Taking annual leave on-site, on-call, and general boundary issues with employer

Starlet

What's your job? Am I correct in assuming that you're a medic of some sort, and that you are the only one who they rely on (i.e. there's only one of you in the entire organisation)?

If so, shouldnt they have things put in place whereby someone else will be covering you and they will not be contacting you on your annual leave? If you give them enough notice that is stipulated in your contract, then they should have enough time to find someone else to cover you in your absence

As a suggestion, you may wish to Google "boundaries", "mindfulness" (You were asking about things that you can do to be more assertive)

Regardless, it doesnt sound like a nice place to work at because they seem to overstep boundaries

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

When I leave the mill at five, I leave work. I am not paid callout. I do not answer the phone.

SillyOne

Starlet wrote: »

What's your job? Am I correct in assuming that you're a medic of some sort, and that you are the only one who they rely on (i.e. there's only one of you in the entire organisation)?

If so, shouldnt they have things put in place whereby someone else will be covering you and they will not be contacting you on your annual leave? If you give them enough notice that is stipulated in your contract, then they should have enough time to find someone else to cover you in your absence

As a suggestion, you may wish to Google "boundaries", "mindfulness" (You were asking about things that you can do to be more assertive)

Regardless, it doesnt sound like a nice place to work at because they seem to overstep boundaries

Good guess but no, I'm not a medic or anything related to healthcare. My field is far more prosaic than that! But I am the only one relied on, and there's nothing in place to mitigate that (as it's not realistic). I definitely need to learn to set boundaries, but in a way that doesn't come off as being "stroppy" or as "causing trouble" or deliberately doing stuff just to see how it turns out and play devli's advocate.

I could leave and get another, better job tomorrow (I hope..!) but have a sense of responsibillity to colleagues as they don't have similar prospects locally. Would the company sink immediately without me - no of course, but it would be the start of a downward slide!

theoretica

I think there are two issues - the legal minimum, and the good employer to work for. Legally, your employer can tell you when to take leave so something like 'not in April' is fine, and if they are prepared to make an exception for something judged worthy like an exam, funeral or wedding then that is good. However, they must allow you to take the legal minimum of holiday sometime so can't say no all the time even if you say you just fancy doing nothing for a week. However, messing you around with short notice changes that may be in their legal rights is not a good employer, nor is calling you in off holiday.

Can you suggest a solution that would work and you be happy with? Extra pay if they call you in/cancel holiday on short notice? Or a pay rise? More training for other staff? Picking and choosing and only doing the interesting bits of the job and those others can't? If you are that vital to the business surely they have noticed.

elsien

SillyOne wrote: »

The last actual holiday (away from home) I took was 7 years ago, then it was meant to be a week away and got called back after 2 days due to some crisis or other. I couldn't "remote" in due to limited amount of remote access equipment being given to others who had more worthier reasons. So now I don't bother going away!!

Why did you answer them? If you were abroad you couldn't come shooting back and they'd have to sort something. Holidays in this country are no different.
It's your employers responsibility to sort cover, not yours. Yes they can cancel or bump leave to a degree but there is a statutory minimum they have no choice but to give you at some point. At which point they will have to sort out cover.
In your place I'd be asking for a proper conversation with your manager to resolve this. If you were ill or in hospital or resigned they'd have to find cover, they'd have no choice. So how would they do that? No-one is indispensable. They're taking you for a ride.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

SillyOne wrote: »

Good guess but no, I'm not a medic or anything related to healthcare. My field is far more prosaic than that! But I am the only one relied on, and there's nothing in place to mitigate that (as it's not realistic). I definitely need to learn to set boundaries, but in a way that doesn't come off as being "stroppy" or as "causing trouble" or deliberately doing stuff just to see how it turns out and play devli's advocate.

I could leave and get another, better job tomorrow (I hope..!) but have a sense of responsibillity to colleagues as they don't have similar prospects locally. Would the company sink immediately without me - no of course, but it would be the start of a downward slide!

If you are so important to them then you dictate terms. What are they going to do, sack you?

Why on earth are you concerned about being seen as "stroppy"? That's just foolish. If you carry on like this you have only yourself to blame.

You have good options available:

1. Leave and get the better job tomorrow. Your co-workers wouldn't cross the road to help you out , trust me.
2. Tell them exactly what you are prepared to do and when, and if they don't like it, then resign and get the better job tomorrow.


Your employers are laughing at you behind your back. So are your co-workers. They know they can cope without you, it's just easier to make you do all the rubbish than do it themselves. They don't think you are amazing and wonderful and essential, they think you are a mug.

Andypandyboy

Sadly, the poster above is correct. Why would they bother to sort cover if they have you on a string?

You are entitled to x days annual leave, what you do with that is your own business. No way should you be justifying that to them. Whether you go away or just sit at home in your PJ's is none of their business. They do not have the right to rate your reasons for wanting the time off you are entitled to.

If you cannot assert yourself, leave and get another job. How the company fares is not your concern.

Sorry to say this but you are coming across as a bit of a doormat, and it seems your employers are really taking advantage of that. My advice is book a holiday abroad, (or tell them it is abroad if you must) take the days off and switch the phone off. You are not available in any circumstances.

YouAsked

Does the flexibility work both ways?

If so, think carefully about what you're asking for and what you might lose. In my job, I sometimes have to do similar things - I can have the holiday but I need to be contactable, but then this works both ways as I'm allowed to take time off at short notice and I'm given flexibility around my working hours to accommodate childcare - if I started being unhelpful regarding the occasions when they ask me for something back, then I could see they would be within their rights to be rigid too.

From what you've said, it does seem to be one sides, but think very carefully whether this is genuinely the case before you lay down any demands!

Also, people are sometimes very busy/forgetful/whatever and they may place a certain amount of reliance on you to *tell* them what you want/need or to tell them what you're ok with. We don't live in an ideal world! Can you use email to make or follow up on holiday requests if you're not comfortable with putting in a straight-foward-no-explanation holiday request? Sometimes I'm guilty of "babbling" and over-sharing in conversation, but not so much in writing.

Doshwaster

paddyrg wrote: »

You're on leave, or you're on call, you can't be on both.

There are some strange people who actually like being in touch with work while supposedly being on holiday as they can't cope with no knowing what was going on.

steampowered

You are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks paid annual leave (or any greater amount stated in your employment contract). You should most definitely take it.

It may feel like the world will stop spinning if you go on holiday but I'm sure they will manage for a couple days. Nobody is going to die because you took a week off.