Schools no longer allowed to authorise holidays

~Chameleon~

Janepig wrote: »

Where's the rolling eyes smiley when you need it. You have people without children moaning on this thread that parents have sixteen weeks a year to book a holiday out of term time, so we shouldn't moan at not being allowed to take term time holidays - then on other threads parents get flamed by those without children for wanting/needing to take August/Christmas/Easter/half terms off in work. Parents can't win!

Jx

Actually, that's something we've always allowed is for parents to take annual leave to coincide with school holidays. Even as far as working over the festive period (our profession is 24/7/365) parents always get priority for Xmas Day and the childless get New Year off

balletshoes

Janepig wrote: »

Parents can't win!

Jx

yep - ain't that the truth!

~Chameleon~

duchy wrote: »

Don't suppose they appreciate sharing the poolside with a miserable old fogie either Have you considered one of the many adult only hotels that seem to be springing up. Might suit you better.

Tou'll not be the kind of grandparent eager to take the grandkids away either then !! Or maybe you will be and happy to pay double to take them away in peak season

If we take family holidays with the grandchildren we book a villa so we can have as much fun as we like without disturbing anyone else. And yes, the extra expense is absorbed across the families

Janepig

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

Actually, that's something we've always allowed is for parents to take annual leave to coincide with school holidays. Even as far as working over the festive period (our profession is 24/7/365) parents always get priority for Xmas Day and the childless get New Year off

Before I had children I was always more than happy to take my annual leave outside of the school holidays to accommodate the parents I worked with. Luckily my current close colleagues are much the same and we accommodate each other. However, there's been more than one thread on here where parents have been absolutely slated for wanting to take school holidays off - bear in mind that unless you are employed as a term time worker, you wouldn't have enough leave to take all the school holidays off anyway, so more than enough time for everyone I would have thought. But they have been some of the bitterest, nastiest threads I've seen on here.

Jx

Poppy9

duchy wrote: »

Cost in some cases- a holiday in early June can be half the price of going in August-it can be the difference for some families in affording or not affording a holiday -also some people have problems securing time off in the holiday times - especially a problem if both parents work and also if a parent has changed jobs so is low in the pecking order for securing popular dates.
Some workplaces give preference of dates to employees who have the longest service -I remember one place I worked there was a gaggle of older women who always insisted on taking August days- even though they didn't go away (as it was too expensive then) or look after grandkids - They just did it because they could. Often those couple of days in August each took knocked out a whole week for parents wanting a block of a week or two for a family holiday.

So just because someone doesn't have children or grandchildren to look after they should not be allowed to take off time in school holidays? How is that fair? Do you really think they should have to accommodate you? Not everyone wants to share what they are doing with their time off with colleagues so they might have a reason for wanting those days off, they just don't wish to share their reasons.

It's like assuming that parents should be given priority at Xmas. Never really understood this as most work places are closed Xmas and Boxing day so why should parents have priority for a few days before and after. If you are in a profession that has to cover these holidays you know it's part of the job.

Poppy9

Janepig wrote: »

Before I had children I was always more than happy to take my annual leave outside of the school holidays to accommodate the parents I worked with. Luckily my current close colleagues are much the same and we accommodate each other. However, there's been more than one thread on here where parents have been absolutely slated for wanting to take school holidays off - bear in mind that unless you are employed as a term time worker, you wouldn't have enough leave to take all the school holidays off anyway, so more than enough time for everyone I would have thought. But they have been some of the bitterest, nastiest threads I've seen on here.

Jx

I think it's wrong to expect work colleagues to accommodate you just because you are a parent. I am disliking this trend for term time working too as it's limiting full time employees with children who want to take holidays. My employer to save money allows a lot of people to work TT only now and aside from having to cover their work while they are off, having to wait weeks for answers to queries etc. they then tell you that you can't take your leave.

I am limited throughout the year due to work deadlines but July & August we have no deadlines. We leave just one person covering a team often. At the moment I'm in a team of 8 so it's okay but I was previously in a team of 3 and we just sometimes told out Chief that there was no one in for a week or odd days as the 3 of use wanted to take 3 weeks leave as we had accumulated it throughout the year. It was made trickier for the others in that I only worked 2.5 days a week but I did swap my work days if it helped out with cover.

