Excusing yourself from work to go for an interview

Bit of a conundrum: my wife has an interview at 11 am next Monday.

She was only told about the interview today, and needs a good excuse not to be in work until about 1ish so she can attend. Her current employers don’t know she has applied for other jobs, and this has the possibility of being contentious, as whilst they can’t afford to pay her a decent wage or offer her the career progression opportunities she’s after, they certainly can’t afford to lose her. Unfortunately, one or two of the managers are quite spiteful, and she’s worried they may make life difficult for her in her present position if she lets them know she’s looking elsewhere.

Now I’m sure MrsZ isn’t the only person to have been in this position, so what worked for other people? The trouble is the timing – asking for leave at such short notice, especially after xmas will be difficult without a good reason. She’s not so keen on lying and saying she has a doctor’s appointment.

She should tell the company requesting the interview that she can’t make it at such short notice, if they don”t understand that they won”t be worth working for.

edit:, actually Monday should be bookable, depends on contractual T@C’s.

She’s not so keen on lying and saying she has a doctor’s appointment.

Why not? If two of the managers are quite spiteful, I’d be learning to look after number 1. I’m sure if the “company” hit hard times, it would also look after number 1 too, no?

Anyway, the prospective new employer might appreciate your wife asking them to reschedule because she doesn’t want to have to take time off at short notice or ring in “sick”. Goodness knows, some employers might value a bit of honesty.

EDIT: Or more or less what MSP said for my second bit. 🙂

asking for leave at such short notice, especially after xmas will be difficult without a good reason

What business is it of theirs why she needs leave? She needs time off for “personal reasons,” end of.

Failing that, “I won’t be in on Monday morning, I have a job interview.” If they can’t afford to lose her or pay her properly then the least they can do is stop being arseholes.

Next Monday is national sick day. She’ll be fine.

She’s not so keen on lying and saying she has a doctor’s appointment.

If lying is a problem, she doesn’t have any choice but to tell the truth…
Does she ever have outside meetings that would simply allow her to say she has a meeting and not raise suspicion. I figure not.

“I won’t be in on Monday morning, I have a job interview.”

Yeah, go on, you do it, you do it!

She should tell the company requesting the interview that she can’t make it at such short notice, if they don”t understand that they won”t be worth working for.

Unfortunately, the ‘company’ is the state public health service here in Adelaide. They are very difficult to get in to, but are one of the few places that provide good career progression, and career positions are also very comparable to the NHS; who if we ever move back to the UK, she would have to work for again.

Does she ever have outside meetings that would simply allow her to say she has a meeting and not raise suspicion. I figure not.

She does, she works in the community. However, she uses a pool car, and wouldn’t want to risk being seen in it the wrong side of town. She can’t use our car due to work policy, and using their vehicle to attend an interview for someone else might be seen rather dimly in the eyes of the management.

“Sorry I can’t come in on Monday until 1pm as I’m unable to”

It never pays off to lie. However, you can have information you choose not to share. I think best bet is to book some holiday and just not say what it’s for. If asked just say “I have something I need to do”. A dodgy sicky is never a good idea.

book a doctors appointment straight after the interview? Its not lying then 🙂

Plumber/Electrician/Doctor/Vet/Last minute illness.

All little lies, but all perfectly valid reasons to not be at work for a morning. Only other option is, “I’m going to an interview”.

She does, she works in the community. However, she uses a pool car, and wouldn’t want to risk being seen in it the wrong side of town. She can’t use our car due to work policy, and using their vehicle to attend an interview for someone else might be seen rather dimly in the eyes of the management.

She runs the risk of being seen anyway whether in the pool car or walking into the building on the wrong side of town.
Book a day off because of unforeseen problems and the she can do what she wants, no lies, no problems.

“something important to attend to”

She does, she works in the community. However, she uses a pool car, and wouldn’t want to risk being seen in it the wrong side of town. She can’t use our car due to work policy, and using their vehicle to attend an interview for someone else might be seen rather dimly in the eyes of the management.

Are people really this timid and risk averse?

