Problem with booking holidays from work

getmore4less

Just gave a plan.

Continue to negotiate and trying to find cover.

If really not happy and believe your interpretation of the policy is not being followed put in a formal grievance.

Resign giving notice so your last day will be before the start of the holiday.
(do not try to be clever with this option last day must be before the holiday starts).

Resign as soon as you have another job an unconditional offer with your condition that you can take this holiday.

Sncjw

Are you being serious. There's three people with same dates that have already booked time off. You say there's one who works different days to you but if your off and they are off there's still less staff in the mix.

Your handbook says you should choose 2 weeks between April and October. you are still choosing the 2 weeks as they are not telling you you have to be off on a certain date. It is a reasonable reason why they are not letting you off as if people in your team all book holidays then that work in the work in that area will diminish. They need to keep a certain amount of staff to ensure at least a minimum amount of work can happen.

You so hung up that your not gettin consecutive dates but that's not the reason it's the lack of staff in your team.

Also you say if you move dates you might need to pay a fine for your kid well I've read that people do that anyways as the holiday is cheaper anyways as its in term time plus the fine is only £60 amd theh still save money.

Best get onto the holiday company you booked with as you still have time to chnage details.

Sncjw

Why hand in your notice which will mean no money to pay for holiday and in this climate it can take a good while to get a new job. Do you really want to be on jsa well you could be sanctioned for leaving without a good reason and I don't think this is a good reason.

Sncjw

If your partner did this as a surprise then he should have contacted your employer to arrange dates you can be off. I know a lot of partners do this with other half and manage to get dates. It's a lesson for you both don't asssume you will get the dates as the request you put in is only a request not a demand.

Tracey52

Well I didn't realise this was still going but I'd like to make a few points clearer, firstly there are only 2 people already booked not 3, in a department that has more than enough staff to cover, also there are seasonal staff available who, according to company policy are to be called in to cover staff holidays but this particular manager won't do so & won't give a valid reason why, secondly, this is the first time in 4 years that I have refused to change my holiday dates to accommodate others and I feel that its unfair when other staff always get the dates they want with no problem, thirdly, the other person I mentioned only works 12 hours a week and only on 4 of those would we both be off together if I was allowed my holiday, yet she is one of the 'favourite' who always gets the time off she wants. I have checked and double checked the handbook and feel that I haven't been given a valid reason as to why my request is refused when it is company policy to call in seasonal staff for cover. I know of other managers in nearby stores who use this facility & even 1 of those has said he cannot understand why my manager won't do so. Lastly, I have spent virtually all my time in this job doing extra for the company, overtime when asked because others want time off, extra hours at busy times of the year, helping out in other departments etc, even to the point of making myself so ill that I suffered a heart attack & other stress related health problems and yet time and time again I see others getting allowed time off when they want yet I can't, as for me saying I'll resign, yes I feel that strongly that I'm being treated unfairly, and have been looking for other jobs for a while so leaving this one won't be a problem even if I can't find work straight away. So please people,unless you understand fully my position please don't treat me as being stupid or unreasonable over this, I am abiding by my contract and company handbook rules but I believe in this instance my manager isn't being fair.

k3lvc

Tracey52 wrote: »

Well I didn't realise this was still going but I'd like to make a few points clearer, firstly there are only 2 people already booked not 3, in a department that has more than enough staff to cover, also there are seasonal staff available who, according to company policy are to be called in to cover staff holidays but this particular manager won't do so & won't give a valid reason why, secondly, this is the first time in 4 years that I have refused to change my holiday dates to accommodate others and I feel that its unfair when other staff always get the dates they want with no problem, thirdly, the other person I mentioned only works 12 hours a week and only on 4 of those would we both be off together if I was allowed my holiday, yet she is one of the 'favourite' who always gets the time off she wants. I have checked and double checked the handbook and feel that I haven't been given a valid reason as to why my request is refused when it is company policy to call in seasonal staff for cover. I know of other managers in nearby stores who use this facility & even 1 of those has said he cannot understand why my manager won't do so. Lastly, I have spent virtually all my time in this job doing extra for the company, overtime when asked because others want time off, extra hours at busy times of the year, helping out in other departments etc, even to the point of making myself so ill that I suffered a heart attack & other stress related health problems and yet time and time again I see others getting allowed time off when they want yet I can't, as for me saying I'll resign, yes I feel that strongly that I'm being treated unfairly, and have been looking for other jobs for a while so leaving this one won't be a problem even if I can't find work straight away. So please people,unless you understand fully my position please don't treat me as being stupid or unreasonable over this, I am abiding by my contract and company handbook rules but I believe in this instance my manager isn't being fair.

