Partner's holiday looking to be cut short by employer?

Nickij01

Can anyone advise me please? A while ago my partner put in a request to take one weeks leave from friday 1st June to friday 8th June for a family holiday (1st of and have 2 children eldest aged 6!) to Greece with the family for a family wedding taking place on the 4th June. At the time it wasn't rejected however, within the last week his employer has now said he can't have this holiday due to another manager being off the second half of the week he has requested.

Its a large company, he is forever cancelling time off and being nothing but flexible, this is the first holiday he has ever booked and actually had something booked, although it wasn't booked until after the request had been put it!

How do we stand?

Thanks

Emmzi

"not rejected" is not the same as "approved". Was it approved?

agrinnall

Unfortunately employment law does allow them to cancel an employees leave as long as they give twice as much notice as the length of the leave, which in this case they have done. All your partner can do is to explain the situation and hope that they agree to let him have the whole period off - if they refuse then he'll either have to not go at all, return early, or stay anyway and run the risk of being sacked. Or get a job with a more enlightened employer of course.

paddedjohn

agrinnall wrote: »

Unfortunately employment law does allow them to cancel an employees leave as long as they give twice as much notice as the length of the leave, which in this case they have done. All your partner can do is to explain the situation and hope that they agree to let him have the whole period off - if they refuse then he'll either have to not go at all, return early, or stay anyway and run the risk of being sacked. Or get a job with a more enlightened employer of course.

Sorry but this is wrong, the employer can refuse the holiday as long as they give notice at least as long as the holiday requested.
If the holiday has already been granted then from what ive read in other threads on here the employer can cancel it but should compensate the employee for any costs incurred (holiday costs etc) but im not sure if this is law or not.

coinxoperated

Maybe in future he should not book a holiday and pay for anything UNTIL his employer had confirmed his leave in writing or via e-mail or some sort of recordable evidence so if they do pull a fast one again, he can get his costs paid.

"Its a large company, he is forever cancelling time off and being nothing but flexible"

So I assume he knew there was a chance they would screw him over?
It would also seem that he knew

InsideInsurance

It is always the case that employers can cancel holiday with minimal notice but an employer who is concerned about the output from their staff generally wont do things to annoy them as disengaged staff are not productive staff.

Are they aware that he is actually going away rather than just having time off?

If they arent willing to allow the holiday then its the old fashioned leg work of doing shift swaps etc

jannowretired

I remember asking for a holiday at a certain time and was refused because they couldn't manage without me at that time.


I waited a few days and in conversation with that same manager in front of his manager I asked what would happen if I got run over by a bus or I dropped dead how would the firm manage without me.

He replied the firm would manage quite well without you, you're not indispensible you know.

So I can get my holiday when I want it then?

He suddenly realised what he had just said and his manager asked what was going on, so I told him.

I got my holiday when I wanted it.

Of course that manager was not all that pleasant to me after that but I managed to survive.

agrinnall

paddedjohn wrote: »

Sorry but this is wrong, the employer can refuse the holiday as long as they give notice at least as long as the holiday requested.
If the holiday has already been granted then from what ive read in other threads on here the employer can cancel it but should compensate the employee for any costs incurred (holiday costs etc) but im not sure if this is law or not.

Yes, you're right, I knew it was twice the duration one way and the same duration the other, but I guess naively assumed it would be in favour of the employee rather than the employer (although the employer does have to give the same length of notice as the employee when they require leave to be taken).

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandholidays/DG_10034711

heretolearn_2

"not rejected" is not the same as "approved". Was it approved?

As Emmzi says, it really does all hinge on this.

Emmzi

OP hasn;t been back so I am guessing not approved.