Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think my work is a joke

31 replies

slightlypissedoff · 29/05/2012 19:35

Hi all
I will try not to ramble but here goes. I am one of 4 managers that run a large team for a large company. 1 colleague , lets call her Jane, is the same level as me and the other 2 are slightly higher. I'll call them bob and Rachel.
So Bob is off due to an operation and booked this time off weeks ago, Rachel (who is in charge of holidays) decides to take 2 weeks short notice holiday that runs at the same time. Despite the fact that her and bob are not meant to take holidays together. When I say short notice, she just didn't come in one morning and bob told me she wasn't in for nearly 3 weeks. Their manager if fuming.
jane is now going to be off for the next 10 days because her daughter (in her 30s) might be in labour. Again went home today just got a text of bobs manager asking why jane was told she could take as much time as she wanted whenever the baby made an appearance. The daughter has a dh so is not on her own and jane is not a birthing partner. I replied that I don't know.
So this leaves me now doing 4 peoples jobs. This is not the first time that this has happened (all of them being off at once) and all I get is that they can't help it. Its simply due to circumstances.
I am mainly pissed off as I have been refused any holidays in June I case Janes daughter gave birth (only either me or jane can be off) I am not allowed holidays in July or august due to the olympics, no one knows the reason for that as we are not involved. So that means I can't get time off untill dd (8) is back at school after the summer. I then asked to book a holiday starting the Saturday after new year and have been told no as the Monday that week is a bank holiday so I have to wait until November, which is when they do the Christmas holidays. I just don't get why they don't stick to the rules when I have to. I have been given a job opportunity with another company that's better hours etc and as much as i love my job this sort of thing has kind of made up my mind.
Aibu to be a bit pissed off that others can take holiday when they want and i can't even book some time off to spend with my kids? Am i being precious about leaving the job? Its not just this, the other job is better paid and less hours. At least this time bob and rachels manager is pissed off too and has seem what's happening.
Sorry its more of a rant. Hope it makes sense and comes out with paragraphs. This is the first post on my phone.

OP posts:
Anniegetyourgun · 29/05/2012 19:42

Imagine if you got ill all of a sudden. That'd really dump them in the brown stuff, wouldn't it? Of course you'd never think of going off sick, er, on purpose.

Jinsei · 29/05/2012 19:44

Take the better paid job, enjoy the better hours and stop making a mountain out of a molehill!

Julesnobrain · 29/05/2012 19:45

I think it's time to get a job where you are respected.

Bagofholly · 29/05/2012 19:49

Tell their manager, and your manager that you're exploring other opportunities which don't involve being dicked about over holidays and see can you negotiate a pay rise. Then interview for the other job anyway, play them off against each other and sell out to the highest bidder!

DublinMammy · 29/05/2012 20:15

Take the other job and take any remaining holidays owing to you during your notice period.

Original poster
slightlypissedoff · 29/05/2012 20:40

I have enough holidays not to actually work my notice. That's a good point. It may seem like a small thing but having time off during the school holidays is important to me.
Imagine if I did go off sick! It would be lord of the flies. Could be an interesting experiment. But as you say, I wouldn't dream of doing that. :)

OP posts:
Original poster
slightlypissedoff · 29/05/2012 20:42

quite like the idea of playing them off against each other. Thanks again. I feel better already. I was just pissed off, however I do get over stuff fairly quickly. I am going to have a magnets. :)

OP posts:
McHappyPants2012 · 29/05/2012 20:43

so when can you take your hoildays

SerendipitousHarlot · 29/05/2012 20:43

Jinsei, the OP is not making a mountain out of a molehill Hmm

Do you work? And if so, do you think it's reasonable to be carrying the workload of 4 people, and to not be allowed any holidays for the whole summer?

ShellyBoobs · 29/05/2012 20:51

Tell their manager, and your manager that you're exploring other opportunities... Then interview for the other job anyway, play them off against each other and sell out to the highest bidder!

If someone came to me with an ultimatum like that, I'd make sure they never got another payrise as long as they were with the company and would likely look for an opportunity to get rid of them. It's incredibly underhand to try something like that.

By all means express displeasure, put in a formal grievance if necessary and demand some redress regarding the holiday situation but I most definitely wouldn't go making threats to leave.

If you're not happy (totally understandable if they're treating you like this) I would go for the other job and if you get it, then see what happens when you hand in your notice. If they want you to stay, a better deal with regard to holidays and possibly a payrise may be forthcoming.

Jinsei · 29/05/2012 21:02

Ha! Yes I do work, full time in a demanding role. I have carried the workload of 4 people quite frequently over the last year! Management team of 4 people, one totally incompetent (since fired, replacement doesn't start till late August) one on maternity leave (no cover) and one on long-term sick leave. It's no picnic, but it's normal for management to cover for each other in my organisation. I have just been particularly unlucky.

