Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

to be pissed off about this work situation?

23 replies

ferrione · 16/04/2015 08:11

I work in a very small team. Technically 3 people, but one is on lt sick leave for 3-4 more months so currently it's just 2 of us.

We have meetings with other business areas at least once a day. Sometimes all day. So we can't ever be off at the same time. Fair enough.

Recently, my other team members (not the one off sick) DC has been diagnosed with a serious, lifelong (albeit not lifethreatening) condition. This has required colleague taking a fair amount of time off with sick child. Obviously during that period I've not been able to book any time off.

Colleague is now back and has been for a few weeks. I have a day off next week. Yesterday colleague announced they have a hospital appt for their DC, on the same day. So there's no one to cover meetings. My manager said he'll need me to come in. So I now have to cancel my day off.

I appreciate colleague is having a tough time. But equally it's not fair on me. Colleague has lots of family for support (partner, parents, grandparents, siblings) and this is one of many consultant appts. I don't have any family and as a single parent really could use some time off especially as I've not taken any for ages because colleague has been away.

I can see this being an ongoing issue, and really don't feel too happy about it. I've got a week booked at half term, and will not be impressed if I'm asked to come in during it because there's another appt or colleagues DC is ill.

OP posts:

shewept · 16/04/2015 08:25

I understand your frustration. It must be hard for her, but that doesn't mean you have to pick up all the slack. The team member on long term sick should have been temporarily replaced. Not suggesting the person on sick is got rid of. But the job needs filling until they are back. You need to speak to your line manager about this and see what support they can offer the team.

LurkingHusband · 16/04/2015 08:28

Irrespective of the underlying reason(s) if your employer is allowing themselves to drift into a situation where an individual is becoming to all intents and purposes "irreplaceable", then I would start wondering what else they are mismanaging. And how badly.

How big is the company ?

Speaking as someone who gets involved in business continuity and disaster recovery issues, the idea of a key function being covered by a single employee would be a significant risk factor. (We used to talk about the "if fell under a bus scenario", however if you prefer something a little less violent, try the "what if I won the lottery tomorrow ?" approach).

GGabcd · 16/04/2015 08:32

I agree with everyone else. It is really bad business practice to have only one person for any task.

We also used to talk about 'what if so and so fell under a bus'.

You need to speak to your manager and tell them straight up you can't work like this and you and he/she need to find a solution that doesn't penalize you because others in your office are having a hard time.

Original poster

ferrione · 16/04/2015 08:32

The work we do is important but not essential. If I left tomorrow they would probably just scale back the tasks we do (this is what's happened with the work of the colleague who is on lt sick leave, anything she was working on has been either shelved or scaled down, or stuff we were doing has been shelved/ scaled down to make room for her priority tasks).

It's a big co, several hundred employees, but we're the only 3 (well, 2) doing this work. They wont replace lt sick colleague, no budget...

OP posts:

sanfairyanne · 16/04/2015 08:48

i would leave it another month or more before speaking up. its probably the early days consultant appointments that will settle down later on. i can see why she wants to go to all the first ones.

muminhants · 16/04/2015 08:48

Can you not just change your day off next week or were you doing something special? To be honest, if you'd booked it first, your colleague should change the hospital appointment or get someone else to take their child. It's really not fair on you and I agree with the poster above that something has to change. What is going to happen at the end of the year if you've not taken your annual leave and you are off with stress? Then they'll be a whole team down. They need to act now.

If you are not in a union join one before this situation gets out of hand. They can't help on situations that have arisen before you joined them so the sooner you join the sooner you can get their support for any future incidents.

NuggetofPurestGreen · 16/04/2015 08:57

Can't you just say no? You have a day off booked and have plans?

Fudgeface123 · 16/04/2015 08:57

muminhants, it matters not one jot what OP is doing on her day off, she'd already booked and to ask her to change it is not on.

They need to nip this in the bud now and organise for cover and/or replace the person on long term sick.

LurkingHusband · 16/04/2015 10:04

There's also a danger that allowing this to develop into an ongoing situation will place the company at risk of indirect - or even direct - discrimination. Not dissimilar to the situations that arise when staff with families are given preferential leave (over Xmas for example) ....

