To refuse this leave request for first anniversary holiday

[Clockingoff]

A woman in work was married a year ago on Sunday. Her husband surprised her with tickets to New York for St Patrick's day and a few days before and after (I'm in Ireland). The problem is that because it's a holiday time here, a number of staff have already booked days off that week and I really can't afford to let anyone else go without other staff being asked to work overtime (which will eat into the overtime budget.)

The same thing happened for her 30th birthday last year. He booked a surprise holiday to Paris and I got one day's notice that she would need three days off (and we had a large conference during one of those days so I had to 'borrow' someone from another team to cover).

I hate to say no as the tickets have been bought and she's very excited. But on the other hand I'm getting a bit fed up of these surprises that put me and colleagues in a difficult situation.

WIBU to say that due to shortage of staff it's just not possible to approve her leave, and come across as a complete cow.

How did it go OP?

Oooh, St Patrick'sDay is coming up!

I couldn't be that mean, yabu

I agree she's going to go anyway. But agree that op should (and hopefully did) say no. Not fair in others otherwise.

Yanbu. Agree with just, her husband should have checked especially as he must have been aware of what happened last time! Where my Dh works they have to give a lot of notice of leave. Its th way it works. She sounds like one of these people who think they can do what they want! Makes life hard for you though.

@Clockingoff

I'm in Ireland too and I can tell you that it would not go down well in the co. I work for either.

YANBU.

There's a member of staff where I work who pulls the same tricks and my boss has a strict rule in here that ALL AL HAS to be approved before any flights are booked. This is a seriously strict rule in here so nobody takes the piss. Except this one person. Even with that rule in place she comes in with the sob story that her OH has spend a fortune on flights etc. But my boss doesnt back down, and she makes her take it unpaid, which in my opinion still isnt fair on the rest of us as we wouldnt be allowed all do it, and we all still have to pick up the slack when she swans off again on her trips.

So do not back down from her and make sure there are procedures in place so this doesnt happen again. And tell her to tell her husband that she needs permission/approval FIRST before booking anything!!!

Are those of you saying things like "I couldn't be so mean" in a managerial post?

We have a six week notice period for annual leave. Requests are frequently turned down as we cannot have too many people off at once.

Therefore I would fully expect the OP to say no. Offering the option to take it as unpaid leave would be kind on this occasion but if I were a fellow employee I would expect it to be made very clear that this was the last time.

Otherwise she is being allowed to ride roughshod over everyone else. This will only engender ill feeling in the whole team and a pissed off team is much worse than a pissed off single employee.

Soontobesix But you'd have no problem being 'mean' to the other employees who have to pick up the slack, or cancel one of their days off to facilitate this person?

How is it 'mean'? Please explain, soontobesix

wonder what happened?

it is not 'mean'. Workplace rules are workplace rules. No-one gives a flying whatever about anniversaries, birthdays etc etc. You aren't at school.

tell her it is unpaid to cover the overtime for others; you are running a business and need to make money. This is going to piss everyone else off as it is.

and tighten up policies to stop this happening again, so next 'surprise' is just tough, she isn't going.

Any update OP?

I think unpaid leave was a good suggestion, assuming that you can get people to work overtime with the money saved. And also tell her this is absolutely the last time and future requests need X amount of notice.

My DH wouldn't dream of booking a surprise holiday - he knows very well I need to clear leave with work well in advance.

Unless she's a chancer who thinks that rules are for other people, I suspect that her H is a bit of a prick. He either doesn't register that her job entails responsibilities to co-workers and isn't just some girly faffing around pretending to be a grown up before she resigns and starts breeding, or he is a tively trying to sabotage her career with a load of 'romantic' gestures that are supposed to train her into obedience, gratitude and prioritixzing him over everyone else.

Have to say I was thinking along the lines of SGB - her husband either doesn't take her job seriously or he's actively trying to get her to stop working and focus on him.

I have to give 6 weeks notice for leave and on occasion I have had leave refused over a year in advance because too many people had already requested leave for that period (damn the Dept of Labour publishing school holiday dates so far in advance!)

The OP solution - of it being unpaid or finding someone else to swap and cover - seemed very sensible and fair. I wonder how they got on.

Agree unpaid leave sounds fair, along with a chat that the next time this happens it will be a flat no.

I would approve but make clear that any future leave requests need to be made before holidays are booked.

Sigh. One of the dangers of forums such as this; incomplete stories.

(Bit bored today.)

OP being mean? I would love to work for her! We have to book our summer leave in December and winter leave in June, then it's very hard to change it (am currently struggling to change a day for a wedding in August). We have a leave swop forum where you can post to try and change leave with another employee. If we apply for unpaid leave we are told a couple of days before if we are successful. It's difficult enough booking off time for your own wedding! But everyone knows that, the rules are set in stone, so everyone copes.

It would be nice to know what happened. I thought the decision to tell her to swop with someone or take unpaid leave was fair enough. She should have booked leave for her wedding anniversary and her 30th if they were important to her, they would be dates most people would consider booking off..

Ps, I would make sure that there are clear rules over leave taking and also warn this employee to let her husband know that any future last minute leave requests will be refused.

Sorry, OP back.

Staff member found a colleague to swap with her. She is now aware that, while it is lovely of her husband to organise surprise trips, I cannot guarantee that I can grant leave for them in future unless husband contacts me to discuss convenient dates.
Also, staff member has been told that those who came in over St Patrick's weekend will have first choice of leave at Easter, so not to make any plans until I have the full picture.

The OP is clearly being very mean.

Very mean to not come back & tell us what happened!

Glad it ended well OP.

Ah, x-post!

Ah, thanks for the update OP.

That sounds very reasonable and fair all round.