Janepig

Poppy9 wrote: »

So just because someone doesn't have children or grandchildren to look after they should not be allowed to take off time in school holidays? How is that fair? Do you really think they should have to accommodate you? Not everyone wants to share what they are doing with their time off with colleagues so they might have a reason for wanting those days off, they just don't wish to share their reasons.

It's like assuming that parents should be given priority at Xmas. Never really understood this as most work places are closed Xmas and Boxing day so why should parents have priority for a few days before and after. If you are in a profession that has to cover these holidays you know it's part of the job.

It's honestly never bothered me - I never minded working Christmas before I had kids, and tbh, DH takes most of the Christmas holidays off now so I usually go back to work (for a rest ) a day or two after Boxing Day. I don't think that workplaces should have any hard and fast rules about who should be "allowed" to take time off when, but I've said it before, I find it hard to understand why someone who didn't "need" to take leave in August, would want to do so. Personally I never ever did before I had kids, and once DD and DS are older I won't be doing so again!!! But that's just me, I'm sure there are plenty of people who love to take time off when everywhere's packed and it's more expensive! :D

Jx

Janepig

Poppy9 wrote: »

I think it's wrong to expect work colleagues to accommodate you just because you are a parent. I am disliking this trend for term time working too as it's limiting full time employees with children who want to take holidays. My employer to save money allows a lot of people to work TT only now and aside from having to cover their work while they are off, having to wait weeks for answers to queries etc. they then tell you that you can't take your leave.

I am limited throughout the year due to work deadlines but July & August we have no deadlines. We leave just one person covering a team often. At the moment I'm in a team of 8 so it's okay but I was previously in a team of 3 and we just sometimes told out Chief that there was no one in for a week or odd days as the 3 of use wanted to take 3 weeks leave as we had accumulated it throughout the year. It was made trickier for the others in that I only worked 2.5 days a week but I did swap my work days if it helped out with cover.

I agree (see post above). There shouldn't be a "parents only" rule at certain times of the year.

I'm in a team of 3 at the moment, should be 4 but one's on (very) long term sick. I've just gone back after 10 weeks' sick leave but the two that were left just had to soldier on with no cover and were allowed to take what leave they'd booked. It's a situation that's made more awkward the more staff they trim off for cost cutting. We've lost loads over the last few years and worse it's going to get. There's no slack in other teams to cover for teams who are a man or two down. Other than HR. They always seem to get cover for every eventuality <rolls eyes>

Jx

Poppy9

Janepig wrote: »

It's honestly never bothered me - I never minded working Christmas before I had kids, and tbh, DH takes most of the Christmas holidays off now so I usually go back to work (for a rest ) a day or two after Boxing Day. I don't think that workplaces should have any hard and fast rules about who should be "allowed" to take time off when, but I've said it before, I find it hard to understand why someone who didn't "need" to take leave in August, would want to do so. Personally I never ever did before I had kids, and once DD and DS are older I won't be doing so again!!! But that's just me, I'm sure there are plenty of people who love to take time off when everywhere's packed and it's more expensive! :D

Jx

I've always liked Xmas off as it's my birthday and everyone else takes their birthday off throughout the year. I also like being off at end of August and lots like to make the August bank holiday a long weekend as it's mentally the end of summer and a nice break. If you have been working a long time in a work place you could be entitled to 5 or 6 weeks off a year and if you can't afford to go away for all those weeks you will want some weeks off when the weather is nice and to catch up with family/friends who are also off. Hence childless colleagues or those with adult children wanting some time in the Summer off.

mountainofdebt

meritaten wrote: »

I find this quite sinister - education IS important, but, parents rights are important too. why are parents rights being so eroded? its almost as if children are being 'forced' into state education. and the rights of the education 'system' are overtaking parental rights.

Actually I have some sympathy for the schools' attitude.

It must be frustrating, putting it mildly, to have children absent just because their parents fancied a week or two somewhere sunny and then be expected to put in the extra effort in getting that child back up to speed.

Personally my anger would be directed at the holiday companies who see an opportunity to make a fast buck.