WWYD - vacation during big meeting prep

[Anonymous]

Can you work remotely on it?

Is there something special about this hotel - meaning could you go somewhere else after the meetings are over?

Does your husband care if you cancel? Will he be irritated if you have to work remotely on your long weekend?

[Anonymous]

Your boss has told you what she would do, which is what she expects you to do. Now make a choice. I’d reschedule a long weekend after that conversation with my boss.

[Anonymous]

This weekend seems like a very moveable that that you planned right within a window you know is problematic for work. I’d go away later because I know I’d have a much better time without everything hanging over my head. But I’m also the type that doesn’t hold fast to calendar dates as the end all. Valentines Day on a Tuesday? Celebrate on the weekend. Birthday over a holiday? Have the party a bit before or after. The world still spins.

[Anonymous]

Thanks all, this is OP.

I scheduled the trip in the first place because my project was not originally on the agenda for this meeting so I assumed I was in the clear. Our CEO just decided this week to remove another topic and add my project instead.

This trip was to someplace DH and I had been wanting to go that has to be booked far in advance. So we will likely cancel and go next summer/fall… but of course I will have to work around the meeting again.

[Anonymous]

Just go on the trip and bring your devices. I don’t understand why you can’t miss a Friday and a Monday two weeks before the big boss. Just make sure you immediately boss has the draft of your deck so they can review it while you are out.

This feels so dumb and unnecessary. You all should be able to balance this.

[Anonymous]

OP I don’t understand why can’t you handle the “updates” remotely? If I thought I might need to be available for an hour or two a day then I would just go and work remotely. Of course if you expect to have to work more than that then it probably isn’t worth it. Sorry that sucks. In this job environment though I do think you need to err on the aside of caution with things like this.

[Anonymous]

OP, is there no one else at your company who can cover for you for one or two days should something crazy arise that has to be dealt with immediately?

People these days seem to drastically overestimate how essential they are to a company. Your time with your family and husband is precious, and should always be your priority.

[Anonymous]

Are you able to work remotely on edits (on your own schedule) if needed? I would still go on the trip and do that. My DH runs a small business and while he tries to get most of the ongoing work covered while he is out, he rarely is able to fully take time off when we travel because he is the key client-facing person and ultimately responsible for work quality. However, he limits his work to early mornings or at night and it doesn’t really intrude on our actual family time. Does it suck a little, yes, but not as much as it would to lose a big client or to not do meaningful trips as a family.

[Anonymous]

3 days two weeks before the actual presentation that you aren’t even giving? I would go on vacation. It’s just a job.

[Anonymous]

You probably shouldn’t have told your boss about your trip. You could have gone away and checked in remotely. Now, the boss will KNOW what choice you made.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks all, this is OP.

I scheduled the trip in the first place because my project was not originally on the agenda for this meeting so I assumed I was in the clear. Our CEO just decided this week to remove another topic and add my project instead.

This trip was to someplace DH and I had been wanting to go that has to be booked far in advance. So we will likely cancel and go next summer/fall… but of course I will have to work around the meeting again.

Ok but…why would you reschedule for this time frame again? Why not do it months earlier or later?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work for a global company and we have one week per year when our global CEO comes to the US and it’s a huge dog and pony show with important business presentations. The date has been on the calendar for a while (it’s in October) but my CEO just decided he wanted to add a section on a project I am working on to highlight the results.

To be clear, I am not attending the meeting, but it’s all about the grueling prep and the deck will change 500 times between now and then. It’s an unwritten rule that no one should travel in the 2-3 weeks leading up to the actual meeting as we have reviews of the full presentation and make tons of edits. Of course I have a trip planned for a long weekend away with DH for our 10 year anniversary exactly 2 weeks before the meeting.

Spoke to my boss about it (who reports to the CEO) and she said she will not tell me I can’t go and to cancel, but if it were her she would not be away. That said, it’s not even clear that I will be needed the 3 days I would be out - I won’t be in any meetings, I would just be making updates behind the scenes.

Given all the above, would you cancel or still go? I am torn because I hate to cancel for a what if situation, but optically not sure it looks good if I go (should I care?).

Before anyone asks, we can get a refund on the trip but the hotel is booked solid for the rest of the year so can’t reschedule.

You are going to lose your job soon. Be prepared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be available to make updates and hop on a call as needed, but i would not.cancel

See, to me that doesn’t sound fun. I would cancel and book a different trip for after the meeting. But only you know your company. My boss never says no to vacation so if she said she wouldn’t go, I would know that really meant stay. And also, some of the people I work with, if I offered to be available during my trip, would absolutely make it so my trip sucked and DH would end up annoyed because he would have preferred to be at home than with me on my phone/laptop all weekend. Not worth the stress to me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many boot lickers

+1
I had the job with the boss demanding 500 updates to a powerpoint and it's poor management and ego trip, period.

[Anonymous]

Husband sounds like a jerk. He should be saying let’s switch it or cancel it to be supportive