That does sound like a very reasonable way for someone to approach looking at this.

But I also realize that sometimes "reasonable" doesn't always apply. For example, when my current boss added my section to her control, she complained to me about the number of days off I had switched in the previous year. I explained to her that all of those changes had been accomodations I made for the convenience of the agency, not my own. She said it didn't matter, that I was not to do that anymore; so I confirmed with her that I would inform the other department that from now on they would have to alter their scheduling to conform to my schedule if they really wanted me to be available for those events. (She also had refused to authorize my getting a pager, cell phone nor blackberry--which actually suits me fine [which is why I don't push it]as I don't need the headache of the three other departments who would really like me to have at least one of those devices so they can get a hold of me more often). [I have said that the only thing she would give me is a "raspberry"--reference to a rude sound in American culture; hopefully not something cruder in another... ]

Thanks again everyone,

Steve