Holidays issue

Muscle750

I've worked at my company for 27 years in my contract it states my holidays are from. January to December I get 30 days a year .
every year we get told that nobody can have any holidays in December which isn't what our contract states this year things have really come to head and this afternoon I've had a very heated discussion with my manager due to the fact that as usual a few of us have tried to book the three days off at Xmas and blatantly told no yet we have recently took on two more staff of polish origin and yet they are both taking the three days and more off at Xmas I was told by my manager that if I didn't like it I could always leave which I told them that I thought their comment was most unprofessional from them this is a large company employing in excess of 2000 staff across the country at various sites I've a good mind to contact HR althou from past experience they've usually got the companies interest stamped right throu them I'm in a union I just feel it's grossly unfair to those who tried to book these days in January plus I was told as have others that anyone not in and not on leave will be subject to a disaplinary even if they phone in sick !!!!!!!!

fairy_lights

What's being Polish got to do with it?

Undervalued

Muscle750 wrote: »

I've a good mind to contact HR althou from past experience they've usually got the companies interest stamped right throu them

Of course they have. They are paid to protect the company from the "irritations" staff cause!

More seriously though.........

In the absence of specific contractual rights a company can dictate when staff can and cannot take their holiday. Your right is to 28 days leave per year (or more if your contract says so).

Also, in employment law there is nothing special about bank holidays, even Christmas day.

As you say, see what pressure your union can exert. It is just possible that you could argue that custom and practice over many years has established some contractual rights but I wouldn't stake my career on it I'm afraid.

bap98189

Unfortunately for you, your employer can dictate when you take your holidays. In some companies people get no choice at all over which days they get off.

So long as you are able to take your annual holiday entitlement at some point during the year there is nothing you can do except find another job. The fact some other staff are being allowed days off in December is irrelevant.

Lincoln_Imp

If you are in a Union let them deal with ,Its what you pay you`re subs for

FBaby

Did you ask why some people got to take the time off not others? Is it based on first come first serve, special request (going home to family), or different staff covering different groups etc...

Torry_Quine

As others have said you have no right to get specific dates for holidays as long as you get at least the minimum.

Muscle750

To threaten anyone who phones in sick with a threat is bang out of order and still the comment on the Polish is irrelevant

Muscle750

Best part of it is that the Polish won't have even accrued the amount of holiday they are taking where as we have and can't take it when we want I would like to go see our grandchildren during this time looks like that's going to cause a problem "inhouse" so to speak

Undervalued

FBaby wrote: »

Did you ask why some people got to take the time off not others? Is it based on first come first serve, special request (going home to family), or different staff covering different groups etc...

You can ask but technically you have no right to be told.

Unless you can show that the firm are discriminating on one of the few prohibited grounds (race, gender etc) it doesn't help. They can legally discriminate in any other way they choose.

Sorry!

KiKi

If the new staff (their nationality is irrelevant here) already had holidays planned, then they may have been recruited on the basis that the company would honour that time off.

Either way, you can ask the question, and ask - in a polite and constructive way - how things will work for the following years, and try and make it work for you.

KiKi