As for holidays in the summer, no, I haven't been able to take a full week in the summer for the last three years. Not ideal, but circumstances have dictated such, so I have taken time at half terms, Christmas, Easter instead. This year I will get a week off, but a few of my colleagues won't. That's just the way it goes sometimes.

But the reason I think she's making too big a deal of it is because she has another better paid job to go to if she chooses. If she is unhappy with her current job, why stay and moan about it? Just take the other job

Original poster
slightlypissedoff · 29/05/2012 21:12

that's just it. I am not staying and moaning. I am leaving, this has confirmed my decision. I wouldn't actually play anyone off and I won't leave in a strop. I am just leaving for a better working/ home life. I haven't been able to have one day off that has fallen in the kids holidays since I returned from mat leave last September. The holiday diary was full when I returned after having ds. So I envy you having the half term. DDS half term is next week. So it will be the first time this school year I have had sometime with dd in the holidays. I don't expect every holiday when I want but so far there are 4 months of the next year I can't have.
In answer to pp who asked when I can have time off, its generally the odd day here and there as they always say they can't cope without me. They can.

OP posts:
Original poster
slightlypissedoff · 29/05/2012 21:16

Sorry meant to say due to the bank holidays I will be off, I usually have to work 4 bank holidays a year. Also that's 4 months not counting having to accommodate others holidays. Also our work isn't seasonal.

OP posts:
PissyDust · 29/05/2012 21:16

Why stay and moan about it

And there was me thinking a lovely point on MN is that you can have a long old rant that you couldn't possible have in RL Hmm

OP Do you have a set amount of hoiday to be taken in a year period? Ours run Jan to Dec but I've know companies that run from emp start date.

Can you ask to meet with Bob & Rachel's manager to discuss what has been happening?

I would apply for the new position and see what happens from there.

although a sickie is a fab idea for letting Bo's manager have to see what is going on from your level

Original poster
slightlypissedoff · 29/05/2012 21:20

Pissy you beat to it. Forgot you can't have a moan occasionally. Bob and rachels manager has set up meeting for tomorrow to discuss it. I think she has noticed I generally get left to it. On the plus side she knows I can do and trusts me to get on with it.

OP posts:
Gumby · 29/05/2012 21:21

So are you going in tomo and resigning?
Would love to see the look on their faces!

Original poster
slightlypissedoff · 29/05/2012 21:21

Sorry you beat ME to it. Damn phone.

OP posts:
Jinsei · 29/05/2012 21:22

Fair enough, OP, if you have decided to leave, good luck to you. Your current employers may not like it, but they will manage without you - nobody is indispensable. :)

And btw, I'm sorry if my earlier post seemed a bit snappy. I just get so fed up of people who moan endlessly about their jobs but never do anything about it. Frankly, in the current climate, many of us are lucky to have jobs that we can moan about!

Original poster
slightlypissedoff · 29/05/2012 21:24

The job was an actual offer. I used to work for the person that offered me it. That's why he knew what terms I wanted. I have called him and he has confirmed the job is mine and am waiting for an email confirmation in the next 10 minutes. Once I have that i will hand it in. So, yes, tomorrow. :)

OP posts:
Original poster
slightlypissedoff · 29/05/2012 21:26

jinsei that frustrates me too. I generally don't moan I do something. I was just annoyed at being in this situation again. I think we all feel like that sometimes.

OP posts:
PissyDust · 29/05/2012 21:29

Don't mention the other job tomorrow what ever you do.

A good thing to come out of all of this if you do end up staying is gaining respect from your bosses boss and knowing that they know you are dependable, trustworthy and able to cope.

She doesn't need to know you spend your evening having a massive online moan about it all either Grin

Original poster
slightlypissedoff · 29/05/2012 21:30

My holiday year is April to may. :) I had almost last years holiday to carry over. They don't usually allow it but they left me without an option. I also know they will be ok without me, they have just got used to me picking up the slack. The magnets is yummy :).

OP posts:
PissyDust · 29/05/2012 21:31

x post.

Don't you feel like you are jumping ship without speaking to the senior manager first?

FlossieMae · 29/05/2012 21:33

I'd be fucking pissed off too, spo. I certainly wouldn't be busting a gut getting all the work done and I would be formally complaining about Rachel's short notice leave. If she isn't supposed to be off at the same time as Bob then she is bang out of order.
I would also possibly suffer from a nasty bout of, hmm, how about gastroenteritis? for at least a week at the end of July. But I would hold the fort with as much grace as I could muster until then, making noises about lovely holidays later in the year instead...

Jinsei · 29/05/2012 21:34

Yeah, I have plenty of frustrations with my own job if I'm honest.

But it's looking like I'll have to make sone redundancies later this year, and I'm dreading it. These peoplle have families, and some of them wont find other work easily. :( Makes me so cross when I hear colleagues moaning about trivial stuff.

But I know we all need to let off steam sometimes, so rant away. And let us know what happens tomorrow!