What would happen where you work if family members book a surprise holiday

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This has happened a few times recently and I have to admit I'm a bit sceptical.

Work is done in pairs and only one of the pair can book leave at any time.

One of the pair has already booked, say, a week off in March and the other one is given a surprise gift by adult children or by parents that means they need some of those days off too. Often to celebrate a milestone birthday or anniversary.

Policy is very clear that leave must be booked before holidays are committed but the staff in these situations claim not to have been consulted on the dates in advance.

It's possible to arrange cover (as we would have to for sickness) by asking another team to do it, but it's outside of normal practice and a pain for those involved.

Would some flexibility be allowed where you work or is it tough, they should have checked and what a shame if they lose their deposit?

Plus, who books a holiday for someone else without checking the date?!

If they came to me and said "Fred's off but I'd really like a couple days to go away for Granddad's birthday" I'd probably try and work something out, but I feel like I being manipulated lied to when I get this story.

It’s always been first come, first served with booking annual leave when I’ve been employed in offices etc.

Never had the “buddy” system but have heard of this and it shays seems to be pretty clear the two people can’t be off at the same time (unless emergency, sudden death in family or something).

Managers should say the rules are the rules and this particular “surprise” won’t be possible.

The “surprise” story is no doubt bollocks anyway.

it wouldn't matter in all the places I've worked, it's been pretty flexible.

In your workplace with that system, and it's happened with the same person twice, I would be rather sceptical.

If it's happened more than once, they are trying it on. I think some have seen that it's a tactic that has worked for one person, so now there is a precedent set that anyone can get holiday whenever they want by saying it was a surprise from a relative.

If I wanted to book a surprise trip for DH, I would clear it with his boss first. I don't even know his bosses name, I'd probably have to dial the public number for the main office and take it from there to try and find someone to authorise it. So it would take a lot of work on my part to get a surprise holiday booked but who on earth thinks someone can automatically get annual leave and books something without authorised leave? They are all bonkers!

It would be pretty easy to do this at my work, as we work individually and one of us being out doesn’t effect anyone else. But only so many of us can be off at once, so if it was August maybe September or around Easter it might be tricky.

If I was arranging a surprise holiday I'd speak to the boss of the person. If you are close enough to be arranging such an expense surprise you ought to have no problem. Agree with you that it's nonsense that they are 'just' booking it and 'hoping for the best'

I work for family so not applicable to me personally but last year the wife of one of the engineers wanted to book a surprise holiday so she called the boss and asked to reserve those dates.

If they can't be off they can't be off and I wouldn't bend the rules for them unless I had the very, very highest faith in the individual's integrity. Even then I'd think twice for fear of setting a precedent.

I also wouldn't book time off for someone on their behalf after speaking to (someone claiming to be) their family member. Far too much risk of that one going tits up and probably a serious violation of data protection policies.

If you want to take someone away on a surprise trip, you have to tell them when in advance so they can get it off. If that takes the shine off the surprise, well, hard cheese. Life goes on for other people and work needs done

100% they are taking the piss. They've obviously seen it's worked before so are trying their luck. Would be a firm TOUGH LUCK from me I'm afraid

Wouldn’t be a problem where I worked- they are really flexible

It seems pretty clear to me that the 'surprise holiday' is a ruse to get round the rule of only one of a pair being able to be off at any particular time.

After all, like you say 'who books a surprise holiday without consulting their work'. That has happened to literally no-one I know, ever.

If this keeps happening, I think I'd have to refuse requests for leave for surprise holidays, but you might also need to look into whether your leave policy is too restrictive and whether people feel they have to do this in order to take leave that is convenient to them, if at all. Is the leave allocated fairly, or do certain people always seem to get their way?