RE: Refused Holiday request - already booked

Alfrescodave

Interesting conversation you're going to have with any future employer when they ask why you left the job - disagreement over holiday dates.!

DullGreyGuy

Alfrescodave said:

Interesting conversation you're going to have with any future employer when they ask why you left the job - disagreement over holiday dates.!

Assuming they resign then they can just make up any reason, the employment reference is simply going to say resignation. 

Undervalued

PierremontQuaker03 said:

Hi thanks for looking. I recently booked a holiday for a week in August, my boss was unhappy but approved them (she was unhappy due to lack of cover in the dept - its never been an issue before, but she is fairly new). So I thought I was being helpful and amended the dates in August and changed the booking and paid for the holiday so there would be fewer dates with no coverage (again its never been an issue). She now has point blank refused to approve the holidays and now I cannot change the dates, unless for a huge fee.
I was thinking of leaving before this, but now it has brought it to a head.  I am not going to cancel the holiday, so I am tempted to now hand in my notice - its at a point where she will not back down, so I think leaving is my only option. Just wonder if anyone has any advice before I go in all guns blazing with my notice. I do have to give 3 months notice - which will include the week that I am going away.  At the end of the day they cannot force me to come in, but would prefer to leave on good terms.

Well you are not going to "leave on good terms" if you "go in all guns blazing".

If you don't at least offer to work your full contractual notice they could certainly mention that in any reference.

ButterCheese

The facts are:

You were granted time off for a given period, which you declined.  You then booked a holiday at a time that was not approved.  That is your mistake.

Depending in which sector you work, and if you want to get another job in a similar sector,  I would be very careful what you do next.

Every company and public service sector claims to be totally impartial and professional, but in reality it is not the case.

Word gets around, people gossip, someone will know someone who used to work for that compnay or in that department and it could become common knowledge that you left on bad terms over a holiday booking.

At the very least if you are going to take this holiday, work your notice period and act professionally.

You will be replaced easily (no offense).  The firm will not care that you've had 6 years experience.  They will just be thinking "we've trained up this person and now they've left, so we have to re-advertise the post, which is annoying".

I have worked in public and private sector for 26 years.  You'd be surprised at how little your experience is worth, especially as you've essentially quit because of a holiday

prettyandfluffy

I think your post is interesting because it is indicative of your attitude to your employer.  First you booked a holiday without checking and told your boss after the event rather than requesting (asking for) holiday in the way most people would, i.e. check with work first then book the holiday.  At this point you were aware that your boss was not happy about this so you changed the dates, again without checking, and presented her with a fait accompli for a second time.  Has it occurred to you that perhaps your boss might be quite happy if you left? 

TELLIT01

I've only ever come across one person who did prove themself to be truly indespensible.  He worked for a major bank, at least major at the time.  He was told he was being made redundant "because his skillset was outdated".  He worked his notice period and left.  Within a month his old manager was back on to him asking all manner of questions about a legacy IT system he had managed.  It quickly became apparent that none of the managers had realised that the system was still important and, more importantly, that he was the only person with in depth knowledge of that old and flakey system.  He agreed to go back on a consultancy basis, with him determining what days he would work, the number of days, and earning the same money he had earned for full time work.

That is the only instance I came across of being truly indispensible in my 48 year working life.

TELLIT01

DullGreyGuy said:

Alfrescodave said:

Interesting conversation you're going to have with any future employer when they ask why you left the job - disagreement over holiday dates.!

Assuming they resign then they can just make up any reason, the employment reference is simply going to say resignation. 

Although most companies do only provide minimal information these days, there would be nothing to stop the current employer saying something along the lines of "Resigned due to holiday dates being refused"

Hoenir

TELLIT01 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Alfrescodave said:

Interesting conversation you're going to have with any future employer when they ask why you left the job - disagreement over holiday dates.!

Assuming they resign then they can just make up any reason, the employment reference is simply going to say resignation. 

Although most companies do only provide minimal information these days, there would be nothing to stop the current employer saying something along the lines of "Resigned due to holiday dates being refused"

Simply declining to provide a reference speaks volumes. 

EnPointe

Hoenir said:

TELLIT01 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Alfrescodave said:

Interesting conversation you're going to have with any future employer when they ask why you left the job - disagreement over holiday dates.!

Assuming they resign then they can just make up any reason, the employment reference is simply going to say resignation. 

Although most companies do only provide minimal information these days, there would be nothing to stop the current employer saying something along the lines of "Resigned due to holiday dates being refused"

Simply declining to provide a reference speaks volumes. 

" resigned under Investigation "  says a lot  as well 

PierremontQuaker03

Hi everyone thanks for your comments, I have got a meeting with HR this afternoon - I know which way it is going to go but I have to at least try. You live by the sword and you die by the sword, I just want to see what HR say if I go on holiday without approval - obviously if its a disciplinary or sackable offence (I assume its one or both) - then I will obviously hand in my notice today - I also have the option of going off on the sick in August for a few weeks