Boss not approving annual leave - best way to tackle?

[janeseymour78]

I put in an annual leave request to my former line manager several weeks ago - she did not get round to approving it although she said she would pass it along to the person who would become my new line manager.

There have now been 2 occasions this week where my new manager has said 'we will look at the holiday dates and get it sorted today.' I kindly asked him to let me know today again and he said he would - nada.

So I'm now feeling quite anxious and stressed about this with the holiday being in 5 weeks and am going into another weekend without being able to book flights and accommodation with the group. And obviously things will get more expensive as time goes on.

Any advice on how can sort this out?

Tell him you need it agreed to make plans.

Ask if he anticipates there being a problem or he’s just been too busy.

Put a slot in his diary to get it sorted.

It is really bothering me @Moancup - I explained I need to book flights and would ideally like to do it while they aren't extortionate. He said he understood - that was a week ago!

I asked him to let me know yesterday for sure and he hasn't. I am trying to be firm about it. Maybe on Mon I need to ask for a call so it is clear it can't just slip under the radar again. Like I say, it's pretty stressful and I can't plan anything.

Email or call every day so it becomes more inconvenient for him not to sort it.

email politely.
As per conversations dating to x date.
i am planning to take annual leave week april 1st - april 10th. i will assume, if i haven't heard from you by the end of the week, that there is no problem with me taking these dates

i don't know what industry you are in, but it sounds a bit crap . you have to take some kind of control ..

That sounds rubbish. I make sure I review and approve leave requests for my team on the same day.

No issue with being reminded politely.

Stick it in his diary - send a meeting invite "Approve Xs leave" for half an hour.

So much easier when you're both in an office and you can just go sit at his desk, holding out a pen for him to sign the forms!

@RishiRich yeah I have liked this manager but this has put my back up a bit. I haven't known him long so I've just noted it - I made it clear it was important to me.

@moonbedazzled was in the office, talked to him and it still didn't get done!

It's all online so he just needs to click an approve button to make it happen.

The best way to tackle this is to say:

I'll assume this leave is fine unless you tell me otherwise. I'll be booking flights/making final arrangements on... as I can't leave it any longer (due to ...)

Put a meeting in the diary to have it approved. Note in the invitation that request was originally made on X date – your holiday may only be 5 weeks away now but you have much more notice than that originally! Your old line manager shouldn’t have shunted it onto your new one.

@nicesausages

The best way to tackle this is to say:

I'll assume this leave is fine unless you tell me otherwise. I'll be booking flights/making final arrangements on... as I can't leave it any longer (due to ...)

That’s exactly what I would do

Are you going to Turin???

Send an email saying that, further to your conversation, you need to book flights ASAP. Say that you have held fire for some time but because of oil prices, there is the very real potential that the cost of flights will now be through the roof for yourself and your friends. If you haven't heard by the end of the day you will assume that this holiday is OK.

Can you get a read receipt on your email?

Phone call or conversation in person, then followed up in writing, that unless an objection is received by the end of the day (Monday), you will assume it is a yes.

Or go over your manager's head.

If new manager is useless at simple responses, perhaps his manager should know.