Only real option is to take holiday – unless new company would do it outside of her working hours.

Just tell her to WTFU and make something up or arrange something for that afternoon and go to the interview at the same time, I have found that having to take the car to the garage or having someone round to look at/service the boiler work well for these types of things.

Are people really this timid and risk averse?

Obviously not in your world of iAwesomeness, but yes, would you believe it, some people are. I dunno, maybe they need to change their diet or something.

Are people really this timid and risk averse?

Lying to management, unauthorised use of a company vehicle (and subsequently not being insured) don’t sound like particularly good ways of mending partially singed bridges if she doesn’t get the job (and gets caught out).

Book a day off because of unforeseen problems and the she can do what she wants, no lies, no problems.

Whilst a pain as she doesn’t have the leave (and she’s on forced leave all this week whilst I’m at work as her company shut down for xmas*), this looks like the best option.

*This is another spanner I’ve just thought of. Not sure how she can arrange an extra day off with noone at work to authorise it. Hmmmm

I’d ask if the interview can be rearranged, and if not just say she won’t be in for personal reasons- no reason of theirs what it is.

As DD says the company likely wouldn’t think twice about doing the dirty on her if they had to, so she shouldn’t feel to bad about putting them out. I know this is easier to say than do though sometimes.

I’d be learning to look after number 1. I’m sure if the “company” hit hard times, it would also look after number 1 too, no?

Maybe she’s more timid and risk averse than you? 😉

*This is another spanner I’ve just thought of. Not sure how she can arrange an extra day off with noone at work to authorise it. Hmmmm

Surely not, it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to get permission, no?

Maybe she’s more timid and risk averse than you?

I’m one of the most timid and risk averse people I know. 😳

whilst they can’t afford to pay her a decent wage or offer her the career progression opportunities she’s after, they certainly can’t afford to lose her

This business is untenable – aaaahm ooot

could she not see if she can re-arrange the IV for first thing? tell current company shes starting later ’cause she has an appointment. but will finish later if needs be

Take half a days leave?

*This is another spanner I’ve just thought of. Not sure how she can arrange an extra day off with noone at work to authorise it. Hmmmm

You’re looking at it wrong. There’s no-one to reject it.

it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to get permission

Cougar’s Fifth Law Of IT, that.

Illness, vets appointment, car service, broken down boiler / washing machine, burst pipe, knackered home broadband/TV needing an appointment, furniture delivery, etc etc.

I’m pretty sure I’ve used all of those at some point when going for interviews.

This business is untenable – aaaahm ooot

Trouble is, she works in the third sector – this was a good starting point to get her career re-established after moving down here, but she really wants to progress further than they can take her – hence the IV.

And no, she shouldn’t be worried about putting them out, because as discussed, they’d certainly look after themselves if times become hard. However, there seems little point in making herself an easy target should she not get the job she’s being interviewed for. Not sure about her contract, but certainly ‘bunking off’ in their car for a bit is probably quite high up the list of things that could get you sacked, when you take into consideration the breach of trust and insurance issues…

You’re looking at it wrong.

and:

could she not see if she can re-arrange the IV for first thing?

Perhaps I could ask the OQ another way: “Has anyone had any issues re-arranging interview times”

I dunno, personally I wouldn’t like to ask (just being thankful I got an interview!) And with my work hat on, we’ve always arranged interviews on a very tight schedule – moving one person potentially means asking others to rearrange, or having to find another time when the whole interview panel can attend.

Find out what the company policy is for leave notification. Say it’s a week for example purposes. Contact the new company and say “I need to give a week’s notice for leave” and reschedule. Book the leave. Go to the interview.

If no-one authorises it, that’s their failing; she’s followed procedure. If challenged, she needed the day for personal reasons, something important came up.

Simples.

I know how you or your wife feels as I don’t like doing things like this as I don’t like being and arse!

Anyway what she really has to do is get it in her mind that if they had to get rid of her THEY WOULD! Once she can figure that out pulling a sicky is not so hard! Just do it!

Perhaps you could phone in sounding miserable asking for her to come home!