Welcome to the real world - you seem hung up on your mis-interpretation of the handbook and your expectation that any holiday booked 3 months in advance is guaranteed. Once you get over this then things will be a lot simpler and you'll see that all that's happened is that others have got in before you with their requests - all the rest of your commentary is just rants and has little bearing on things.

Now either you swallow your pride and transfer the holiday dates (after checking you can have the time off) using the lower price to offset the change fees and the school fines or you leave your job to search for another running the risk that you still can't have the time off when/if in a new job

This is a situation many of us face in different industries on a regular basis but we accept it and get on with it - your inability to do this is only ever likely to damage your health and bank balance

tunathe_cat

of the two weeks - how many shifts do you cover?
Example
may be you work 10 shifts ask if any dates available for holiday even if its only one or two dates you could strike it lucky and have a few shifts that could be covered by holiday .


Why not ask your manager if you can work together to help resolve. As good as mse forums are we cannot know staffing issues - that have to betaken into consideration
ask to have a meeting together not just chat on shop floor.


then ask colleagues to cover the other individual dates -un paid leave or even swap shifts it may be easier this way.

Can you work hours in lieu -

Stay calm try to be flexible and open minded - A lot of things in life can happen between now and dates booked .

Good luck

Tracey52

k3lvc wrote: »

Welcome to the real world - you seem hung up on your mis-interpretation of the handbook and your expectation that any holiday booked 3 months in advance is guaranteed. Once you get over this then things will be a lot simpler and you'll see that all that's happened is that others have got in before you with their requests - all the rest of your commentary is just rants and has little bearing on things.

Now either you swallow your pride and transfer the holiday dates (after checking you can have the time off) using the lower price to offset the change fees and the school fines or you leave your job to search for another running the risk that you still can't have the time off when/if in a new job

This is a situation many of us face in different industries on a regular basis but we accept it and get on with it - your inability to do this is only ever likely to damage your health and bank balance

Well I have been working in the 'real world ' as you call it, for nearly 40 years since leaving school & fully understand how things work in regard to booking holidays etc, however as I previously said, since working for this particular employer I have always previously changed my own holiday plans when asked so as to accommodate others, so feel I'm not being unreasonable to expect to have the same treatment as others. I have not 'misinterpreted' the handbook, the company policies are clear its just this particular manager who doesn't abide by them. My original questions were to seek advice, not to be treated like an idiot who doesn't know what they're talking about. I am in the process of following all company guidelines to sort cover myself, whilst abiding with the general practice's in place at this store,although in my experience of working for previous companies the issue of covering staff holidays was down to management and the onus was never on the employees to have to do this themselves, (and I dont know anybody else here who has been asked to sort their own cover for holidays its usually management that will ask other staff to cover, ) so perhaps Ive just been lucky in all the previous employments Ive had, or maybe I have been naive in assuming that this was how all employers worked.I am also in a union but was looking for a way of resolving things without having to get their involvement.

[Deleted User]

You know what to do next time Tracey love x

BoJangles_2

The big faux pas here is booking the holiday before making the request (as mentioned so many times but not sinking in). Yes it was meant as a surprise but look how it has turned out. If all staff were to do this the forum would be jammed packed with similar stories!

It makes sense to me and I'd never dream of booking flights before making sure. Plus it is plain courtesy!