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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:

TheWayoftheLeaf · 06/08/2022 01:10

Also employers have the right to refuse any leave they like. So it doesn't matter your daughter has booked and she hasn't...

Longdistance · 06/08/2022 01:14

The holiday is next summer, she can quit or move jobs by then. She’s only 17.

friendtodinosaurs · 06/08/2022 01:14

Oh bless her. I think people are being a little harsh here...she's 17 years old, the poor sweetheart. I'd have done exactly the same given it's a year in advance, where's the issue there surely?! Not sure what sector they job is but I think she keeps the holiday dates and looks for a different job if her boss won't budge, this one doesn't seem suited to her. At 17 she shouldn't be worried like this xxx

friendtodinosaurs · 06/08/2022 01:16

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

Yes!! Completely agree with this. Very harsh as the poor girl's 17 and has excitedly booked a holiday. Shocked that her boss is being so blunt with her about it really. I'm sure between now and then the boss may be able to get another part time member of staff / holiday staff!

TheWayoftheLeaf · 06/08/2022 01:35

@friendtodinosaurs yes it's harsh. But she needs to learn it before she goes into adult jobs. She could keep the job and quit but that would fuck her bosses hol. Up to her.

HirplesWithHaggis · 06/08/2022 01:49

Why would she worry about fucking her boss' holiday up, when her boss isn't worried about her already-booked holiday next year?

mjf981 · 06/08/2022 04:51

I think this is a life lesson moment. Always make a formal request for dates off (and get it approved, in writing) before jumping to booking a holiday. A tough pill to swallow maybe, but your daughter is in the wrong here.

christmassausages · 06/08/2022 08:19

Well hopefully by next year she'll be qualified after her exams and will be able to move to a full time position somewhere else or will be off to uni. Don't know why everyone is getting so het up on here about her not asking for permission. She's 17 and unlikely to be a major integral part of the business. 17 year olds aren't generally employed with longevity to the job in mind. We all know that they move on.

Perple · 06/08/2022 08:19

@HirplesWithHaggis or alternatively why should the owner of a business give a fuck about a holiday a part time worker who’s just got a job there then booked without checking if she could have time off!

KatherineJaneway · 06/08/2022 08:25

What does she do?

Move her holiday and pay more. You don't 'inform' your workplace about your holiday dates, you request holiday time then book your destination of choice.

sonjadog · 06/08/2022 08:26

I think she needs to be completely honest with her boss and tell her she can't change the dates and apologize sincerely for the mistake. This is a life lesson for her, in future she will know to ask first. She is only 17 and the boss presumable knows this and that she is new in the workplace, so she may actually take it fine in the end and work something out so that they can both be on holiday at the same time. Or she might be very angry and difficult, in which case she would have shown that side at some other point, and your daughter may want to look at moving to another job before next summer.

HairyScaryMonster · 06/08/2022 08:27

Yes, you either tell the employer about non negotiable holidays at interview and it's part of the decision, or you need to be flexible. How much more expensive is it earlier?

HotStickyMess · 06/08/2022 08:28

How does she know boss hasn’t actually booked a holiday? Did she ask and expect boss to move theirs to accommodate DD?

To be honest, I think she’s already on shaky ground by how she has reacted so far. If she goes in and demands that her new boss move their holiday to accommodate hers then I’m pretty sure she won’t have a job anymore. I certainly wouldn’t keep a new member of staff on that showed such little respect and integrity

Tiredmum100 · 06/08/2022 08:29

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.

Yes, I agree. We can't put any holiday requests in for next year until January. I've booked a holiday for a few big birthdays next year. Work wouldn't accept a request if I put it now and if I left it we may not get a space/ good deal.

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 06/08/2022 08:30

I think boss is being a bit harsh, but i'm guessing its because your DD told her instead of asked. but OP did you not explain to your DD that you always need to ask for the annual leave dates before ever booking a holiday.

Essentially if your DD can't change the holiday then she'll need to quit her job a month or whatever her notice is before the holiday 🤷🏼‍♀️

Society · 06/08/2022 08:31

Heaven forbid any of you lot ever made a mistake as a child! The tone of some of the replies aimed at this young girl are pretty horrible.

She should have checked with the boss before booking so she's learned a lesson there. But she's young and inexperienced in the work place. What is the job OP? Does she enjoy it? Does she like the people she works with? Is it a part time job that could potentially become full time after her exams? These are things she needs to weight up before deciding if she want to stay in the job or keep her holiday. If she wants the job she needs to change her holiday and submit leave request the proper way.

I think the boss is being a bit weird though, she also hasn't booked the time off yet so it's a bit convenient she suddenly has to have those exact dates as well. I feel it's more because she's annoyed your daughter didn't ask first. It's unusual to not allow more than one person on annual leave at a time too.

Hoppinggreen · 06/08/2022 08:36

She should have checked dates before booking a holiday but she’s 17 and I can see my own 17 year old not thinking she needed to do this.
Its a lesson though and if she really thinks she will still be working there by the time the holiday comes she will need to rearrange it or quit.
I expect the boss might be a bit miffed the new part time employee has told him rather than asked him about her holiday. Once she proves her worth he might be a bit more amenable

marcopront · 06/08/2022 08:38

Did she check her contract for annual leave procedures before booking the holiday?

SpiderinaWingMirror · 06/08/2022 08:51

If I were in her shoes I would not mention it again and start looking for another job around Easter time.

Hiddenvoice · 06/08/2022 08:59

When I was 17 I made the same mistake, booked a holiday without checking that I could get the time off. My boss was not very happy due to 3 other people being off at the same time. Their time off was booked in advance of booking a holiday so they rightfully got it and I had to cancel my holiday and book another one for when I could get time off.
It’s just a learning curve for her new job, next time she will arrange the time off first before booking a holiday.

FinallyHere · 06/08/2022 09:04

It's an interesting lesson for her about who holds power in the work place.

If she can find herself an equally good job before the holiday, she can move to that new role, telling them about her pre booked holiday in advance.

If she can't, then, well, lesson learned.

Stripedbag101 · 06/08/2022 09:15

Welcome to the working world.

don’t book a holiday without Checking first.

mots a part time job - so she decides does she want to keep the holiday and look for something else.

TheOGCCL · 06/08/2022 09:23

Whilst it’s clear that your daughter should have asked first. then booked, this is a very strange situation. It’s a year away (not sure I’d even have mentioned it yet) and it’s a part time job just to make a bit of money, not an amazing job/ career your daughter has been desperate to get. As PP said, she can’t be that integral to the business, especially after such a short time, it’s like she’s signed on for life. For all either of them knows the job might not work out, eg your daughter needs to prioritise studying, doesn’t like it, decides she fancies something else (it’s a job seeker’s market), isn’t very good at it, business goes bust, or any number of changes in circumstance. The boss sounds like a bit of a catastrophiser but I agree may be doing this just to prove a point (but seems a dangerous game to me).

Shesaysso · 06/08/2022 09:38

She’s 17 and it’s a part time job while she’s at college. I’d be finding another job then handing in my notice explaining the reason was she needed the holiday. Sounds to me like the boss is just making a point. Yes, it’s a lesson for her in the lesson for the future but given the facts that it’s PT and she’s at college, I’d find another job then leave.

hotfroth · 06/08/2022 10:03

Sounds to me that the owner was annoyed about not being asked first, so then invented their own holiday to clash with the dates your dd wants.

If your dd really wants to keep this job and intends to stay there long-term, then she's going to have to suck it up and change her holiday. Lesson learned. Otherwise she can just hand in her notice shortly before her holiday and go anyway.

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