refused time off work to attend an interview - what to do?

Nenen

My dd (aged 22) is working for the worst employer I've ever come across (large hotel chain) who have treated her like dirt (and that's putting it politely). She is desperate to find another job and has been offered an interview this Thursday (letter came Saturday) for a job she really wants. She asked her line manager this morning if she could take the morning off, swap shifts, take it as unpaid leave etc and all was refused (despite her being told this morning that she has to do a double shift from noon - 11.30pm tomorrow and her shift is changed for Wednesday too). Is there any way round this? I thought employers had to give time off for interviews but perhaps not. As she has already told her line manager she can't even say she is sick (not that I think she should lie anyway)!

dmg24

No, employers do not have to give time off for interviews, except in certain redundancy situations.

Has she rang the prospective employer to ask to rearrange?

Nenen

dmg24 wrote: »

No, employers do not have to give time off for interviews, except in certain redundancy situations.

Has she rang the prospective employer to ask to rearrange?

No she hasn't but the problem is that her current employers only tell her which shifts she is working each Thursday for the week starting Friday and even then they often change her shifts at very short notice (less than 24 hours). Therefore, if she asks the prospective employer to rearrange, she would have no idea when it could be rearranged to!

TotallyBroke

Can she not book a day or two off work with current employer now for say next week. Then try and rearrange with interview for one of those days. Once she has the date confirmed then cancel the days holiday she does not need.

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

Best bet is to ask the new employer to see her either early before work, late after work or at lunch time. Unlikely they will see her on a completely seperate day.

If it can't be arranged your daughter either needs to miss the interview or risk disclipinary but given they know were she will be she would be dismissed most likely so big risk.

seven-day-weekend

Can she book some annual leave and rearrange the interview for then?

michelle1_2

I think she should go I missed out on a job before as I could not get time off to attend interview can you not phone in for her

worto03

if they will rearrange it, get her to tell her boss that she has a doctors appointment coming up that she is waiting to come through and that it's with a consultant and not a GP that she could rearrange or that shes already had to rearrange it once due to previous shift changes.

Then call the prospective new employer and find out when she can rearrange this interview for.

Once they give her a new date tell the boss that the appointment has come through and it's on blah blah blah

As said they don't have to give time off for interviews unless you have been made redundant but I think they have to give you time off for medical appointments and I don't think they can ask you many details about it if you don't want to tell them.

don't quote me on that last paragraph though but I'm sure someone here will know if you have to provide proof of medical problems?

.....

Or she could just go in the day before the interview, shake a bit and cry then tell them a close friend has died and cry a bit more - I'm sure they'd send her home as she wouldn't be able to do her job.

.....

for the record I do't normally approve of lying but sometimes needs must!

frugallass

it's not always wise to tell your employer that you want time off for an interview

Could she speak to some colleagues and ask them if they would be willing to swap shifts, and if she finds someone then go back to the boss and say that she has found someone who is willing to swap?

pinkshoes

At 10.30pm on the Wednesday she should start clutching her stomach and faking horrendous period pain. Most female bosses will understand, and most male bosses will be mortified and run a mile. On Thursday, just phone in sick, or claim to have an emergency doctors appointment...

Could she not swap shift with someone? Did she actually specify what she wanted the time off for?

onlyforboards_2

Does she have any annual leave owing and what is her company's usual policy for granting and refusing leave?