For those that set their hours

amother

Wed, Apr 10 2019, 5:15 pm

Do you feel bad when you take off for Yom Tov etc.? Like com hab, Seit, working one to one... why do I feel like I’m letting them down although it’s a perfectly understandable time of year to take off...

amother

Oak

Wed, Apr 10 2019, 6:56 pm

Why do you feel like your letting them down? Because you care about your clients - and they like working with you. Don't let the feeling overwhelm you... you are doing what you need to do.

Lesia

Wed, Apr 10 2019, 9:45 pm

Do you mean on yomtov, or a week or two before?

amother

Wed, Apr 10 2019, 9:52 pm

Lesia wrote:

Do you mean on yomtov, or a week or two before?

A week before for a Yom Tov like pesach...

amother

Crimson

Wed, Apr 10 2019, 9:56 pm

I try to limit my time off to the general time off given by the frum schools. I feel that's a reasonable compromise.

amother

Burlywood

Wed, Apr 10 2019, 10:04 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

A week before for a Yom Tov like pesach...

How are you different than any other working woman?

You kind of are letting them down. But you can do what you want.

seeker

Wed, Apr 10 2019, 10:26 pm

Not really. I don't take off an excessive amount of time and I do my best to make it up in a reasonable manner.

The time when I feel I'm letting them down is if I've been so busy with yom tov or something that I show up to work overtired and underprepared - now that's a guilt trip. But taking off is above-board.

TwinsMommy

Thu, Apr 11 2019, 2:05 am

Our Rabbi advised my husband (who does NOT set his own hours and takes more days off than the 10 for which he's paid)......

that they are being very generous in giving him all actual yom tovim off (he took off 7 days in one month this year as he had to!) and we shouldn't take advantage by him also taking off Purim and/or Chol HaMoed Pesach and/or Sukkos. Being that he gets legitimately sick now and then, he goes above his 10 paid days off each year (and being an educator he's off in the summer!)

If he were to be able to set his own hours and make up time on Sundays or evenings (he's in education--- he can't) ---- then I'd definitely want him to take off some of the pre-Yom Tov time or Purim or Chol HaMoed--- flipping it if I were the hubby and he were the wife I'd SURELY want her to--- prepping for Pesach evenings and Sundays only would be brutal and that falls on the wife's lap most often!

This is one of the many reasons I don't want a typical 9 to 5 job working for someone else. I stick with self employment and part time flexible gigs.

I say try to find a balance. Don't take off a whole week before Yom Tov but take off a day or two especially if you can make up hours evenings and Sundays if you need those weekdays while kids are at school to prepare. Hatzlacha!

seeker

Thu, Apr 11 2019, 2:18 am

I'm lucky because the school system I work in has off all Pesach, as well as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. So those are a free pass for me (unpaid but not my fault.) Sukkos and Shmini Atzeres are of course non-negotiable and it gets a little embarrassing when they're all on weekdays. I refuse to work on Purim, just can't, and it's only one day not near any other breaks so not a big deal. Chol Hamoed Sukkos I kind of play it by ear each year, you don't want to do too much disappearing especially right at the beginning of the school year when you're still building up your relationships. Erev Pesach if I'm home I just make it work, I don't work long hours in the first place. If I'm going away I just shave a day or two off each end of the break to get there in peace.