Isolation and holidays

Emzo15

I had a weekend away booked Friday 9th July - Monday 12th July (as a gift for my 21st from friends) and the time off work was pre-approved. I suddenly had to isolate last Monday for 10 days as a member of my household caught covid. My isolation ends on Wednesday 7th July at midnight and my holiday is due to start on Friday 9th July. My work have an app where we check the schedules and book holidays, I checked this on Tuesday and my holiday has been now been denied and the reason given was "employee must return to work from sick leave before holiday time can be taken". I was not informed that my holiday had now been denied and my boss hadn't phoned to discuss this (if I hadn't checked the app I would have never of known). I have checked the work schedule on the app and  I am "not scheduled" (meaning day off) on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th but scheduled in for Sunday 11th and Monday 12th (I am due to come back Monday night). I am then "not scheduled" Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th. I phoned my work multiple times to discuss this with my boss over the past 4 days, as I have tried to offer to return to work on Thursday 8th and then take my holiday from Friday - Monday, or I have also said I will return to work on Thursday and just swap my 2 days off (Tuesday and Wednesday) for the Sunday and Monday. My boss has refused to take my calls and I have spoken to managers under her and the have passed along my messages. I was told she would return my call on Saturday and she never, I have then phoned AGAIN this morning 

Emzo15

And was told she wasn't in yet and the message would be past along again. Can I please get some advice how to go about this and it was a gift from friends and it is non-refundable meaning they would be losing out on £900, I am due to leave in 4 days. 

74jax

An employer can cancel a holiday giving twise the notice, so a 4 day holiday would need 8 days notice to cancel.

If you are sick, I would argue you shouldn't be checking work apps etc. Or were you not sick but working from home?

In your holiday policy, does it state you can't go on holiday directly after a sickness period? 

Emzo15

I work in retail so can't work from home ( I am healthy to work but I am in isolation due to a member of my household testing positive for covid)

I had booked a weeks holiday so should have been given 14 days notice of cancelation but I was only given 10 days notice. 

No it does not state that on my contract but I am unsure if it is in the colleague hand book which is kept at my place of work

Emzo15

I have worked for the company for 5 months (3 months probationary period) and only just received my contract about a week ago, (this is a temp contract, I was told I will need to sign another one when my permanent one comes through), there has been many occasions where my shifts have changed with less that 24 hrs notice and I have still showed up. Very hard to speak to my boss when in work with an issue, door is always locked and keeps you waiting days sometimes weeks to sort an issue. There have been many a times when I have burst into tears, at home and college due to the way she speaks to me and others, and how she makes me feel. Her moods can vary and everyone steps on eggshells around her. What can I do ?

[Deleted User]

Could you get confirmation of losing the gifts monetary value? I remember my young days in a hotel, I was 21 at the time and was prevented from going for a night out to say goodbye to an old manager, I had to work it but I wasn't about to lose anything really so totally feel for you.

I would say I had the collie wobbles about the job as if you are on the verge of thinking of leaving and see if that gets you anywhere, but appreciate it is absolute full on risk. Jobs easy to come by but also easy to lose.

Hospitality is crying out for good workers at the mo.  I recently saw the last hotel I worked at getting slated, and it was pretty sad going, as it turns out it is having a tough time because no one will work there from receptionist to waitressing/bar serving.

TELLIT01

Would the fact that the OP is not sick, but self-isolating due to Government regulations potentially make a difference?  It would seem the rule the employer is using is specifically there to stop people effectively extending their holiday by claiming to be sick. 

The OP may have weakened their case by trying to speak to their employer.  Without that contact the employer would probably have had great difficulty proving the OP was aware of the leave cancellation.

74jax

TELLIT01 said:

Would the fact that the OP is not sick, but self-isolating due to Government regulations potentially make a difference?  It would seem the rule the employer is using is specifically there to stop people effectively extending their holiday by claiming to be sick. 

The OP may have weakened their case by trying to speak to their employer.  Without that contact the employer would probably have had great difficulty proving the OP was aware of the leave cancellation.

Yes that is my belief too.  Hence me wondering if they were WFH rather than sick and vhecking work apps etc.
If they hadn't checked they'd have just gone off on holiday. 

oh_really

Having to return to work before commencing A/L is not uncommon, however, you are not sick, you are isolating as per govt instruction.

What is meant by A/L is pre approved, it's either approved or its not.

If your manager is continually difficult to contact then time to go above them.

Malthusian

TELLIT01 said:

The OP may have weakened their case by trying to speak to their employer.  Without that contact the employer would probably have had great difficulty proving the OP was aware of the leave cancellation.

The employer failed to give the required notice to cancel the holiday, the cancellation was a "computer says no" !!!!!!-up (failing to distinguish between sick leave and isolation), and the OP has made more than reasonable efforts to get the error corrected. The employer has almost a week to fix their !!!!!!-up (solely theirs) by booking in someone to replace the OP or making other arrangements. If the OP just swans off on their holiday I don't see their "case" is any weaker than if they'd swanned off in blissful ignorance.

I agree with another poster that now is probably the time to go over their manager's head (rather than just under it by asking people to pass on messages). I would inform whoever I can contact above the manager that I won't be coming in on the 11th, because I'm on leave which I booked off long ago, and leave them to sort it out. The other option is to cancel the holiday and go in because I'm desperate for the job and will do anything it takes no matter how unreasonable. It's one or the other at this point.

Emzo15

I meant pre-approved as in I had discussed the reasoning for my holiday with my manager and she had then approved it (which she made also a great struggle I might add) and now when on the app my holiday is "denied". No efforts to just give me them as unpaid days off and have someone cover me, nothing (knowing that my friends had paid for this holiday & it was non-refundable).

It has took for my mother to phone, for my manager to actually come on the phone call. My mother was told that my manager shouldn't even be hearing from me while I am off (most bizarre thing I've heard). After a lengthy discussion and my mother saying many points that were also said on here, she has then told my mother she will have a look and see what she can do to give me it off and phone her back in the morning (this was yesterday afternoon). We are still waiting on a phone call back. So we will see if she will keep her word to my mother more than she would me.