home and globally manages people in recruiting. As a result, my wife often is logged in by 6 am and it is not unusual for her to respond to something as 10 pm. Of course she has the luxury to take breaks through out the day or even go do something else for a bit. That being said, her boss in Europe tells her that she works to much and just talked to her about choosing days where she will commit to not checking email a hours or talking calls all hours. She also told her that they are required by law over there to not work crazy hours as salaried exempt employees since it is considered free labor and potentially takes someone out of the work force. 4 people working an extra 10 hours per week = 1 FTE missing from the labor force.

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Tell me the truth. Do bosses like this really exist? It sounds too good to be true. The owner of the company where I work has attended one of the most prestigious business schools on the planet, is a Millionaire many times over, and has said to his workers during meetings,

"You mean nothing to me. I would replace every one of you with a robot if I could."

Your wife is very fortunate. Hope she takes her bosses advice.

Puck it · Nov 16, 2016

Krikaya said:
Tell me the truth. Do bosses like this really exist? It sounds too good to be true. The owner of the company where I work has attended one of the most prestigious business schools on the planet, is a Millionaire many times over, and has said to his workers during meetings,

"You mean nothing to me. I would replace every one of you with a robot if I could."

Your wife is very fortunate. Hope she takes her bosses advice.

I would walk out and flip him the bird.

dlague · Nov 16, 2016

Krikaya said:
Tell me the truth. Do bosses like this really exist? It sounds too good to be true. The owner of the company where I work has attended one of the most prestigious business schools on the planet, is a Millionaire many times over, and has said to his workers during meetings,

"You mean nothing to me. I would replace every one of you with a robot if I could."

Your wife is very fortunate. Hope she takes her bosses advice.

When we moved to Colorado, my wife kept her job and was able to work from home. That alone was cool! He boss is really good about that but she is also from Europe. My wife was telling her that I now work 4 x 10s and have three day weekends and her boss told to take some Fridays as comp days and go skiing.

Puck it said:
I would walk out and flip him the bird.

I pretty much just did that! Why do people in management have to come off as assholes? Not all do, but many fall into that category.

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JimG. · Nov 16, 2016

dlague said:
Why do people in management have to come off as assholes? Not all do, but many fall into that category.

Dave, it's like anything else in life. There are assholes of all shapes, sizes, colors, etc. Just because someone is an asshole does not mean they can't work with you or be your boss/manager. In many ways learning to deal effectively with assholes is a profitable skill.

And it makes you understand how much of that you personally can deal with. It is good to find your limits and then act accordingly.

Hawkshot99 · Nov 16, 2016

boston_e said:
Echoing essentially what most people said. Start doing ski weekends in the east and then supplement with a trip or two out west each winter.

Candidly, I don't know anyone that takes all 4 weeks of their vacation over a 3 or 4 month window (regardless if it is over the winter or summer) and then none the rest of the year.

I am only allowed to take vacation from mid April till the end of July.

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da pimp · Nov 16, 2016

We all have to remind ourselves that a boss or manager has nothing in their statement of work or goals/objectives given them by ownership/upper management that says to plan their work processes, department budgets, staffing, or productivity levels according to someone's frantic desire to ski whenever they want to as much as they want to. Our bosses are given a task sometimes large or complicated that greatly affects the well being of their job, my job, and the customer cash flow that pays all of our bills. Perhaps they may be assholes or not, but unless your boss is an avid skier and runs his department with extracurricular activities as a priority, he/she will always be referred to as an asshole. BTW - I am an avid skier, and if I had a direct report who was an avid skier that person would be sitting in their cubicle so that I would be able to be out skiing. I would be an asshole in my employee's mind, but I would be making myself happy by achieving my personal balance of work & life. You need to get on the correct side of the fence. Not there yet? Stop whining and get back to work.

JimG. · Nov 16, 2016

da pimp said:
We all have to remind ourselves that a boss or manager has nothing in their statement of work or goals/objectives given them by ownership/upper management that says to plan their work processes, department budgets, staffing, or productivity levels according to someone's frantic desire to ski whenever they want to as much as they want to. Our bosses are given a task sometimes large or complicated that greatly affects the well being of their job, my job, and the customer cash flow that pays all of our bills. Perhaps they may be assholes or not, but unless your boss is an avid skier and runs his department with extracurricular activities as a priority, he/she will always be referred to as an asshole. BTW - I am an avid skier, and if I had a direct report who was an avid skier that person would be sitting in their cubicle so that I would be able to be out skiing. I would be an asshole in my employee's mind, but I would be making myself happy by achieving my personal balance of work & life. You need to get on the correct side of the fence. Not there yet? Stop whining and get back to work.

Ya I could not agree more. I would not expect any superior to care at all about my skiing schedule.

Nor would I expect them to care if I flipped them the bird and walked out because they told me I'm worth nothing to them. Some folks can work for someone who would say that face to face, not me.

I was not being judgmental at all, just stating a fact.

crank · Nov 16, 2016

A long time ago I had a corporate job. My boss knew about my skiing obsession. There was a short project that I was assigned to do in Taos, NM. It kept getting delayed and delayed... I finally went into her office and said if you send me to Taos in July you might as well shoot me! That is exactly what I said. She made it happen in March. I did the job, stayed the weekend , skied 2' of powder. When I came home she told me to expense my extra days and skiing! She was a really good boss.

BTW, Taos kicked my ass!

snoseek · Nov 16, 2016

Hawkshot99 said:
I am only allowed to take vacation from mid April till the end of July.

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Yep I know all about having to be there for long stretches and not. I bet overall life is good for you in that period too.

Hawkshot99 · Nov 17, 2016

snoseek said:
Yep I know all about having to be there for long stretches and not. I bet overall life is good for you in that period too.

