New Job refused time off for my wedding 21 December 2022 at 6:04PM in Employment, jobseeking & training 19 replies 2.5K views

OhSoCold

Hello-I’m really hoping for advice as aIm not sure what to do . 

I’m self employed but due to the pandemic business has been badly affected so I’ve applied for a part time job and been offered it . 

The job is within a large company and I’ve been given no details for HR but rather an app from an outsourced company where things like holiday requests etc are made . 

My agreed hours are 24 a week and it’s on a shift basis. I was told it was however a zero hours contract although at the same time made clear to me I am expected to work 24 hours a week and three weekends in four . At the time of interview I wasn’t asked about booked holidays but did mention I was getting married in April . 

At the time of acceptance I told my line manager that I was getting married and asked if they’d honour that . She replied  that she would “accept that absolutely “ in an email but said I had to request this leave via the HR app. 

I start straight after Christmas and after submitting the leave request on the app it’s come back as denied and my line manager is now on annual leave for three weeks so I feel that I’ve no choice but to withdraw from the job or cancel my long awaited and all paid for wedding . 

My other option I wondered .. is if it’s zero hours contract , then I believe I’m not obliged to accept work ? So legally could I actually say that sorry I’m not available to work the days that fall when I’m getting married ? 

Torry_Quine

As it's zero hours then you can say you aren't available. Of course equally they don't have to give you hours either.

OhSoCold

Thank you - this was my understanding . It’s a hospitality role so it’s unlikely I’ll never have my hours but I was offered the job on the understanding that they expect me to work the 24 hours and the shifts I’m down to do with no exceptions and that any time off must be requested to HR which seems a bit conflicting to me , also I’m still yet to see a job contract 

Marcon

It sounds more like crossed wires in the run up to Christmas than anything more sinister. Unless you've got another job offer on the stocks, I'd take this one and point out, politely but firmly, that your line manager had already confirmed that it was fine for you to take leave to get married. You might need to wait for her to return from her leave to endorse that, but the idea of cancelling your wedding for a part-time job with a zero hours contract...? Don't do it!

General_Grant

OhSoCold said:

Hello-I’m really hoping for advice as aIm not sure what to do . 

I’m self employed but due to the pandemic business has been badly affected so I’ve applied for a part time job and been offered it . 

The job is within a large company and I’ve been given no details for HR but rather an app from an outsourced company where things like holiday requests etc are made . 

My agreed hours are 24 a week and it’s on a shift basis. I was told it was however a zero hours contract although at the same time made clear to me I am expected to work 24 hours a week and three weekends in four . At the time of interview I wasn’t asked about booked holidays but did mention I was getting married in April . 

At the time of acceptance I told my line manager that I was getting married and asked if they’d honour that . She replied  that she would “accept that absolutely “ in an email but said I had to request this leave via the HR app. 

I start straight after Christmas and after submitting the leave request on the app it’s come back as denied and my line manager is now on annual leave for three weeks so I feel that I’ve no choice but to withdraw from the job or cancel my long awaited and all paid for wedding . 

My other option I wondered .. is if it’s zero hours contract , then I believe I’m not obliged to accept work ? So legally could I actually say that sorry I’m not available to work the days that fall when I’m getting married ? 

So you have not begun your employment with them yet.
I'm surprised that you have access to the app in order to be able to apply but, as you clearly do, I imagine the program which must judge whether leave is granted has not found you as employed and therefore you are not entitled to any holiday.
Try contacting a human.

OhSoCold

General_Grant said:

OhSoCold said:

Hello-I’m really hoping for advice as aIm not sure what to do . 

I’m self employed but due to the pandemic business has been badly affected so I’ve applied for a part time job and been offered it . 

The job is within a large company and I’ve been given no details for HR but rather an app from an outsourced company where things like holiday requests etc are made . 

My agreed hours are 24 a week and it’s on a shift basis. I was told it was however a zero hours contract although at the same time made clear to me I am expected to work 24 hours a week and three weekends in four . At the time of interview I wasn’t asked about booked holidays but did mention I was getting married in April . 

At the time of acceptance I told my line manager that I was getting married and asked if they’d honour that . She replied  that she would “accept that absolutely “ in an email but said I had to request this leave via the HR app. 

I start straight after Christmas and after submitting the leave request on the app it’s come back as denied and my line manager is now on annual leave for three weeks so I feel that I’ve no choice but to withdraw from the job or cancel my long awaited and all paid for wedding . 

My other option I wondered .. is if it’s zero hours contract , then I believe I’m not obliged to accept work ? So legally could I actually say that sorry I’m not available to work the days that fall when I’m getting married ? 

So you have not begun your employment with them yet.
I'm surprised that you have access to the app in order to be able to apply but, as you clearly do, I imagine the program which must judge whether leave is granted has not found you as employed and therefore you are not entitled to any holiday.
Try contacting a human.

I’d be happy to contact a human but they don’t seem to exist ! The app is an outside company and my line manager actually told me to access it as soon as I was  given access and put  the leave request in 

ACG

Cant you just start the job, speak to your manager when they get back and if you cant get it agreed look for another job in the meantime/quit in April? 

It sounds like a company that wants everything, 0 hour contract for their benefit despite being able to guarantee 20+ hours a week every week... That does not sound like a company which cares about its employees, just do whats best for you. 

pjcox2005

OhSoCold said:

".. so I feel that I’ve no choice but to withdraw from the job or cancel my long awaited and all paid for wedding."

I know weddings are stressful but I can't help feeling this is a significant over-reaction to a minor miscommunication issue. Pause for now as Christmas period is harder to get responses, then in Jan talk to your manager who will sort it i expect and approve the holiday.

If they don't then you have another couple of months of work before you then could consider leaving job if your wedding wasn't granted as that's not an employer I expect many people would want to work for.

OhSoCold

pjcox2005 said:

OhSoCold said:

".. so I feel that I’ve no choice but to withdraw from the job or cancel my long awaited and all paid for wedding."

I know weddings are stressful but I can't help feeling this is a significant over-reaction to a minor miscommunication issue. Pause for now as Christmas period is harder to get responses, then in Jan talk to your manager who will sort it i expect and approve the holiday.

If they don't then you have another couple of months of work before you then could consider leaving job if your wedding wasn't granted as that's not an employer I expect many people would want to work for.

Thank you , yes it does feel stressful now especially as I’ve already been told I couldn’t have a day off for a hospital appointment when the first two weeks rota was done . It’s the hospitality industry so I expect they’ll be displeased that I want time off for my wedding over Easter when it’s very busy but I will certainly be leaving if this time off is granted to me when I start 

TBagpuss

I agree that a miscommunication is most likely. Does the app allow you to add any notes, and if so, did you note that you had already speaken to the lie manager who hadconfirmed that the dates would be honoured as it's a pre-existing committment? 

I agree that if it is agenuine zero hours contract youdon't *have* to accept hours offered, but I think given the timescales you can afford to wait until your manager is bck and then address it with her. 

tightauldgit

I would imagine that what's happened is the app has checked how many holidays you are entitled to (presumably 0 since you haven't worked for them yet) and compared that with how many you have requested and just auto-denied it.

I'd apply again when you have started work and mention it to your line manager when you start. Presumably it's your line manager that schedules your hours anyway?