If you job shared with someone and going on holiday meant they had to cover all of your shifts leaving them with no days off....

[D0oinMeCleanin]

Would you book a months worth of holidays at once?

My sister has done this to me. At first I wasn't bothered. She can't afford a 'big' holiday, so took lots of little holidays.

She originally planned to work one Friday she was home to give me the day off, but then decided she wouldn't have time as she needed to get ready for the wedding she had come home for the next day and wash all of her holiday clothes for the next holiday.

She's away again now. I only got pissed off when I heard via my mum that they'd tried to book an extra day of her holiday, so won't be returning the day she said she would. She didn't check with me if I'd be okay working that extra day for her.

Now she she's staying that extra day it means that when she comes home her partner is straight back to work, so she won't be able to come back to work until the 6th. She left work on 8th this month.

I haven't had a day off since then. I realise her holidays are her business and it's not up to her to sort out holiday cover (we are v short staffed atm) and I am probably BU, but I'm very tired.

My holiday is the 9th and I haven't even had time to think about packing, let alone start it, so my days off on the 6, 7 and 8th are hardly going to be 'days off' iyswim?

Have you actually worked 7 days a week?

I work split shifts, we are closed Sunday Lunch times, so that's my 'day off'

Again I know it's not my sister's problem that we are short staffed and there is no-one else to cover for her. It was also me who offered her the job and guarenteed to my boss that I'd work her shifts when her partner was working. Effectively they're all my shifts and I just allow her to work some of them for me.

The girl who worked there before my sister had her own shifts and I had mine, but when she left I agreed to take responsibility for all of the shifts in order for my sister to start working there because she found finding work really hard owing to childcare and her partners shifts meaning that some weeks she can only work on day or a couple of afternoons.

I agreed this with my boss on the understanding that if she couldn't do a shift, it was my shift therefore my responsibility to cover it. It's a v small, family run business so there is no extra staff.

I think that there must be a way around you having a day off once a week!

I'm just pissed off she didn't think to ask before booking an extra days holiday, or even tell me. I'd not have said no. I might have been a bit disappointed, but I'd have covered the shift for her.

Didn't you post about this last year?

I think you need to tell her how you feel. You sound a great sister to cover all shifts. Perhaps she hasn't even thought about it from your point of view.

No, Frisky, I posted a year ago about her never being able to work weekend shifts, because the owner of the business wouldn't let her, stating that she was not experienced enough to work the busiest shifts but after whinging about it on here for a while I put my foot down and refused to work one weekend. She's been allowed to work them since then.

I think your sister is being unreasonable. This really isnt fair on you

This is completely unreasonable and if I'm understanding your work contract correctly it's possibly illegal.

I'm not an employment law specialist so I may be wrong here, but: You both have the right to 5.6 weeks worth of paid annual leave each year. If you are each doing 3 days a week, that's 16.8 days off each - and that is actually time off. If you are both expected to work full time whenever the other person is on holiday, neither of you is actually getting "time off" you are just swapping your days around. That really doesn't sound at all fair to me!

I'm not an employment law specialist either but I thought you were entitled to a full 24hrs off every 7 days or 48hrs every fortnight so surely working a whole month is illegal.

I think your boss and sister are treating you badly. Can you look for a different job? Say the arrangement doesn't suit you any more.

Your sister is taking you for a mug

And yes im pretty sure it is illigal to be working this many days in a row

It probably is illegal, but like I said it's a small, family run business, there aren't the hours or work to take on another member of staff, so when my sister is off, that leaves just me to cover her shifts.

Once upon a time the manager would do shifts for me, but since staff have left and not been replaced due to the shop not being as busy so the hours just not being there for the extra staff, he also works every day.

He closes every now and again for a week, so he can take holidays.

If work is so slow I think you need to start looking for a new job asap. Presumably you are getting paid for all the extra work you are doing?

Yeah I'm getting paid extra. Twice as much as normal. Unfortunately I am also hemorrhaging money on my own bloody holiday and I haven't even got there yet.

I have dieted, my holiday clothes and underwear have not, the greedy feckers I do need the money, I also need an early night once in a while.

If she'd worked last Friday and this as promised I'd have been fine. As it is I am surviving on 4-5 hours sleep a night and copious amounts of caffeinated drinks.

I am having to get up at stupid o clock to keep on top of my housework and/or to go the gym which I really don't want to have to miss, plus I have millions of appointments (docs for inhalers, opticians, hairdressers etc) I need to keep to get ready for my holiday.

I was up at 6am today to do the washing up and clean the yard because I have an eye app later and still need to work a split shift and walk the dogs. I am not sure how much longer I can do this for.

I think you need to tell your sister & boss that you made a mistake & things are not working out. There needs to be someone else with proper hours to run alongside you & your sister will have to keep looking for employment she can cope with.