Colleague and annual leave

[Florelei]

It’s getting to that time of year again. I have a colleague who I actually get on well with - we are good as a team and work well together. Our strengths compliment each other in a good way.

However, we have the same problem every year. Every year before I can get a look in they request holiday for all of the best dates. Every year I ask if we can sit down and agree a fair split of the holidays around Easter, bank holidays and Christmas and each year nothing changes. This invariably means that she’s always got more holidays left than me at the end of the year and can take at least a week off which I then have to cover. The week is nearly always taken at our busy period.

It’s happened again this year. My manager is asking me if I have objections to all these holiday requests from her for all of the best dates. I don’t want to appear unprofessional but I’m fed up of this.

Should I object and out my own counter dates in and let my manager decide?

I spoke to colleague yesterday and said i thought we’d agreed that we would talk about the best dates and perhaps take a week off each at Easter. She told me she didn’t think she needed to discuss this with me because ‘it’s standard stuff’.

She also said that she never knows when I am off as I don’t tell her - which is not true - it just goes in one ear and out of the other.

I’m at a loss as to how to deal with this! Please help me.

How did it work out for you, can we have an update please?
As soon as people can reliably book holidays again, if I were you I would "book" a city break(or whatever) around the next bank holiday. If it is queried by your co-worker just say, "You had an extended Easter/Whitsun/Aug BH last year so I figured you would not object if I took that time off this year. You can have it next year". Don't be a doormat and don't apologise. Tell the manager that "prime holiday time" needs to be fairly allocated and that for example Christmas Eve, if a working day, should be taken off on alternate years. You don't actually have to book anything, but you were seriously thinking of going to Holland immediately after the spring BH, right? So you need the time off

Meant to add, if you have "something booked" you can't cover for sick leave without losing the cost of it, you have to think ahead of what ruse co-worker might pull and always have plans. I know someone who has a cheap old mobile just to give to work as a number, if it rings on leave days she knows exactly who it is and decides whether to answer or not. Time off is earned, don't lose it

I think you should be mindful to your colleagues and fair. I work with a small team and we have to cover each other when we're on leave, I have a lady who we've agreed we'll cover each other's work so I'll always check if she's ok I take a particular day or week off before I book it.

I think the first come first served is just lazy management. Some people will sit on the holiday chart waiting for the next year to open and book up all the weeks with bank holidays etc. For me that's just plain selfish if you have colleagues who can't take the time off as well, or have to cover your work. Some people don't have the time or inclination to do this.

Hi, I have heard back yet. I will update once I hear from my manager.

Thanks for all your input

What is it with mumsnet and "myself"?!?!

Its "My colleague and I". It is only myself I you're saying "I work by myself" or similar

Lots of people trying to sound more intelligent than they actually are.

Oh right that old chestnut "standard stuff". Standars for her! I had this one year. I was the ONLY one working over Christmas and I had the New Year off. I came back in to find two of my colleagues had booked all the best dates for the whole year. I was told it was first come first served. No it isnt. Teams share. I would go back to your boss and challenge the dates. So many people are so selfish

BoudiccaD
🤣🤣🤣someone needs a hug

Lots of people trying to sound more intelligent than they actually are.

I think it's people who used to be air stewardesses.

"Myself and my colleagues do intend to do pass through the cabin shortly with the duty free trolley and I, myself, do recommend that you do take advantage of the opportunity to do purchase 5 liters of exclusive Eau De Ryanair from myself and the Ryanair crew as we do pass through the cabin."

'Mself' is everywhere here isn't it. And 'my husband and me'. Do the French, Germans etc make such basic grammatical errors when speaking thier languages? And people adopt such strange language when suggesting scrips to posters. High register nonsense where people are asked to desist and kindly refrain.

And people adopt such strange language when suggesting scrips to posters. High register nonsense where people are asked to desist and kindly refrain.

This doesn’t make sense?

This doesn’t make sense?

It does.

PP is saying that posters suggest writing in a way no human would actually speak. They propose replies which appear shrill (high register) because they use posh words in an awkward way (e.g. kindly refrain) rather than talking all common like.

🤬

Do the French, Germans etc make such basic grammatical errors when speaking thier languages?

Yes

@donquixotedelamancha

Thank you for the translation. I understand your explanation perfectly, the actual sentences I honestly don’t.What is scrips? Perhaps it is just me being stupid. I did find it slightly ironic that the author has started two sentences with ‘And’ in a rant about poor grammar my English teacher is turning in her grave!

Now I’ve missed a comma out too...!

Object and let manager sort it out.
At my workplace we were asked to put in our lrave requests for the following year by a particular date and then management would consider everyones at the same time - if tjere were clashes they would take into consideration who had got first choice the previous year .

@donquixotedelamancha. People who begin sentences with "So". It is the same when listening to celebrities on the news. . . "I was LIKE". She was LIKE, when did this habit begin? The same when people talking suddenly put "Yeah" in the middle of their sentence, as if someone has asked them a question, when clearly it is not the case. The incorrect use of "myself" is probably the worst although I heard a woman in the Post Office say "I will do it by my own self"!!!

Please don't judge my spelling or grammar, I'm doing my best.
Yours sincerely
D dippy old tart