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Christmas leave

8 replies

CocoPopsAddict · 06/09/2011 22:07

I am due to return to work from maternity leave shortly.

Our work does a 'lottery' for Christmas leave, with two hats, the first being for those who didn't take leave last Christmas, and then anything left is drawn for people who did take leave last Christmas.

They have already done the draw for this year, and I was drawn in the second lot, as if I had taken leave last Christmas, but actually I was on maternity leave. Needless to say I have not been allocated time off.

Is this right, or a bit unfair?

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nancy75 · 06/09/2011 22:09

did they have mat cover for you last year, or were they all covering your job? if they didn't have an extra person the fact that you were off meant that somebody else had to work.

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CocoPopsAddict · 06/09/2011 22:50

It is a big place where the numbers are staff are in constant flux. They often get temps etc. So it is all a bit confused.

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SarkySpanner · 06/09/2011 22:59

Were you working there the previous Xmas?

I'd say that whether or not you worked that year should determine which hat you go into. That was the last Xmas that you were available to work.

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CocoPopsAddict · 06/09/2011 23:24

Yes I was working there.

You know I can't even remember what I worked over that Christmas, will have to look it up.

Good idea, thank you.

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Grevling · 06/09/2011 23:24

I'd say its right - you did presumably get to spend time with friends/family and weren't working as such.

In any case employers can direct you to use holiday as they like as long as you get the stat minimum over the year - so not really a lot you can do about it.

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SarkySpanner · 07/09/2011 08:45

Interesting to thing how it would go if it were the other way around... If working Xmas were a 'perk' (say because if lots if overtime pay). In that case they would have to put you in the 'more likely to work' hat as otherwise you would be able to argue that they has discriminated against you because of maternity leave.

Not sure what my point us here but I guess I'm saying that it is not completely clear cut.

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flowery · 07/09/2011 11:39

They could have phrased it as 'Those who had to work last year go in pot 1', rather than 'Those who didn't take annual leave last year go in pot 1', in which case that sounds fair enough to me.