In pursuit of Health, Wealth and Happiness

Dinah93

My biggest concern overall would be that they could refuse you the holiday those weeks if there is no one in, and if you don't get the notice in soon they might make you work all your notice and pay you the holiday?

shrimpy_80

To be honest Tete, I would do whatever makes you feel better. I think you have already allowed for them paying rather than granting your holiday if I have read it right? Based on what you have said, I don't think they'll get cover for that week regardless of how much notice they have. I also don't think they'll appreciate the extra notice either by the sounds of it, and it will mean an extra week of working there with them knowing you're leaving which is always awkward.

However I found it very stressful knowing I was leaving and keeping it quiet, plus you seem to be feeling a bit guilty (completely wrongly but I think you're just too nice for your own good!) so for peace of mind I might be inclined to do it on the 15th. It might be a bit awkward but I think the relief you'll feel at having it out in the open will outweigh that.

Phew!

shrimpy_80

Also:

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

When I graduate from this course [STRIKE](if!)[/STRIKE], it'll be ten years since I graduated first time around

Kittikins

Yes Tete, it's WHEN not if

I'm really happy, as the school I really wanted to get into (girls' independent in walking distance from my parents' house) for the two weeks came back to me this afternoon to say yes! Hoorah!

I called Uni and my health check went through fine (phew) and my CRB has been applied for and as I have a gazillion already, I know I'll get it, so I feel like I can now tell my working school I'm going to be leaving......but, at the moment I only have a weeks' notice either side as I don't yet think I've finished my incredibly long probation period, where I'll then have to give a month's notice.

I'd like to finish at the end of term, 24th July - which is exactly 6 weeks from now, but don't know whether to go and talk to them tomorrow and say can I give 6 weeks' notice or if they'll just tell me to naff off at the end of next week! I think the Head and her PA are going to be mega-annoyed at me.....and my bosses will (hopefully) be sad but also okay about it.

Decisions, decisions.....but I have to look after myself rather than worry about them I guess...

Birdie85

Trying to get my head around the notice thing... If you think they're going to pay you your holiday allowance rather than letting you take it then can you give notice to leave 2 weeks before you wanted to (so leave on the 16th Aug instead of the 30th), take the holiday pay and use it to cover the last 2 weeks you'll be unemployed? Might be the simplest way around it.

In a kind of related note, who the hell plans the holidays so that so few people are left in the office at any one time? And how are people allowed to take so long off work in one period?! As it is you would be the only one in the office for the last week in August, what if you were ill? Terrible planning and they need to realise this IMO. In our office we have to make sure that there aren't too many people missing from any one team at any time, 1 or 2 days when its running on low staff may be allowed but certainly not a couple of weeks! We're also limited to 2 weeks off at a time unless the manager allows the exception if given a good enough reason.

shrimpy_80

Birdie85 wrote: »

In a kind of related note, who the hell plans the holidays so that so few people are left in the office at any one time? And how are people allowed to take so long off work in one period?! As it is you would be the only one in the office for the last week in August, what if you were ill? Terrible planning and they need to realise this IMO. In our office we have to make sure that there aren't too many people missing from any one team at any time, 1 or 2 days when its running on low staff may be allowed but certainly not a couple of weeks! We're also limited to 2 weeks off at a time unless the manager allows the exception if given a good enough reason.

I also completely agree with this - I know the academics take leave in August to fit around teaching but we're talking admin/support staff here I think?

Kitty, congrats on the placement! You'd like to think they wouldn't cut their noses off to spite their faces by asking you to leave mid-term, but its a risk if you're relying on that money. How long have you worked there?

Tete_en_l'Air

Thanks for all your replies girls

Dinah93 wrote: »

My biggest concern overall would be that they could refuse you the holiday those weeks if there is no one in, and if you don't get the notice in soon they might make you work all your notice and pay you the holiday?

shrimpy_80 wrote: »

I think you have already allowed for them paying rather than granting your holiday if I have read it right?

Birdie85 wrote: »

Trying to get my head around the notice thing... If you think they're going to pay you your holiday allowance rather than letting you take it then can you give notice to leave 2 weeks before you wanted to (so leave on the 16th Aug instead of the 30th), take the holiday pay and use it to cover the last 2 weeks you'll be unemployed? Might be the simplest way around it.

That's right Shrimpy and Birdie - if I gave my notice on the 22nd July to leave on 31st Aug but took off my two weeks' holiday and actually finish on 16th Aug, that's six weeks in total, so if they refused the holiday I could change it to four weeks' notice and leave on the 16th Aug anyway. I will be paid the holiday either way, but I'd rather try and have my finish date be the 31st Aug so I get a full month's pension payment and also holidays are only given for every full month worked, so I'd lose something like 2.5 days' holiday. Nothing drastic either way, but I'd rather get what I can, you know?

shrimpy_80 wrote: »

To be honest Tete, I would do whatever makes you feel better ... Based on what you have said, I don't think they'll get cover for that week regardless of how much notice they have. I also don't think they'll appreciate the extra notice either by the sounds of it, and it will mean an extra week of working there with them knowing you're leaving which is always awkward.

However I found it very stressful knowing I was leaving and keeping it quiet, plus you seem to be feeling a bit guilty (completely wrongly but I think you're just too nice for your own good!) so for peace of mind I might be inclined to do it on the 15th. It might be a bit awkward but I think the relief you'll feel at having it out in the open will outweigh that.

