Missing race weekends for work

Sh1tty topic, but how do you avoid it? For all you guys that don't race for a living, and occasionally have work commitments overlapping race weekends (2-3 times year) how do you handle it? I'm an employee in a small team and I nearly lost my sh1t today when I got informed I'd be needed offsite for 3 weeks which takes out the next 2 race weekends here. Apparently all my prepaid exp will be reimbursed, but man I've been looking forward to this. I know it's a balance between the hand that feeds you vs looking after dependents/racing budget etc, I may not avoid this one so what are some strategies for preventing it in future, apart from the obvious which already crossed my mind, a few times.

 

Be thankful you actually have a job that can support this expensive hobby. The races will always be there... A job might not.

 

It wasn't meant to sound like complaining or being ungrateful for having a job, I'm thankful every day for what I have, I really am. Apologies if that's how it came off, I just hate missing races.

 

When you work for someone else for a living you pretty much have to follow their lead. Sure, you could break the rules and call in sick or some other dishonest thing.....You're not really like that, are you?

Options are limited...ask for vacation? Negotiate for time off? Probably just have to suck it up cupcake.....Try to become the boss so you can set the rules!

 

I've missed more than a couple of race and trackday weekends because of work over the past few years. What really sucks about it is that I'm the asshole boss that made me work.

Do what you have to do, if you aren't making money you won't be able to race at all. Sometimes I've been able to work it out where I can get to the track for 1 day, it's not the relaxing weekend with my buds I would prefer but it's better than nothing.

 

When I signed on for the job I told the boss straight up that I would work all days and all hours but the few weekends a year that I raced, and they was cool with it from the start.

 

My boss is super cool.

 

Sounds like you're self-employed

I'm still looking for a job that will allow me to travel the country/world racing with my son and still allow me to make enough money to do it. Haven't had much luck with that yet.

 

No one else would hire him, and he is still on probation.

 

I just try to put in for time off when I need it as far in advance as possible. I already know the race schedule and my reserve drill schedule for the entire year, so that helps a lot. The only variable now is last minute decisions to do track days or leave/come back a day early/later.


Of course none of this applied when we had our family business going

 

I am very lucky in terms of my employer being flexible and supportive of my racing

I think the key is that they know about it up front when you first start. My work knew what the deal was when I first started. Both bosses I have had have been super cool about.

My Divisional Manager even started talking to me about the TT after he saw it on HBO's Real Sports last week. He knew I raced but didnt know I did the TT, he was saying how crazy it was, I was like "that's where I just came from". He was then talking me up a storm about it, wants to get me in the company newsletter after I showed him my pictures off my website. Pretty cool

 

Mine is hit or miss....

My last employer pulled that stuff, and then bitched about weekends when I wasn't working... They'd ask for a "justification" for time off, then make a value judgment (i.e. - my racing isn't as important as someone else's boy scout trip)... That I couldn't deal with...

The job I have now, it still comes up from time to time... I have more balance though. If I need to sneak out early on a Friday, I have more flexibility than I used to, and no one is breathing down my neck about how I use my time off...

 

My old boss was good with it. He's a cyclist and does mini tri's so he understood the thrill of the competition.

My new boss won't let me take the time off. He makes me anwer all of the calls, do all of the poposals and invoicing. He makes me meet with all of the clients. The guys a dick.

I'd much rather have to go to work than not be able to ever go racing.

 

I know his boss, he ain't as cool as he let's on. I've seen him miss some weekends.

 

exactly what has been said. be happy you have a job and can still go racing on the other weekends.

because if you get laid off like i did you can't afford to race at all

 

Having a job and being forced to live there 24/7 are 2 different things.

I would rather work at walmart making minimum wage than be forced to work 24/7 and not have time to live a little.

I have done 7/12 hours jobs.. F that.

 

trust me I've done that as well. but have you been on the other end not being able to have a steady paycheck and struggle to get by on daily living. not even including any fun hobbys you have.

 

Yes I have, big part of why I will pick "make money" over "spend money" 90 percent of the time. I just booked a gig yesterday for July which means no CAMMRA weekend in July for me. Oh well, got to make hay while the sun is shining.