Work colleague block booking desired holiday dates

inglorius · 11 January 2018 at 5:03PM

My current çompany have a local rule that no 2 managers can be on leave at the save time, my co manager has been with the business about 6 months and we are asked to book holidays around each other.

The annual holiday planner went up in the office this week, during a casual conversation with my colleague today they mentioned that they had booked off all of the bank holiday weeks from Easter though to August for the year. I casually asked them where are they going for these dates and they said that they hadn't anything arranged but would look at this in the future. I then replied that they therefore effectively had reserved all of the prime holiday dates off for the year without having any plans for any of these dates and found this extremely selfish.

I subsequently complained to my line managers boss about this behaviour and the fact that they had condoned it but they did not offer any support to resolve this situation. I was looking for thoughts please, I have no issue with the company holiday policy but the distinction between booking a holiday and block reserving all of the years prime holiday dates.

Comms69 · 11 January 2018 at 5:12PM

There is no distinction.

No obligation to have a 'holiday'. If your colleague wishes to spend the day in the dressing gown, drinking wine from the box - that's up to them/

I don't think it's particularly nice thing to do to book holiday without checking with you, but if your manager allows it that's up to them

marliepanda · 11 January 2018 at 5:13PM

Work doesn't care if you trek the Andes on your Annual Leave or stay in bed all day. You do no have to have plans to take the holiday. You didn't seem upset about her taking the days until you realised she had no plans?

You need to find out whether its a case of first come first serve or 'collaborating' between you two. You say you need to work holidays around each other. If that is the case, you need to work out how that is implicated.

inglorius · 11 January 2018 at 5:18PM

marliepanda wrote: »

Work doesn't care if you trek the Andes on your Annual Leave or stay in bed all day. You do no have to have plans to take the holiday. You didn't seem upset about her taking the days until you realised she had no plans?

You need to find out whether its a case of first come first serve or 'collaborating' between you two. You say you need to work holidays around each other. If that is the case, you need to work out how that is implicated.

I could have block booked all the prime holiday dates for this year without consulting my colleague to ensure I got the best pick but would have found this extremely selfish.

happyandcontented · 11 January 2018 at 5:19PM

marliepanda wrote: »

Work doesn't care if you trek the Andes on your Annual Leave or stay in bed all day. You do no have to have plans to take the holiday. You didn't seem upset about her taking the days until you realised she had no plans?

You need to find out whether its a case of first come first serve or 'collaborating' between you two. You say you need to work holidays around each other. If that is the case, you need to work out how that is implicated.

This is the nub of the matter. Have you been there longer than her? If so, how did it work with the person she replaced?

NeilCr · 11 January 2018 at 5:33PM

They wouldn’t be my idea of prime holiday dates!

Happy and contented makes a good point about how it’s worked before.

To be honest, as opposed to complaining “up the line” I’d have sat down with her over a cuppa and had a quiet discussion about what had happened. Pointing out that you had to work out leave between you. She might have seen your side of the argument.

I agree with Comms69 that it wasn’t a nice thing to do but it is possible it was thoughtless rather than anything else. It sounds like she may have children and wants to spend the holidays with them. Before anyone says anything I know (been there got the T shirt) about parents having first dibs on holidays. I don’t agree with that!

marliepanda · 11 January 2018 at 5:33PM

inglorius wrote: »

I could have block booked all the prime holiday dates for this year without consulting my colleague to ensure I got the best pick but would have found this extremely selfish.

You need to find out what the policy is.

if its first come first serve, then tough. These may not be prime days for some people. Some people may prefer school hols, some may prefer NOT to have school hols to avoid busy times.

You find it selfish. And?

If its first come first serve, be quicker next time.

If its a case of compromising with your colleague, you need to say 'sorry, actually out of these 4 weekends there are 2 I would like, therefore we need to sort something out.'

inglorius · 11 January 2018 at 5:34PM

happyandcontented wrote: »

This is the nub of the matter. Have you been there longer than her? If so, how did it work with the person she replaced?

I worked on my own before they started. I spoke to one of my colleagues in another department whom has the same holiday rules, they said that if their colleague had reserved all of the best holiday dates for themselves at the quickest opportunity without consulting them then they would be livid.

marliepanda · 11 January 2018 at 5:36PM

inglorius wrote: »

I worked on my own before they started. I spoke to one of my colleagues in another department whom has the same holiday rules, they said that if their colleague had reserved all of the best holiday dates for themselves at the quickest opportunity without consulting them then they would be livid.

Oh god who cares.

If its against policy, then get it changed.

If its not, get over it. It doesnt matter if it would make Karen from finance livid!

inglorius · 11 January 2018 at 5:37PM

NeilCr wrote: »

They wouldn’t be my idea of prime holiday dates!

Happy and contented makes a good point about how it’s worked before.

To be honest, as opposed to complaining “up the line” I’d have sat down with her over a cuppa and had a quiet discussion about what had happened. Pointing out that you had to work out leave between you. She might have seen your side of the argument.

I agree with Comms69 that it wasn’t a nice thing to do but it is possible it was thoughtless rather than anything else. It sounds like she may have children and wants to spend the holidays with them. Before anyone says anything I know (been there got the T shirt) about parents having first dibs on holidays. I don’t agree with that!

I'm afraid you are giving them too much credit, I did discuss this with them and they couldn't see how selfish their actions were. They do not have children the motivator being that they complained they only get statutory holidays which isn't enough so to stretch them they take all bank holiday weeks off so use 4 days leave to get a weeks holiday.

Comms69 · 11 January 2018 at 5:39PM

inglorius wrote: »

I worked on my own before they started. I spoke to one of my colleagues in another department whom has the same holiday rules, they said that if their colleague had reserved all of the best holiday dates for themselves at the quickest opportunity without consulting them then they would be livid.

It doesn't matter if he/she would be livid.

It's a simple question of: does policy allow this?

Work colleague block booking desired holiday dates

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