Attending an interview

A question about : Attending an interview

Hi folks

I've just started a job hunt and am in the process of sending off some applications. My mind's started wandering to how I might tackle the whole 'time off work for an interview' situation if I was fortunate enough to get to the next stage.

I would be completely happy using my annual leave to take a day or half day off work. But the problem is the holiday restrictions at the company where I work. Only one member of my team is allowed to be off on any given day, and the calendar is looking worryingly booked up by other people already. My line manager is a very friendly, chilled-out guy who I would have no issues being open with, but sadly his superiors are not so understanding, and it is them he would need to answer to if he allowed me to take a day off, leaving the team short-staffed.

The other option is calling in sick, but I don't feel very comfortable with that from a moral point of view. Having said that, it might depend how desperate I was!

Although I'm not currently facing redundancy, there are job cuts occurring elsewhere in the company that I work for, and I suspect it's only a matter of time before it affects me. So I'd like to be as proactive as possible rather than hanging around waiting to be pushed out.

This is all hypothetical at the moment because I've only just started sending out applications, but I was curious to know how other people would approach/have approached such a situation.

Thanks for reading!

Best answers:

• Personal reasons.
  They shouldn't want to know any further details as it's simply private.
  Alternatively, you could say hospital appointment, but then that involves lying and they may want a letter (which is easy to fake).
• You could always say you had a doctors appt say at 4pm and have to leave early and make back the time before hand or try to get interviews for after work. Some companies will interview before and after the working day plus it shows them you are not one that will just call in sick to go to an interview.
• If you ask for leave and they say no and then you call in sick they will work it out. If you make up some complicated lie it means you have to remember it and you might also get caught out.
• One I have used, Is that I need to Take sometime off as I am expecting a BT engineer to repair my phoneline and Need to be at home for this.
• Wait until you are out of work? sadly I am for real, it is the easiest option all round, hate to say there is only so many times you can pull the other emergency in my life card whilst it does work, but only for so long before it causes all kind of grief whether necessary or not and it might be me but when on a timer don't interviewers just go on and on...
  Otherwise you are left arguing the right to take leave
  I am freaked out that I have an interview (had to chose over another as the days were like bad luck and pushing it) that my employer knows about, thanks to a colleague who hasn't read 'the rules of work' I want to say when it comes to the why should we hire you question..
  Nothing like saying well the current employer knows I am here!!!!
  if it wasn't cue the funny, I'd want to cry
• Thanks for the responses everyone - it's useful to get some other perspectives. And I'm glad it's not just me who finds this whole thing such a minefield!
  I could go down the route of asking for the day off for personal reasons, but unfortunately that's not normally good enough if it's a day when we're already short-staffed. If it was for something like a hospital appointment then they would let me take it, but I knew someone at my company who was told he couldn't have the day off to attend his sister's wedding because it would leave them low on staff. Ugh.
  As you say Fireflyaway, once you've asked for a day off and they've said no, you can't really then ring in sick because it's obvious what's going on.
  The idea of fitting the interview around work is a good one, and something I'd look into if I get that far with my applications.
  keepcalmandstayoutofdebt - sounds like a bit of a rubbish situation (your employer finding out), but well done on getting an interview You're one step closer than me!
• If you were actually 'at risk' then your company might be more flexible (I don't know if they HAVE to be flexible though).
  It is hard. Can you see if you can get one at lunchtime and then take a long lunch? or an early evening one and ask if you can start a bit early to make up the time as you have 'an appointment' (being deliberately vague)?
  I think saying you are sick is never good. Someone might see you, everyone will want to know if you are feeling better. It would go on your sickness record (and therefore possibly affect a reference). It's morally dubious and frankly karma could come back and bite you
  I hope you can think of something. It's always difficult. I think everyone faces this to some degree (perhaps not quite as difficult as it is in your team though if only 1 person can be off at once ).
  df
• I'm in a similar boat on this - have a job interview potentially coming up soon and will need to take the day off / half day off and like you all the dates are getting booked up by others as holiday. I guess don't panic too much for now, wait and see if you get the interview, and if it doesn't work out maybe they can adjust it to a time that you can do like after work or on another nearby date that someone else doesn't have off - if you are comfortable with your line manager then you could just say something has come up and you really need to use a day of holiday at short notice - which is something I think I will do. I too wouldn't feel right taking if off sick and then sneaking to a job interview but it is a tough one. Good luck with your future endeavors I'm sure it will all work out!
• Whatever you do don't take a day off sick! Two reasons:
  Firstly, if your current employer finds out you might be in trouble..
  Secondly, if your new employer calls your old employer and asks about your sick record they might take a dim view, too..
  I had an interview a while back and one of the questions I got asked was "Where does your employer think you are today?". I'd booked it off as a days holiday so was able to answer quickly and honestly.