Can my boss prioritise annual leave allocation for those with kids first?

[Deleted User]

richdeniro wrote: »

Spoke to HR and it wasn't company policy so they spoke with the manager and have cancelled everyone's leave and asked everyone who wants the three days over Xmas to submit it and I guess its going to be a lottery as to who gets it rather than based on lifestyle choices.

well done but ur worst enemy in the office lol

sangie595

Isn't it interesting that people ASSUME that I have children simply because my view does not accord with their own? For information, and to make those people who think that having children is opinion forming, I have no children. However, that does not mean that I must think like you.

And I reiterate, it now doesn't matter what the OP or anyone else thinks. It absolutely will get out why holidays that had been approved are now being cancelled. I doubt there will be much Christmas goodwill, or any other kind of goodwill, towards the OP. I hope they won't be expecting any favours from colleagues in the near future.

DKLS

Undervalued wrote: »

Which is of course unlawful and could prove very costly if he ended up on the wrong end of a discrimination claim!

My friend is female.

Undervalued

DKLS wrote: »

My friend is female.

Still doesn't make it lawful!

DKLS

Undervalued wrote: »

Still doesn't make it lawful!

It doesn't but its not that hard a law to get around.

Undervalued

DKLS wrote: »

It doesn't but its not that hard a law to get around.

A man's (woman's) true character is not in what he does but in what he would do if he thought he would never be found out!

SandC

I do think it's worth speaking out actually. More because of the unfairness in how holidays are allocated with no consultation to the rest of the staff. We are talking about in between Xmas and New Year though, which is not the same as those who are given rotas which include Xmas day and New Year's day - emergency services, prison etc. etc. If I worked in a hospital say then I would more than willingly take a shift that meant a colleague could spend the day with their children. Those days in between though are not the be all and end all. I have a lot of relatives and friends who live nowhere near their extended family and would struggle to see them if they never got those extra days off and that's not fair if it's just because they don't have children.

9/10 if management allow staff to negotiate between themselves as to a fair system most people will end up happy. Seeing favouritism towards one section of society is going to get people's backs up.

As for the other holidays in the year, yes I'm happy to work around school holidays. Not because of the cost of going on hols but because of schools! I tend to take holidays at Easter and the end of the school summer holidays because the dates suit me. I save up to pay for those holidays just as parents have to - again, the cost of going on holiday is another consideration parents have to make when deciding on how many or if they will have children.

sangie595

SandC wrote: »

More because of the unfairness in how holidays are allocated with no consultation to the rest of the staff. ....

9/10 if management allow staff to negotiate between themselves as to a fair system most people will end up happy. Seeing favouritism towards one section of society is going to get people's backs up.

.

It has never been my experience that negotiation or consultation results in everyone being happy - those who don't get what they want are always unhappy about it. Strangely, they usually still think it's unfair on them.

Of course the employer actually does have another alternative open to them - they can tell everyone when their holidays will be taken, full stop. Then everyone can be equally unhappy and at least they will still have something to moan about. And if they are all moaning about it, then at least the staff will all be on one side - won't they???

bugslet

We work on a first come, first served basis and it works. Some people miss out sometimes, but they know it's up to them to book before other people.

fairy_lights

sangie595 wrote: »

And I reiterate, it now doesn't matter what the OP or anyone else thinks. It absolutely will get out why holidays that had been approved are now being cancelled. I doubt there will be much Christmas goodwill, or any other kind of goodwill, towards the OP. I hope they won't be expecting any favours from colleagues in the near future.

Except OP's childfree colleagues might be quite grateful that he has brought this up with HR so they don't have to.