Phew!

I think my moral dilemma has been answered this morning, came in from a long weekend off and my manager has put in two hours in my diary to 'urgently' rehash a load of figures which finance have ALREADY HAD A MILLION TIMES - as if I don't have important and urgent work to be doing today And then she's on the phone to her boss going, "Yes, I'll have a look at these figures... I'll get something to you..." - it's me that's doing it! She's just emailing it on!

It's a bit petty and I know I whinge on about what sounds quite trivial when written down, but I really do get a raw deal here; I work way harder than anyone and get no recognition for it - financially or otherwise. Why should I give them any more notice than my contract says? I'll just say my place on the course has only just been confirmed when I put my notice in

Birdie85 wrote: »

In a kind of related note, who the hell plans the holidays so that so few people are left in the office at any one time?

There are v few people in our office anyway - me and Colleague 1 full-time, Colleague 2 part-time and manager who flits about between sites and basically does as she pleases. (And, as I mentioned, C1 is changing to 'flexible working' in September, 4 days a week which would make me the only full-time person ... if I were staying )

And how are people allowed to take so long off work in one period?!

Because so many people in the uni are academics, they can and it's sort of accepted that the uni as a whole is quiet over the summer (except for the admissions teams who aren't allowed time off in August because of clearing! :eek:) - our work does not go quiet, but she more or less takes every August off anyway. Shows how little she has to do - I'd have a nervous breakdown if I had to return after a month off.

As it is you would be the only one in the office for the last week in August, what if you were ill? Terrible planning and they need to realise this IMO.

Just shows how much they rely on me.

This actually happened in October before C2 started and there were only the three of us - manager was off on a cushy 'business trip' abroad, I was on holiday, in a school for the week, and C1 was ill so there was no-one in the office at all. The Big Bosses of our contracts found out and Were Not Happy At All. That was fun.

Nice update to follow after I've done these figures...

Tete_en_l'Air

Right OK, figures all done. They just wanted the same thing but in a different format so it didn't take too long, but I still can't see why they couldn't just look at what I'd already given them! Anyway.

Kitty - hurrah for the placement! Have you made any decisions around giving notice yet? I'm another who thinks surely they won't kick you out so close to the end of term, would be madness! Maybe find out when your probation period ends, and if you can just give the week's notice? I'm assuming here thast you won't be working the summer hols? If so and you say at the end of term that you won't be back in Sept, could that not count as six weeks' notice?

I've been told I'll be receiving a health questionnaire shortly but haven't yet. Looking forward to [STRIKE]bragging[/STRIKE] putting in that I run several miles each week ... just won't mention that they leave me hobbling like an old crone!

Anyway, non-work-related update. Had a lovely time in London seeing the girls, but being stranded in NY for two weeks because of the hurricane has spoilt me and now I hate only getting to spend the weekend with them - it goes too fast! We went for cocktails and saw the man who looks like a mouse from Merlin at the Globe and visited the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons which is lots of things in jars - pretty grim but fascinating!

Had yesterday off work to recover from my week and a half of not having a minute to spare, but then I ended up going into school (my school!) for the morning again to see a couple of Spanish lessons. I met my two mentors (a French lady and an English man, both lovely) and when I mention to the head of MFL that I was a bit nervous she was so lovely and really reassured me. I like her, she seems pretty genuine I have to say - and hopefully she likes me since it was her who interviewed me!

The lessons were great - even a bottom set Y9 class was fab - I was expecting them to be awful but they were great kids, a little bit boisterous maybe but not naughty as such. Made me realise the holes in my Spanish vocab though: because I started it from scratch at uni, we whizzed through all the sorts of topics you spend all term on at school (clothes, rooms in the house etc) and so I instantly forgot it all - plenty of revision to do!

Also had my third Study Skills session last night, did a bit about learning styles which was really useful - I'm loving it, although haven't started any actual work in my own time yet (been too busy!).

Money wise, I did have quite a spendy weekend in London (bought some fabric and bits and bobs ) but I checked my bank and should be OK til payday next week. While I was on my internet banking I made a list of all my outgoings and DDs so that I can start to plan a budget from September onwards. So exciting!!

Kittikins

Phew! Over the last 2 days I've handed my notice in and everyone has been LOVELY I've had hugs, pats on the back, big grins - but my favourite boss did look very angry when I started my sentence about leaving.......and then was lovely when I said it was to go and do a PGCE

It's such a huge relief! And then, I got home from work today to find out that my CRB has come through. Yay!

Tete_en_l'Air

Hi Kitty, don't know how I didn't see this post - yay you must be so relieved to have it out in the open - I'm dreading this myself but I've decided to go with the six-week option, which is the bare minimum but still allowing for them to refuse me the holidays.

Just checked my emails and saw that it's free listing this weekend on ebay so I'm forcing myself to do some tomorrow - got a few things on but really going to make the effort to list some of the junk in the corner.

I picked up some vac-pack bag things today so have tidied away some wool and fabric to the top of the wardrobe, but may yet put it in the loft til I need it. Also need t sort through a huge pile of paperwork tomorrow - wah! But I know my head will feel clearer once it's done. Off to bed now with a book... bon soir!