Question for those who have jobs and troop.

[Ronime]

How do you go about asking your manager/employer for time for trooping? I'm have hopes I will be getting a job by the end of the month and not quite sure the best way to bring up the trooping. It's at a game store so I think it won't be too much of a problem, but they will most likely have people working on weekends.

Any advice or experience in this? Just want to be prepared in case it comes up during any interview or during the job about it.

Thanks!

[Mosi]

Life comes first, trooping comes second. Don't ever do anything that would jeopardize your means to make a living. There are a ton of troops every year, and not all are on the weekend. All you can do is ask if you can switch shifts with someone, etc.

[Aysel]

when they ask you about times you are available just bring up you do charity work on some weekends, it's a good way to bring it up, also make sure that it's not EVERY weekend as some employers can be rather dense (i.e. my employer) and when a troop comes up that you want to go to, ask your manager person if you can make sure to have the day off or if not ask if it's ok if you can trade a shift, otherwise if it's a regularly scheduled day for you it's entirely up to your employer whether they are going to let you off or switch shifts

[carpe mindiem]

I don't think there's one formula or one "right" way to ask. It's totally going to depend on the circumstances of your job, hours, boss, etc. I just recently switched jobs, and on my first day, my new boss took me out to lunch and we talked about all the personal stuff (family, hobbies, stuff like that) that they can't or don't ask during interviews, and I told her about my involvement in this group. She got a kick out of the whole thing. Since then, I've had no problem taking time off for trooping stuff, and she's always asking about what we're up to. At my old job it was the same way; they were pretty lax about us taking time off as long as we got our work done. But really it depends on your own circumstances. I'm lucky to have a Monday-Friday, off by 4:00 p.m. job, so for the most part it doesn't interfere with trooping.

[Trumby]

I don't have the kind of job where I can just ask for the day off (have to use vacation time), but really what everyone else has said would be the best way. Depends on your job/boss circumstances. For me since I have to work a certain number of weekends every 3 months, I just have to try to schedule those weekends around other things I want to do, whether it be cons, LANs, hanging out with friends, or troops.

[Jabbasdead]

My first 5 years of trooping, I was the manager of the store and made my own schedule back in California.  Other than inventory, which always fell into the blackout period of Comic Con, I pretty much trooped when I wanted too.  Since I worked with a fellow 501st member, my rule was as long as you give proper notice and covered your shift...no problem.

Employers do not need to know a reason for personal time off, but mine always knew what was going on because one of us always won the halloween costume contest or saw the pictures of an event at Lucasfilm in the breakroom.

My advice, there are plenty of troops during the year with the big ones the same time each year.  Give proper notice, cover your shift, and unless they have access to your facebook page----don't sweat it, it is none of there business.

Now that I am a student, it is not an issue..LOL