DD has not been paid for any of her annual leave, is there anything she can do?

[BobButtonsismycat]

DD17 works at a well known UK store since November 2024.

Let's call them 'The Mange'!

Before her new manager started in May this year she had no issues at all, however, since then several problems have arisen including this latest irk.

DD works 4 hours each on a Saturday and Sunday. She has to request all annual leave via an app. The manager will not accept requests if she has already made up the rota which is often completed a month or two ahead of time, fair enough, that's not the issue. Some time ago DD requested a weekend off each in June, July and again last weekend. These were all accepted on the app by the manager. However, when DD has checked her recent pay she noticed that she has not been paid for the June and July time off. When she asked the manager about this she told dd is was dd's fault. Apparently she should have marked down the actual hours requested off, so 14.00-18.00 on 26/07/25 instead of simply marking down the 26th July etc and therefore she will not get paid and she can not do anything about last week's time off either so will not get paid for this. The manager knows full well DD only ever works 4 hours on each day and usually the exact same hours too, surely she could have either corrected this herself at the time of request or asked dd to re-enter the details correctly, how was dd supposed to know this if no one informs her? She has spoken to a couple of the other younger ones and the same has been done to them.

Before this manager started in May this had never been an issue, the previous manager would accept the dates DD requested and she was paid accordingly.

The issue going forward is that DD has some AL still to take but the manager has already made up the rotas for the next couple of months and the staff are not allowed to take any time off during their busy Christmas period, her holiday entitlement starts from January to end of December and any annual leave not taken is lost.

Can DD request they back pay this AL taken (and approved) or will she have to see this as a life lesson?

Sorry, I don't have much employment experience as I have been self employed for years so not sure on the laws although I am planning on contacting ACAS today to see if they can advise.

And apparently multiple people including DD being aware of the issue
and still not stipulating hours on submission!

No, he obviously didn't know his rights. He's 17 too.

Because companies like this actively employ very young people fresh out of school so they can pay the very least whilst making huge profits, most 16/17 year olds are unaware of the laws and when you have managers who barely converse with the young staff it's very difficult for them to gain the confidence to speak out.

Op..: given your daughter knew all this, why didn’t she specify her hours? She knew colleagues had been screwed over for not doing so

Because DD has only recently discovered she wasn't paid for June and July's AL and when we pushed her to find out why this was the case the manager told her the reason. DD then asked a few of the younger colleagues and has discovered the same has happened to them hence why I and DH are now pushing her to get this sorted and why I contacted ACAS yesterday because regardless what this manager seems to be telling her part time staff I knew this was wrong.

We will now try to get it sorted, obviously I can only do this for DD, the others will need to do this for themselves.

So have you emailed yet?

It would seem holiday requests are all submitted on an online system at The Range.

How is the manager so pivotal in this process?

That's so bad. I would be going higher than the store manager and mentioning the others it has happened to. It all needs looking at and sorting.

I hate that some of these companies get away with such bad behaviour.

She should tell the others and encourage them to do the same though. If most people don't fight back then the shitty manager will keep doing it.

Think we might have found ‘twatty manager’

DD emailed yesterday but as yet she has not had a reply. If nothing by the time we drop her off for her shift then we will ask to speak to the manager.

Because it goes through to her first and she then either approves it or not. Obviously, she needs to look at these first as she is the one organising the rotas for the month ahead.

She has mentioned it to a few, that's all she can do, anything else is up the them.

Let me guess

You liberally throw around “narcissist” and “are you triggered” 🤭

So if she didn’t approve it would have gone back to your daughter who could have then amended the request immediately

The request has to be signed off BeFORE the holiday is taken

so if manager didn’t sign off because Incorrectly completed, your daughter could have amended

Errr no (actually the opposite). But you do seem to be intent on laying the blame at the feet of naive children rather than their managers. These companies are breaking the law remember. It really shouldn’t be up to youngsters to remind them of that.

Both my DCs had summer jobs at a very large entertainment company which employed a lot of 16-18 year olds. Although the work was pretty tedious, they were always scrupulous with paying them the right amount, on time, and with holiday included. It can be done, even with scatty teenage employees.

OP isn’t complaining about leave not being approved - it’s about her dc not being paid her legal wage, having had illegal deductions taken out. They could also in doing so have broken the NMW law.

Do you usually struggle this much with reading comprehension? The OP clearly says that her DD didn't find out that this has also happened to other people until after it had happened to her.

Except that the OP's posts clearly show it didn't happen that way?

No, she never has, she has approved the AL but it's never been paid and when DD questioned it the manager has stated that DD entered it incorrectly on the app (the app gives two options only, full or hours needed off). This manager oversees it all yet allowed it to go through without notifying DD. Surely a decent manager should have picked this up from the beginning and if things are not being done the correct way then it's down to her to advise and give appropriate advice/training?

We are moving house and would have bought furniture at The Range. Definitely won’t now. Horrible place.

But the manager would have had to be authorised this incorrect submission as it stood - incorrect!

The process will be

Employee submits holiday request

Manager receives notification to authorise holiday request

either accepted. In which case this marks the end of managers Involvement and employee WILL be paid

or rejected. In which case, employee notified BEFORE holiday taken that request has been rejected

Dear god - it’s in the OP. Second paragraph. Manager approved the leave. Employee then had illegal deduction of earnings. Ok - shall I repeat - MANAGER APPROVED THE LEAVE.