O, I still work 5 days a week for those 3.5 months. That's just where I'm required to take my 3 weeks.....I need a new job.

abc · Nov 17, 2016

The dilemma is gone. Got laid off, with many others in the department.

Got a reasonable package though. I'll have paycheck coming for part of the winter and no need to work! What timing? So this season is my chance of ski bumming!

Hokkaido Japan 1st-2nd week of January.

Bought Epic Local to supplement MCP. Will drive out to CO after Japan.

Have a place to crash in Summit county with buddy. Probably stay a month. Visit Aspen/Telluride/Taos while there, on MCP.

Onward to Park City, which I will have free lodging, as long as I keep it for less than 10 days. Epic local is blacked out on Saturdays, but I have 2 days at Alta/Bird included in MCP which should be perfect.

Banff, Revelstoke, Whistler on the MCP. Between MCP and Epic Local, I have 6 days in Whistler. Plan to ski my heart out!

Swing by Tahoe on the way back. Northstar & Heavenly on Epic Local, Squaw-pine & Kirkwood on MCP.

Back to Summit till I'm sick of skiing (probably April)

Cataract surgery & job hunting late April. Back to the grind and the cubicle view.

dlague · Nov 17, 2016

abc said:
The dilemma is gone. Got laid off, with many others in the department.

Got a reasonable package though. I'll have paycheck coming for part of the winter and no need to work! What timing? So this season is my chance of ski bumming!

Hokkaido Japan 1st-2nd week of January.

Bought Epic Local to supplement MCP. Will drive out to CO after Japan.

Have a place to crash in Summit county with buddy. Probably stay a month. Visit Aspen/Telluride/Taos while there, on MCP.

Onward to Park City, which I will have free lodging, as long as I keep it for less than 10 days. Epic local is blacked out on Saturdays, but I have 2 days at Alta/Bird included in MCP which should be perfect.

Banff, Revelstoke, Whistler on the MCP. Between MCP and Epic Local, I have 6 days in Whistler. Plan to ski my heart out!

Swing by Tahoe on the way back. Northstar & Heavenly on Epic Local, Squaw-pine & Kirkwood on MCP.

Back to Summit till I'm sick of skiing (probably April)

Cataract surgery & job hunting late April. Back to the grind and the cubicle view.

Holy crap - that is living the dream! Maybe we can catch up in Colorado!

4aprice · Nov 18, 2016

abc said:
The dilemma is gone. Got laid off, with many others in the department.

Got a reasonable package though. I'll have paycheck coming for part of the winter and no need to work! What timing? So this season is my chance of ski bumming!

Hokkaido Japan 1st-2nd week of January.

Bought Epic Local to supplement MCP. Will drive out to CO after Japan.

Have a place to crash in Summit county with buddy. Probably stay a month. Visit Aspen/Telluride/Taos while there, on MCP.

Onward to Park City, which I will have free lodging, as long as I keep it for less than 10 days. Epic local is blacked out on Saturdays, but I have 2 days at Alta/Bird included in MCP which should be perfect.

Banff, Revelstoke, Whistler on the MCP. Between MCP and Epic Local, I have 6 days in Whistler. Plan to ski my heart out!

Swing by Tahoe on the way back. Northstar & Heavenly on Epic Local, Squaw-pine & Kirkwood on MCP.

Back to Summit till I'm sick of skiing (probably April)

Cataract surgery & job hunting late April. Back to the grind and the cubicle view.

Don't know if I should be happy for you or not. Sounds like you've got things under control so enjoy the ski season but job hunting is a royal pain in the you know what. Anyways keep us informed of what you are doing, file lots of TR's and take lots of pictures, and like Dave said maybe somewhere out there we'll run in to you on the slopes. What ever you do good luck.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

Edd · Nov 18, 2016

abc said:
The dilemma is gone. Got laid off, with many others in the department.

Got a reasonable package though. I'll have paycheck coming for part of the winter and no need to work! What timing? So this season is my chance of ski bumming!

Hokkaido Japan 1st-2nd week of January.

Bought Epic Local to supplement MCP. Will drive out to CO after Japan.

Have a place to crash in Summit county with buddy. Probably stay a month. Visit Aspen/Telluride/Taos while there, on MCP.

Onward to Park City, which I will have free lodging, as long as I keep it for less than 10 days. Epic local is blacked out on Saturdays, but I have 2 days at Alta/Bird included in MCP which should be perfect.

Banff, Revelstoke, Whistler on the MCP. Between MCP and Epic Local, I have 6 days in Whistler. Plan to ski my heart out!

Swing by Tahoe on the way back. Northstar & Heavenly on Epic Local, Squaw-pine & Kirkwood on MCP.

Back to Summit till I'm sick of skiing (probably April)

Cataract surgery & job hunting late April. Back to the grind and the cubicle view.

I'm so envious! Congratulations on your plans! Japan alone is a huge score.

Savemeasammy · Nov 18, 2016

Wow...! It sounds like you are making the most of your situation. Good deal. Enjoy your amazing season, and good luck with the job search when that time comes again.

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snoseek · Nov 18, 2016

You need to post an in depth season long TR on here. This sounds like a rare once in a lifetime opportunity and I for one am super envious of your position!!!

Cornhead · Nov 18, 2016

Love your lemonade recipe!

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Jully · Nov 18, 2016

cornhead said:
love your lemonade recipe!

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haha!

BenedictGomez · Nov 18, 2016

abc said:
Cataract surgery & job hunting late April.

Can you take 5 months off in your industry and not have it potentially impeded your job-hunting efforts? These days it can take anybody 3 or 4 months to find a good job, and with a long layoff you'd then be looking at 8 or 9 months, and at that point some HR folks might not review your resume. Just a thought. Sounds like an awesome winter if that's not a concern in your industry though.

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