My grandma has leukemia and I may not be able to visit her?

Question

My grandma and grandpa live on the other side of the country, I haven't visited them in 7 years due to being a poor college student.


I found out today that my grandma (78 years old) has leukemia and may not benefit from chemo.

My entire family in California (where I live) booked flights for Thanksgiving for an entire week since it may be my grandma's last Thanksgiving.

I went home and booked the same flights for me and my wife without asking my boss first.

I am going in tomorrow and telling my boss that I have the vacation time and I never ask for time off so I need to take 3 days off during Thanksgiving week. (I get two days off for the holiday that week).

I work in accounting and me and one other person handle the business accounts. The other person already requested Thanksgiving week off to go to the desert and I think my boss will tell me no.

What do I do?

I plan to go even if my boss says no, but I don't want to lose my job!

Answer 1

Tell your boss about the extenuating circumstances as well as the other person. Tell them that the tickets have already been purchased. You shouldn't quit your job. Your grandmother would want to know that you are able to take care of your family. You never ever quit your job unless you have another job waiting for you. Remember it will be this job that gives you a reference for the next one.

The next best thing would be to video tape your well wishes for her including the great grandchildren etc...

Answer 2

Tell your boss the truth -- that this is not "vacation" -- this may very well be the last chance to see your Grandma. Offer to work overtime going into the Thanksgiving period, to make sure that the work is caught up; or maybe work with some other "designated substitute" at the workplace who may be able to just keep things in order and do some basic work, so that you don't have a huge backlog when you return. Make every effort to show that you're willing to work to make sure that your responsibilities are addressed, and say in advance of the boss's answer, how much you appreciate his / her trust in you, and that you're confident that he / she will understand why you simply must take this time off.

A person's life -- especially a relative -- ought to be a BIT more important, than going on vacation in the desert!

Good Luck to you.

Answer 3

Ok if I were you I would do this - I would go into work and sit down with my boss asap to explain the situation. If after explaining to my boss he didn't understand then I would just get up and thank him for his time. Next, when it came time for me to go visit my grandmother (who is sick) I would just go. Call work when you are about to leave the airport and let them know that you won't be in for a couple of days. When you return from visiting with your grandmother you will know wether or not you have a job. It is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is for permission. Given your situation if your boss says no then you don't need to work for him anyway. If he says no then I would immediately start looking for a new job so atleast you have something to come back home to. Good luck - sorry to hear about your grandmother.

P.S. Family is way more important than any job. If someone has different views on this then their priorties or messed up.

Answer 4

Grandmother or job? Hmmm. I choose grandma. Because at her age and her illness, you are correct, this could very well be her last Thanksgiving. We are never guaranteed a certain amount of time. BUT...a job, if one door shuts you can guarantee another one will open. I think if you follow your heart you wont regret that. Once grandma passes, all thats left are memories and you don't want one of those memories to be wishing you had visited them.
Even if you loose your job, there are always other job openings, so you could never be at a loss there. Follow your heart and you will be blessed!!!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I wish the best for your grandmaw and don't give up hope on her. My dad is 68 and has Parkinson Disease. So debilatating and is in his last stages of it. Had it for about 19 yrs. now. Cherish time together and memories.

Answer 5

Sit down and talk to your boss and in a very caring way, tell him/her what you have told us. Tell your boss, that you don't know how much time you have left to spend with your Grandma. Let your boss know that you value your job, but that you and your wife must go. Don't be demanding or threatening, just matter of fact.Many of us have several bosses throughout our lifetimes, but most of us only have one special Grandma and sometimes we are lucky enough to have two. Let your heart be your guide.

Answer 6

thats so sad if i couldnt see my grandmother and she was sick (which she is)i would get so depressed