Having a lot of holidays booked before applying?

Fraggy_Muffin

Hi, I'm currently self employed and im looking to apply for a full time job however I have 5 weeks of holidays booked. (Well 3 weeks volunteering in the Amazon and 2 weeks holiday) do you think this will hinder/cause an issue with my company I'm applying to? Any advice/thoughts

HappyMJ

Shouldn't be a problem. I wouldn't think so anyway.

Savvy_Sue

It depends how 'mission critical' your role with any new employer would be, and how good you are.

Faced with an important piece of work needing to be done to a deadline and two almost equally good applicants, would you choose the one who wants to take several weeks holiday soon after starting, or the other one?

Also note that you might have to take some of that as unpaid leave, partly because it might exceed your holiday allowance, and partly because some employers don't let you take a lot more paid leave than you have earned so early in your employment.

Perhaps the question you should be asking is "At what point should I disclose that I have all this holiday booked, before or after interview?" There's no right answer to that: if you disclose before you might not be interviewed, and if you ask at interview you might not be appointed. If you wait until you've been appointed, you may seriously annoy your boss.

Is any of it cancellable?

Torry_Quine

I would always say that any booked holidays should be mentioned at interview. They may say if you would be able to take them and you could make a decision based on that. If you don't say until a job offer then they may well be very annoyed and refuse them on principle.

As said any holiday may be unpaid.

getmore4less

If you really want to take them then you need to disclose and get them into the contract(employers can just says no holiday).

At what point do you disclose, leave it too late and you have wasted everyones time if it was clear taking these holidays was going to be an issue, too early and they may not have commited to you yet.

5 weeks is a lot, most of a years allowance, more if they don't normaly work BH and these holidays don't overlap with them, 3 weeks in one go is often stretching many companies policies.

What you may be better doing is plan to start after the Amazon trip

Remember if you start without geting them into the contract they don't have to approve the time off just because you have something booked, you will then face loosing the costs or potentialy the job

Fraggy_Muffin

They are both technically can be cancelled but I will lose some money. I would prefer that than not get the job. I think it's best to be fully open and also explain I may be open to change. I know they will ask what holidays I have 100%.

DKLS

Depends on a number of factors how a hiring manager may perceive this and will depend on the needs of the business. When I have hired there are usually two types of recruitment, one where we need someone in asap and anyone with holidays planned or has a long notice period is overlooked for someone who is available immediately and can hit the ground running or where am happy to consider candidates with long notice period or holidays.

I would be interested by the Amazon trip, it adds something over other candidates for me.

bap98189

The short answer is yes - it may well cause an issue.

It is quite normal for new recruits to have holidays booked, and if it were only 2 weeks it wouldn't make any difference to us when deciding who to take on. But 5 weeks off is a very long time. For starters 5 weeks is more holiday than many companies offer in a calendar year.

Darksparkle

bap98189 wrote: »

The short answer is yes - it may well cause an issue.

It is quite normal for new recruits to have holidays booked, and if it were only 2 weeks it wouldn't make any difference to us when deciding who to take on. But 5 weeks off is a very long time. For starters 5 weeks is more holiday than many companies offer in a calendar year.

Statutory leave is 5.6 weeks for a full time employee.

JJG

Darksparkle wrote: »

Statutory leave is 5.6 weeks for a full time employee.

And many employers include bank holidays in the statutory leave, leaving only 20days or 4 weeks bookable leave.

Savvy_Sue

Fraggy_Muffin wrote: »

I know they will ask what holidays I have 100%.

We don't! We rely on people to say if they do.

The suggestion of postponing your start until after the trips is also one worth suggesting to them, IF they don't need someone in yesterday ...