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Original poster

What should DD do? Work dilemma

95 replies

MrsWicket · 05/08/2022 23:33

Background- DD (17) has got her first part time job to work along side her college studies. Small business. Very excited at finally be earning some money, so booked a holiday for next summer.
Came home all worried today. Informed her boss (who is the owner) about the holiday, who told her that she was going to book those weeks off and could she change her holiday dates. Said she can’t have more than one person off at any one time and should have told her at the interview stage (holiday wasn’t booked then. Didn’t have contract of employment then either.)
DD can’t move the dates forward as she has end of college year exams, and moving it back will make it more expensive. She’s worried she’s going to lose her job or the boss angry with her if she tells her she can’t move her dates. Boss has not actually booked a holiday, whereas DD has. It’s taken ages for DD to find a job in the sector she’s training for, so she doesn’t want to lose it - or her holiday. What does she do? Thanks

OP posts:
Perple · 05/08/2022 23:36

She moves the dates or gets a different job!

she certainly shouldn’t be informing her boss when she wants time off - she should be asking!

Perple · 05/08/2022 23:38

I’ve just read it again. You don’t seriously expect her boss to not take the holidays she has planned but not yet booked because your daughter has booked a holiday without even checking if she can have the time off.

you can’t seriously be that entitled on your daughters behalf. That’s bizarre.

bubblebs · 05/08/2022 23:41

I think she has to move the holiday- in every job I have ever had the rule has always been to book annual leave before booking a holiday.

It's a difficult one but I have never booked a holiday without at least checking with my manager that those dates are available.

Sanch1 · 05/08/2022 23:42

Errr if she was going to book a holiday she should check with her boss first! I have junior team members who think for some reason they can book the leave they want without consulting me, not acceptable!

TaffyToffee · 05/08/2022 23:46

She should have asked before booking. Make sure she knows to do that in future.

ilovesooty · 06/08/2022 00:00

TaffyToffee · 05/08/2022 23:46

She should have asked before booking. Make sure she knows to do that in future.

Exactly.

TimboWimbo · 06/08/2022 00:04

That’s a life lesson she’s learned today.

imadeitnice · 06/08/2022 00:18

I'm clearly in the minority here but I certainly wouldn't be asking for the time off before I booked a holiday when it's a year in advance.

PrezelwithMarmite · 06/08/2022 00:21

Its normally standard practice to get a holiday form from work, or similar. Request the specific dates they want off. Hr / boss says yes or no. If yes then book a holiday.
So Your dd either pays more or looks for another job

Musicalmaestro · 06/08/2022 00:22

Wait a bit. Boss may relent.

HirplesWithHaggis · 06/08/2022 00:24

DD has a year to find another job and let her new employers know she has a prebooked holiday. She should do that.

StillHappy · 06/08/2022 00:25

The right order to do this in is to request the time off, get approval, and then book the holiday.

It’s absolutely unreasonable to ask her new boss to move their own holidays to accommodate her needs.

On a practical level, there’s every chance that she’s not working there in a year’s time, or that the boss decides to move their own holidays before then, so the best thing to do is to accept that she can’t book the time, and to then just wait and see what happens.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 06/08/2022 00:25

Does she have a contract? What does it say about the policy for booking annual leave/ holiday? In most jobs I would expect to arrange the time off with a boss before committing to anything as it’s usual to need to ensure staff don’t all take the same week off. Not many jobs allow you to take time off whenever you want regardless of who else has booked to be off at the same time as most jobs have a minimum number of staff needed to keep running.

Ylvamoon · 06/08/2022 00:26

You always check first with your employer. Most have rules of X people off at any given time or even a holiday ban during busy times.

I for example can't have any time off in March for a bizarre reason that doesn't make sense at all.

You should have been able to advise DD on these little but annoying facts of working life.

StillHappy · 06/08/2022 00:26

imadeitnice · 06/08/2022 00:18

I'm clearly in the minority here but I certainly wouldn't be asking for the time off before I booked a holiday when it's a year in advance.

Why not? What’s the advantage in doing it the other way round?

Ponderingwindow · 06/08/2022 00:31

It’s a year away and this is a part time job. Is she even sure she will still be working at this particular place when the holiday comes around?

she could just smile and nod and make sure she finds a new job by next summer.

imadeitnice · 06/08/2022 00:34

@StillHappy well for one, my annual leave runs from April to March. If we're not even half way through the current holiday year, I won't wait for permission to book a holiday for a years time. If it was for the current year, I'd ask first. But no way for the following year. But then where I work, the next years annual leave requests aren't accepted until January at the earliest.

thankyouforthesun · 06/08/2022 00:35

@imadeitnice you're not in a minority I've been working in professional jobs for 20 years and I've only ever had to announce when my holiday will be. It's not like I work in the police or a hospital or something similar where they need cover, there are plenty of jobs that just arrange work around staff when you tell them a year in advance. (Maybe I am just not that essential 😬)

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 06/08/2022 00:40

Sorry but she learned a lesson today.

She is not 'entitled' to have a holiday as and when she chooses (or when you do). When working as part of a small team you actually have to communicate with each other.

Asking for holiday time off during her first week also makes me think she won't be lasting very long in this job so it may not be a problem.

Also, what were you thinking? She's 17 and new. The boss is the boss... you should not have booked the holiday in the first place.

imadeitnice · 06/08/2022 00:40

@thankyouforthesun I've been working for a similar amount of years, in 3 different jobs, one local council, 2 NHS, and I've always booked my holidays first before asking work. But I do prioritise holidays/my home life over my works wants and needs lol. But as I said, if it was the current holiday year, I would check nobody else was off (though not formally request) before booking.

YerAWizardHarry · 06/08/2022 00:47

Are these comments for real?? She’s 17 ffs highly doubt she’s an integral part to the business. Feels like the boss is being a prick to prove a point

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 06/08/2022 00:47

I think it's the fact it's a small business rather than council or NHS. So obviously a small team.

I do agree a year in advance seems a bit bonkers but she should have checked first.

YerAWizardHarry · 06/08/2022 00:48

@GreenFingersWouldBeHandy she booked a holiday for NEXT YEAR! Surely more notice the better?

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 06/08/2022 00:54

@YerAWizardHarry Yes I know she booked a holiday for NEXT YEAR. That's why I mentioned it in my post...

TheWayoftheLeaf · 06/08/2022 01:08

She has to move the dates. You have to say about holiday at interview. She shouldn't have booked while trying to get the job. This is basic.

If she can't move them she can't go away or she can't have the job.