Manager has refused my time off 'request'

[MyBossIsAPillock]

I emailed him 6 weeks ago to inform him that I won't be in next week and the week after. He's just told me that my request is rejected. He says it's half term so others have already booked the time off and I'm taking the piss even asking seeing as I've barely been in this year.

Things is, the reason I've been off so much is because I've had breast cancer. The reason I won't be in for the next 2 weeks is because I'll be having radiotherapy.

I told him it wasn't a request and that I wouldn't be in. He said that then it'll become a disciplinary matter. Fuckwit. I'm not worried, HR and senior management have been excellent throughout. But what a twattish way to treat someone going through hell.

Well she has to request something in order for it to be denied. What did she request then?
Do keep up.

OP, not sure if you have mental energy, but this is a clear case of grievance. If you can get some support to raise it for you

My God! I hope you are ok?

Your manager is a cunt. LTB (((hugs)))

@Sherararara you're making some massive assumptions there.

The OP has said her boss has been snarky about the amount of time she's had off already due to her illness.

Therefore he knows she has cancer and shouldn't be a dick about it.

I really hope you never have to be in either of their positions with the level of compassion you're showing.

Actually she didn't request annual leave. I assumed that she did and when l read back through the OP she didn’t mention leave. In an update she clarified that she messaged him telling him she was having radiotherapy.

She doesn't have to request anything.

She INFORMS them she's having cancer treatment which as several people have stated, is protected from discrimination.

You messaged - "I'll not be in for 2 weeks from next week due to radiotherapy"

He replies, "denied, it's half term?"

What lmao, wth was he thinking, doesn't sound like you requested anyway - I'm so curious on his specific wording?

Please? No ones that dim to put something like that in writing.

Good luck with your treatment

Op probably didn’t “plan” to have cancer 🙄

As a manager it’s stressful when people are off sick or tell you they’re pregnant and you realise your best worker is going off for a year, but you keep the screaming voice inside that your work just got harder and show compassion. The fact anyone thinks otherwise is worrying and I hope they’re not managers.

Did he reply to the text message, I’d personally report to HR, this isn’t something an employer can dictate, have you asked your dr for a sick note to cover you during your treatment period?

And as has been explained
several times, it still isn’t clear she said she needed the time off for radiotherapy,
all she said was “I will be taking
time off in 6 weeks”. If she mentioned the reasons in the original email request then great. But if she didn’t and it only came out later (she said she “messaged him” so that’s separate to the original email), HR will see how that puts the manager in a difficult position to provide last minute cover.

woah! This is so egregious. I’m almost excited to hear he is fired. Please make a fuss OP.

Disability leave recording is not an automatic right and companies are not under statutory obligation to provide it. Under the Equality Act a disabled employee can request it as a reasonable adjustment so that any leave related directly to disability is recorded separately from standard sick leave.

I should point out that this doesn’t mean you will be paid. Once you’ve exhausted any sick pay your company offered, you are not entitled to more on the grounds of disability.

Recording disability related illness separately simply ensures that it doesn’t count towards triggering sickness absence disciplinary procedures. Any absence directly arising from disability should be treated supportively rather than as misconduct but you have to request it. Under the law, failing to adjust a policy that puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage can be unlawful - in this case allowing disability absence to tip over into a disciplinary. It’s still up to the employee to obtain medical evidence and to explain how the disability relates to the time taken off. Hope that helps.

Including protecting the company from losing a tribunal because of flouting the law.

You ABSOLUTELY should tell HR, and his boss.

Wishing you well for your treatment and I hope your manager gets the fucking sack.

There are no words to describe what a tosser he's been OP.

Even the spectacularly useless HR officer at my previous employer managed to treat me correctly when I had cancer. If you're in a management position it's not hard to find out the rules in such situations.

She said in op it was 6 weeks ago

From an update:

MyBossIsAPillock · Today 12:35
MrsRobinsonsHandprints · Today 12:27
Did you request holiday or medical leave?

I just messaged him saying I wouldn't be in as I was starting radiotherapy.

Seems clear to me.

Thank you that is really helpful. I know Google is free but when someone explains something so clearly and concisely when it’s already so overwhelming, I appreciate it massively .

Try reading the OP’s update at 12.35 today.

@Sherararara i think your the OP boss ATP. She’s made it clear medical, chemo, radio, cancer, it’s really clear. What’s your problem ?

She doesn’t have to request anything. She’s having cancer treatment. She messaged informing him she was having radiotherapy - that was six weeks ago. He’s only just got around to answering her. If he’s treating it as a request that he can deny he’s deluded.

Been through similar myself so l can fully appreciate ‘overwhelming’. Sorry it doesn’t make any difference to pay but it should be reassuring to know that you can’t be disciplined - any action taken should be to support you.

I am so sorry OP, your manager is a complte bastard.

Email your manager back and ask if he could clarify .
You have informed him of needing time off for radiotherapy for cancer ,is he saying that time off is denied and he expects you to forgo radiotherapy in oder to work because others are an leave over half term?
CC HR.

Best of luck for the weeks ahead. Someone else has probably said this already but do document your interactions with this nut job.