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Original poster

Employer won't allow annual leave for holiday

95 replies

Cvcvbvnhgbhgcftf12 · 22/05/2019 19:34

Hi all,

We've booked a few weeks abroad, I work for a local council and they're fine with this. My partner on the other hand works for a big university near Manchester and they've only allowed one of the two weeks as leave. It now looks like we're going to have to cancel our holiday. My partner overheard the same senior manager refusing a colleagues leave request to look after their kids saying and I quote "I don't give a shit about your childcare issues". Is this legal to grant only half your leave request when they know that this will mean you'll have to cancel your hol. I feel bad also for my partners colleague, surely you should be allowed leave to look after a dependent? Any thoughts will be useful

OP posts:

Flowersmakemyday · 22/05/2019 19:57

The police in my county expect you to submit your leave requests 12 months in advance and even then you are not guaranteed that it will be granted. I graduate next year and am unable to find out the date until January 2020. I half expect that my dd will not be able to attend because of work.

Justmuddlingalong · 22/05/2019 19:58

You can change the dates for a holiday. It's usually about £50 a head. Contact your travel agent.

Parker231 · 22/05/2019 20:00

My staff of 90 have to submit their leave requests for the year at the start of January so I can work through them and let everyone know ASAP which are accepted or rejected.

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Employment advice

RosaWaiting · 22/05/2019 20:00

I'm wondering if both the DP and the colleague booked A/L without asking if the timing was okay first....

SusieOwl4 · 22/05/2019 20:01

employers completely in the right here . We have specific forms to book off holiday and yet we still get people who try and get round the rules. They don't succeed though. Get the leave authorised first .

tabbiemoo · 22/05/2019 20:02

I’m sorry if this sounds rude but you are completely bonkers to have booked a holiday before you both had approval for your leave. Sorry I know it’s frustrating but this is completely your fault your just going to have to suck it up.

Mummyoflittledragon · 22/05/2019 20:05

Are you young or something op? It’s absolutely standard to get leave approved prior to booking.

feelingsinister · 22/05/2019 20:06

It's shit but they have the right to refuse leave on business need as long as he has the opportunity to use his leave within the leave year. The boss sounds like an arsehole though.

You're mad to book a holiday before you've had leave granted though, really silly thing to do unless it's a new job and the holiday was already booked.

I started a new job 6 months before my wedding so honeymoon was already booked and my new employer actually asked if I could split the weeks or change my honeymoon booking.

TheCaddy · 22/05/2019 20:06

Always get leave approved before booking. It’s completely normal.

crazyasafox · 22/05/2019 20:08

Does seem very odd to book a holiday before checking if taking the leave is OK.

ControversialFerret · 22/05/2019 20:08

They should have confirmed their AL before booking. What happens if other people have already booked that week and the employer needs the cover?

I had this with a man in our dept. He booked his holiday, over Christmas, before applying for leave. He wanted the full 2 weeks which nobody would have had as we needed cover and the usual arrangement was to have one week max. As he'd already booked a holiday it was agreed, but on the proviso that he couldn't do it again.

Next year rolled round and he did, except this time when he expected to get it agreed again, the firm said no. Lots of threats and shouting but he'd been told before, in writing, that leave would not be authorised unless he'd applied for it using the holiday process. Other people in the dept had already applied and had their requests agreed. He handed in his notice hoping that this would allow him to get what he wanted and then he'd rescind it. He ended up worse off as they accepted it and he didn't have another job to go to.

Sparkletastic · 22/05/2019 20:10

Is he supposed to book leave during non-term time?

Sakura7 · 22/05/2019 20:12

I don't understand why anyone would book a holiday before booking the time off work. Lesson learned OP.

Sakura7 · 22/05/2019 20:17

My staff of 90 have to submit their leave requests for the year at the start of January so I can work through them and let everyone know ASAP which are accepted or rejected.

So they have to plan out every day off for the entire year in January? That's just silly, and thankfully I've never come across it anywhere I've worked. The norm is first come first served, and if others are off on the days you want you just have to pick another time. All very easy to do on an online system.

BabyDueDecember2019 · 22/05/2019 20:17

Annual leave should be agreed in writing prior to booking a holiday

theliverpoolone · 22/05/2019 20:18

I think the clue is in your wording, OP. It's a 'request' - which can therefore be agreed or refused. Employees can't demand to take their leave when they want, regardless of the business impact.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 22/05/2019 20:20

Yes - why book the holiday before getting the AL approved? Even if you have verbal approval from your manager, that is not a guarantee - well, not a guarantee that I would rely on, if I was spending money to book a holiday.

ControversialFerret · 22/05/2019 20:23

Sakura7 DH used to work for a firm where your leave would be allocated for the year. First week in Jan a big chart would go up in the staff room and if you wanted to change what you'd got, then you needed to find someone to swap with you.

ForalltheSaints · 22/05/2019 20:25

Whilst the manager's remarks were uncalled for and could have been phrased differently, a holiday should not be booked until leave is granted.

bobbypinseverywhere · 22/05/2019 20:29

you're a bit of an idiot to have booked it first without checking,

Parker231 · 22/05/2019 20:37

@Sakura7 - my staff work across three continents and projects are booked months ahead based on client requirements. Staff don’t have to book their full years leave in January but may find it difficult to get if they don’t. The system is online and doesn’t seem to cause anyone problems as they are use to project work and travel. Occasionally I’ll get someone who leaves the request late and then wants two weeks off during school holidays .

Lazypuppy · 22/05/2019 20:39

You're supposed to book annual leave before booking the holiday obviously!

Wellmet · 22/05/2019 20:42

This is either a reverse or you and your husband are very stupid!

AnyFucker · 22/05/2019 20:44

Another hard of thinking, op ?

Have we had an invasion ?

MadisonAvenue · 22/05/2019 20:45

Yes, they can dictate when you take holiday.
EG they could say to you if you've 25 days - I want you to take every Wednesday from the first week of January onward until you've used all your leave days.*

Yes, as long as they give the correct notice to the employee. Last year my husband was told to take all of his holiday in January because it’s traditionally a quiet time in their office. He was told just before the Christmas holiday and it basically screwed our holiday plans for the year but there was nothing we could do about it as his company were within their rights to do that and gave the required (although pretty short) notice period.

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