11 ms·

Huh. Somehow it had not occurred to me to try to make this cycle explicit. That's a really interesting idea, thank you.

by flaneur 18y ago

davi 18y ago
This reminds me of something I often forget: if I want something out of the ordinary, it's very unlikely anyone will give it to me unless I ask.
- delackner 18y ago
  Ask and ye shall receive.
  - villageidiot 18y ago
    Or not. But it's usually better to ask anyway.
- jeroen 18y ago
  And if you're good enough at your job, it's unlikely that you will be denied your request. A couple of years ago I wanted to go on a holiday for a month in a busy time. I notified my employer about half a year in advance and we planned around it. In the end, the planning didn't work out, I moved my holiday a couple of weeks and my employer paid my airline ticket in return.
- ardell 18y ago
  My mother always said: You don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.
iigs 18y ago
I'm not sure where you live or what your interests are, but this is the way contracting at Microsoft works. Every year contractors have to take a ~100 day break. Some contractors take that time off to relax / do hobby things, others take short term temp contracts or other part time work to fill the gaps.
- zupatol 18y ago
  That's interesting. Could you be more specific about the numbers? Are these workdays? This would be the equivalent of 5 months. Or are they calendar days, which make it a little more than 3 months? Do they have to take the break after 12 months of work? Or do they take it every year, making them work 9 months per year (assuming you count the break in calendar days)? Another question. It sounds like Microsoft contractors have to take a break if they like it or not, so the point is probably not to keep them motivated. What advantage does Microsoft get from this?
  - GBond 18y ago
    This is a policy that is a direct result of the M$ "Permatemp" lawsuit. By labor law standards, a Contractor becomes an employee past this time-frame thus eligible for the same benefits as an employee. Having the Contractor leave and come back is the loophole/workaround for this. http://www.itworld.com/IW010108calist http://www.itworld.com/IW010108calist
- jimbokun 18y ago
  I remember they got sued for essentially using temps for full time positions but never giving them the benefits of a full time position. This is probably their way of legally demonstrating that the temps really are temps.
jasonkester 18y ago
If you're good at what you do, all you need to do is ask. It'll happen. I stumbled into this idea 10 years ago, and haven't looked back: http://www.expatsoftware.com/articles/2007/02/two-weeks-vacation-is-only.html http://www.expatsoftware.com/articles/2007/02/two-weeks-vaca...

Huh. Somehow it had not occurred to me to try to make this cycle explicit. That's a really interesting idea, thank you.

by flaneur 18y ago

Huh. Somehow it had not occurred to me to try to make this cycle explicit. That's a really interesting idea, thank you.

davi 18y ago

This reminds me of something I often forget: if I want something out of the ordinary, it's very unlikely anyone will give it to me unless I ask.

delackner 18y ago
Ask and ye shall receive.
- villageidiot 18y ago
  Or not. But it's usually better to ask anyway.
jeroen 18y ago
And if you're good enough at your job, it's unlikely that you will be denied your request. A couple of years ago I wanted to go on a holiday for a month in a busy time. I notified my employer about half a year in advance and we planned around it. In the end, the planning didn't work out, I moved my holiday a couple of weeks and my employer paid my airline ticket in return.
ardell 18y ago
My mother always said: You don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.

iigs 18y ago

I'm not sure where you live or what your interests are, but this is the way contracting at Microsoft works. Every year contractors have to take a ~100 day break. Some contractors take that time off to relax / do hobby things, others take short term temp contracts or other part time work to fill the gaps.

zupatol 18y ago
That's interesting. Could you be more specific about the numbers? Are these workdays? This would be the equivalent of 5 months. Or are they calendar days, which make it a little more than 3 months? Do they have to take the break after 12 months of work? Or do they take it every year, making them work 9 months per year (assuming you count the break in calendar days)? Another question. It sounds like Microsoft contractors have to take a break if they like it or not, so the point is probably not to keep them motivated. What advantage does Microsoft get from this?
- GBond 18y ago
  This is a policy that is a direct result of the M$ "Permatemp" lawsuit. By labor law standards, a Contractor becomes an employee past this time-frame thus eligible for the same benefits as an employee. Having the Contractor leave and come back is the loophole/workaround for this. http://www.itworld.com/IW010108calist http://www.itworld.com/IW010108calist
jimbokun 18y ago
I remember they got sued for essentially using temps for full time positions but never giving them the benefits of a full time position. This is probably their way of legally demonstrating that the temps really are temps.

jasonkester 18y ago

If you're good at what you do, all you need to do is ask. It'll happen. I stumbled into this idea 10 years ago, and haven't looked back: http://www.expatsoftware.com/articles/2007/02/two-weeks-vacation-is-only.html http://www.expatsoftware.com/articles/2007/02/two-weeks-vaca...