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We are getting a new boss who is starting the week that I was scheduled to begin a two-week family vacation. It would be really inconvenient to cancel at this late date and I’d hate to do that to my family. At the same time, I don’t want to get off to a bad start. What o you think?

The good news is that if you take this vacation you can probably extend it for longer than two weeks. The bad news is if you take this vacation you can probably extend it for longer than two weeks.

Listen, unless you’ve got family flying in from around the world to celebrate your parents’ 50th wedding anniversary on a remote island, or this trip is the last wish on someone’s bucket list, you should reconsider. This is no time to be floating through It’s A Small World listening to that incessant music, or floating on a Carnival cruise and listening to some cheesy lounge act. You can send your family without you, and you might even be able to join them for the second week, once you’ve explained to your boss the circumstances during your first week of working together.

If it is one of those rare, special occasions, then arrange to meet with your new boss ahead of time. Explain the situation and tell him or her that you understand the timing is horrible and that under normal circumstances of course you’d cancel. Offer to miss all or part of the special trip if the new boss thinks it is necessary.

At the very least your boss should appreciate that you are thoughtful and conscientious. A good boss will thank you and make you feel comfortable about going on that special trip. A bad boss will say you shouldn’t go or leave you feeling guilty. And then you’ll have a decision to make.

I recently learned that a former employer of mine pulled my credit files without my permission. How do I go about seeking legal redress?

If you are sure that your employer accessed your credit files and did so without authorization, you have several options. You can get a lawyer, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission or file a complaint with the office of your state attorney general. You may be able to recover damages. For more information, you can read through the Fair Credit Reporting Act online, at ftc.gov.

Gregory Giangrande is chief human resources office for Dow Jones. (Twitter: @greggiangrande.) Send your career questions to gotogreg@nypost.com.