Not allowed to book holiday

hollycave

I've requested a week off in a couple of months time. Chosen a week where no one else is on holiday where I work or my husband works - only such week before August! I work full time and only taken a week off so far this year so plenty of entitlement left. My request has been refused as we're already one person down and by then someone else will be on mat leave with no mat cover found yet. Might be granted at last minute if we find some relief cover but that's not very helpful for trying to take any time off with my husband. Is my employer allowed to refuse my holiday requests until/if we find some new employees?

ohreally

Your employer can dictate when A/L is taken. Have a read through A/L policy.

hollycave

So if we don't manage to recruit (bearing in mind we've been advertising since before Christmas) I just can't take any holiday as it would be inconvenient to the business?!

IAmWales

hollycave wrote: »

So if we don't manage to recruit (bearing in mind we've been advertising since before Christmas) I just can't take any holiday as it would be inconvenient to the business?!

They have to allow you to take it within the holiday year. Ask them to suggest which weeks would be available to you.

(School holidays are usually booked up as soon as they are available.)

London50

hollycave wrote: »

So if we don't manage to recruit (bearing in mind we've been advertising since before Christmas) I just can't take any holiday as it would be inconvenient to the business?!

Most companies have a policy re A/L and if it does not suit for any reason they can reject any request for holiday no matter how far in advance it is ask for so yes they can stop you going if it would be an inconvenience to them.

daytona0

Would maybe be more helpful to ask them what weeks ARE convenient for them?

OR you could go all assertive on them and say "look, nobody is off that week and I hadly book holidays. I've paid for the holiday based on this and I'm going on the holiday so you will have to find someone else to cover me"

Or maybe a politer version of that.

hollycave

I'll be going on mat leave myself in August so I suspect they want to lump all my holiday on to the end of that... Long time to go without a break though!

[Deleted User]

Yeah they can get round it by 'paying out' which also gets round the 'no carry over of holiday allowed'!

I have a hol year that ends Sept and an employer currently ignoring a July request making it 6 months worked before any such leave happens even at the earliest and very close to the end of the hol year.
I'm fortunate in that it might tie in with my probation ends.... Madness you'd think you'd want someone to get holiday in before you are left putting their pay up as in my case but no. They will have had 6 months to make me go on hols at a lower rate so effectively saving but no, LOL!
There is no urge made, no stress to take leave nowadays I've noted for a good couple of years now, it is pretty sad. Whether employers hope people will forget and then get away with not paying holiday or working people into the ground I've genuinely no idea. Just do not get it.

getmore4less

Yeah they can get round it by 'paying out' which also gets round the 'no carry over of holiday allowed'!

paying the statutory holiday is not legal.

Takeaway_Addict

daytona0 wrote: »

Would maybe be more helpful to ask them what weeks ARE convenient for them?

OR you could go all assertive on them and say "look, nobody is off that week and I hadly book holidays. I've paid for the holiday based on this and I'm going on the holiday so you will have to find someone else to cover me"

Or maybe a politer version of that.

If you did that to me and I needed you in I'd refuse and if you took it off/called in ill you'd likely get disciplined.

The employer has two people going on maternity leave and are short staffed, they are looking for cover and currently cannot allow holiday. As Maternity allows for holidays to carry over it is reasonable for the employer to make the OP wait and if needs be tag them on to the end of maternity leave where they will most likely have some cover.

getmore4less

hollycave wrote: »

I'll be going on mat leave myself in August so I suspect they want to lump all my holiday on to the end of that... Long time to go without a break though!

if you holiday year is Jan to Dec and only taken a week.

Take the full year maternity you will have over 8 weeks to take before the end of next year, 1/2 the time left.

How they going to cope with your prenatal/sick time off before maternity?

looks like they need to review their recruitment strategy as the current one is failing.