Time off for Eid

Cheeky_Monkey

apples1 wrote: »

Do I have to give it?

AFAIK, the answer to your original question is no. Employers can legally deny any leave request for a business reason.

As has previously been said, if the employee is unable to get someone to cover and they decide to go AWOL, they can, and probably should be, dismissed.

I thought that Jarndyce was a lawyer/solicitor so am surprised that he/she didn't give you a legal view rather than just a hissy fit

jenhug

each eid is only 1 day, so I don't see why they need 3 days, although the first eid can be up to 3 days, as this is after the fasting.
I found my info on http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/uk/eid-al-fitr

Nov 7 2011 is the next one, lasting 1 day.

Eid-al-Adha is not a bank holiday in the UK. Mosques are likely to be busy and this may lead to some traffic congestion. Some Muslims choose to take one or more days of annual leave at this time.

purple.sarah

Jarndyce wrote: »

Eid simply means festival. There are many festivals that are important to Muslims - some more than others. The one at the end of August 2011 (Eid Al Fitr - the end of Ramadan) and the one that falls on 7 November 2011 (Eid Al Adha - to celebrate the sacrifice of Abraham's son to God) are the most important to most Muslims in the UK.

Abraham's son was not sacrificed to God, Abraham was willing to make the sacrifice but God spared him and an angel intervened, it was a test.

purple.sarah

Jarndyce wrote: »

I am speechless at some of the responses on this thread.

Some of you need to take a long hard look at yourselves.

From the disrespectful and ignorant ("something in the Muslim calendar - I don't know what") to the racial stereotyping (he'll throw a sickie anyway so you might as welll give it to him) and from the "beware of the PC brigade" scaremongering to the dismissive "fire him" couldn't care less attitude. I'm appalled.

All of you - ask yourselves if you would have responded in the same way if this had been a non-Muslim asking for a couple of days off at short notice to attend a family gathering?

Hang your heads in shame.

I see your point about some of the responses but I didn't see "something in the Muslim calendar - I don't know what" as offensive. It simply means that they know it's a Muslim holiday but not what it represents. Would you be so aghast if a Muslim didn't know the finer points of Easter? It's just a cultural difference.

Likewise I saw the 'he'll throw a sickie anyway so you might as well give it to him' attitude as an assessment of what an employee might do if denied time they feel they "have to take off", rather than racial stereotyping. I don't see how it could be racial stereotyping since we don't know the race of the employee involved, only his religion. Or are you saying that all Muslims are the same?

I think a non-Muslim asking for a couple of days off at short notice to attend a family gathering would be equally inconvenient to the employer, which is the issue here.

jc808

If hes under a year, id give it to him, and then terminate his employment after his return, the cheeky get

jc808

apples1 wrote: »

We released the 2011 holiday in Nov 2010. At this time they can all put in two weeks (or two lots of one week etc) on the planner starting with the longest serving employee first

Why not just first come first served?

CFC

Jarndyce wrote: »

I am speechless at some of the responses on this thread.

Some of you need to take a long hard look at yourselves.

From the disrespectful and ignorant ("something in the Muslim calendar - I don't know what") to the racial stereotyping (he'll throw a sickie anyway so you might as welll give it to him) and from the "beware of the PC brigade" scaremongering to the dismissive "fire him" couldn't care less attitude. I'm appalled.

All of you - ask yourselves if you would have responded in the same way if this had been a non-Muslim asking for a couple of days off at short notice to attend a family gathering?

Hang your heads in shame.

What absolute nonsense.

The answer a non-muslim would have got for a family gathering would be.....and why didn't you mention this at interview, and no, you cannot have the time off if there is no cover.

Furthermore, the response to anyone who says 'well, i'll take it anyway' for any time of denied leave is a documented discussion, and if they do go 'sick' for the period, followed up with a probationary hearing and the door hitting them on the way out of the building.

I'm really quite surprised at you, Jarndyce.

tescobabe69

apples1 wrote: »

We have recently recruited a new person who has been employed about a month. He didn't give any pre-booked hol and when we published the rota to mid November he (along with all other staff) approved their shifts and working days.

He has today asked for 3 days off for eid on 7-9 Nov. We publish our rotas with about 6 weeks notice so all staff can plan days out, family commitments etc round knowing their days off and so I told him I will look at it but as rota already approved it will depend on whether colleagues can swap/cover. His reply was ok but I will have to take it off.

Do I have to give it?

On that basis I would say no, if he then took it off - dismissal.
Why would you employ someone that stupid ?

CFC

Actually I must say it really annoys me when one of the muslims I have working for me trot out that old line, oooh we didn't know when it would be, you can't know in advance, but I have to have it off. That is absolute porkies. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to say it's roughly XX, but I'll be absolutely sure which date it is later. No, he didn't get his holiday....

Probably a typical man thing, like shopping for presents on Xmas eve.

apples1

jc808 wrote: »

Why not just first come first served?

Because the day I released it for booking they would all be waiting for me as I walked into work - with their requests!