Can I claim money back for annual leave that I've had to take off?

TriadSheep31 · 23 March 2019 at 2:46PM

Hi all!

My flat suffered a bad bathroom leak due to wear and tear to iron bathroom pipes from the flat above. The management company took 3 weeks to finally fix this, and in that time I've had to take off 1.5 days of annual leave to allow workers and loss adjusters to enter the property.
I'm now asking the management company to conduct ceiling and wall repairs to my bathroom, given the extent of the moisture damage.

However I would also like to reclaim something for the annual leave I would not have otherwise taken because of the leak and the damage caused. I work full time, and my leave is paid annual leave, so it's hard for me to actually prove to the management company that the leave I've taken has resulted in me receiving less money in my monthly paycheck. I don't want to be greedy and I'm not seeking to make a quick buck, but I am feeling as though my having to take this leave has been a real inconvenience and I've had to take this time off due to poor maintenance done by the management company. 1.5 days annual leave to me is around £112, so essentially i'd be looking for the management company to pay me this amount to make up for this holiday that I've had to take off. I pay the management company over £2000 a year in service charge fees, and to be frank the service I receive from them is less than satisfactory.

I just wanted to ask if this is a reasonable and fair request to make before I take it any further?

Many thanks!

Dazed_and_confused · 23 March 2019 at 3:00PM

I work full time, and my leave is paid annual leave, so it's hard for me to actually prove to the management company that the leave I've taken has resulted in me receiving less money in my monthly paycheck.

Would that be because you haven't actually received less money?

I'm not seeking to make a quick buck,

Did you read your post back before including this line?

greenbee · 23 March 2019 at 3:03PM

This is what annual leave is for - whether it's DIY repairs, waiting in for tradespeople, looking after sick kids/animals/elderly relatives, doctors appointments etc. It's not restricted to use as holiday.

RPWJ · 23 March 2019 at 3:08PM

Dazed_and_confused wrote: »

Would that be because you haven't actually received less money?

Did you read your post back before including this line?

Maybe not received less money this month but 1.5 days less paid leisure time for the year. That week in October, or whenever, is now only 3.5 days.

TriadSheep31 · 23 March 2019 at 3:22PM

Dazed_and_confused wrote: »

Would that be because you haven't actually received less money?

Did you read your post back before including this line?

I'm going to be quite honest here, a family member recommended I try this route but I wasn't utterly convinced that it would work and that I would be wasting my time in trying to get financial compensation for this. I've been inconvenienced by the management company and their poor maintenance, and I've lost out on holiday because of it, whilst also having to live and sleep in damp conditions for 3 weeks while they got their act together. But, honestly, the thought of getting money from this fiasco didn't really come to my mind personally.

I only posted this thread to gauge what the response would be to this suggestion so that I don't bother taking it any further. That's all.

Dazed_and_confused · 23 March 2019 at 3:35PM

Well so far it seems be two posters wouldn't go that down that route and one would (I think).

Maybe wait for more views first. Maybe me and greenbee have a different view to the majority.

If the maintenance company are also responsible for your flat as well then you need to consider the potential downside to annoying them. And then asking for their assistance in the future when you (accidentally) case a flood or the like.

jackomdj · 23 March 2019 at 9:31PM

I wouldn't be looking to claim it.

If everyone were to claim (and get it) it would just mean your annual management fees would go up.

As others have said most adults have to take some days off each year for boring, mundane things like deliveries, repairs, or for me at the moment taking my daughter to her orthodontist appointment every six weeks.

TELLIT01 · 24 March 2019 at 10:39AM

You can't claim anything back from your employer. Your problems with your accommodation are not their problem. You might wish to try claiming compensation from the management company for having to take excessive time off.
Simply do a calculation of the number of days you have had off multiplied by the amount you earn per day.

theoretica · 24 March 2019 at 11:23AM

Did you have to take the time off? Were alternatives like leaving a key with a neighbour or someone from the management company not available or just not what you chose to do?

Masomnia · 24 March 2019 at 9:55PM

This isn't an employment question as your gripe is with the management company. I think it's fair to say you've suffered a loss and you can quantify what that loss amounts to. Whether could actually claim it legally I don't know - if you don't ask you don't get I suppose.

steampowered · 24 March 2019 at 11:04PM

I think you would struggle to prove that the leak happened because the management company were negligent. Problems like that are part of running a property I think.

The fact that the management company took a few weeks to do anything about it is a separate issue. You would have still had to take a day off work - whether that was immediately, or whether that was a few weeks later.

Can I claim money back for annual leave that I've had to take off?

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