CheeseandGherkins · 16/04/2015 10:14

Their staffing issues are not your problem. Your day off was approved and you've made plans so I'd just say you can't make it as you have plans.

INickedAName · 16/04/2015 10:18

I has similar and had several years where I didn't take any time off at all, and it started with a similar request to yours OP.

It then carried on years without me using holiday entitlement, cancelling midwife appointments when I was pregnant, my boss even drove me to a scan to make sure I returned to work after, as if I used the bus I'd have need a full day off, I've cancelled and lost deposits for holidays away as they told me I had to work they week before my leave was due.

When I see that written down it sounds awful, but it kind of builds up, and id feel guilty if I didn't go in and someone couldn't be with their poorly child, and sometimes you end up resenting the person you are covering, which is wrong, one offs are fine, but it's easy to become a pattern. I ended up leaving and not being able to use my holiday leave was just one of the reasons why.

SwedishEdith · 16/04/2015 10:24

Agree that this is not on at all. Re your week off at half-term, can you ask your boss what is going to happen if your colleague needs time off during that week? How are they going to manage that? This is not your problem to resolve but theirs.

OOAOML · 16/04/2015 10:29

If you were ill (which happens, people get tummy bugs, people have falls, people get flu) on the day your colleague was out of the office, would it be a disaster? If so, then your work need to get cover. If not, and it would just inconvenience people, or maybe delay somethihng by a day, then you need to explain to your work that you also have plans.

cailindana · 16/04/2015 10:35

Are you the team manager? If not, then it is not your job to ensure there is cover by giving up your day off. I would let the day off next week slide just this once but I would have a meeting with the relevant person to discuss the situation and set a plan in place. Unusual circumstances have arisen - one colleague is off sick and the other has ongoing issues. That does not mean that you suddenly lose all your days off. It means that whoever runs the team now needs to put a plan in place to deal with these circumstances. There's absolutely no need to get cross about it but there is every need to be very firm and say that you do not want the same situation to arise again and you expect some sort of solid plan to be put in place.

workadurka · 16/04/2015 10:42

I think the law says they have to give you 2 weeks notice if they wish you to cancel holiday.

Can the meeting with colleagues be postponed or brought forward by a day?

Could you move your day's holiday if you were feeling inclined?

LurkingHusband · 16/04/2015 10:46

and another thing

A company this size will have clear documented policies for holiday and absences. Are they following their own rules ?

IHeartRosPoldark · 16/04/2015 10:52

I have this all the time, two equal deputies yet I am constantly the one who saves the day, I feel for you. Hope you get it sorted...

LisaD1 · 16/04/2015 10:54

Just say no, I booked that day off and have plans, I assume the day off was approved already?

Colleague's situation is of course sad/difficult for her but the staffing issue is the managements issue to resolve.

OOAOML · 16/04/2015 10:54

I agree with work - the easiest thing for your employers is for you to cancel your leave, however other options such as rescheduling meetings are available. What would they do if there was a strike and you had to take the day off to look after your child? Or couldn't get into work? They'd find a way round it. At the moment they think it is easier to ask you to change - but you still have a legal entitlement to take your leave. If you were away for a week (actually out of the country/out of contact) and your colleague had to take time off for caring/to take child to an appointment what would they do? Staffing sounds very tight where you are and they need to get contingencies in place because otherwise you are not going to be able to take leave.

LurkingHusband · 16/04/2015 11:01

On a wider note, if the situation is being caused because the company can't (although that will probably be a "won't") find additional staff, then it suggests the OP is in a strong position to negotiate a pay review - and not necessarily with this company either.

Coffeethrowtrampbitch · 16/04/2015 11:20

I feel for you op, dh is currently in work after being told he has to cancel his holiday to fix a massive mess. He has discovered the person who has caused the mess got his week's holiday even though he was told to cancel it as well. .

I would agree to next week but by email confirm that you will not cancel any further holidays. Put it in writing, you have been flexible and helped out the company but their staffing issues are not your problem to resolve.

SomewhereIBelong · 16/04/2015 11:34

you can be required to change your holiday plans on whatever whim employers choose unfortunately, there is usually a "needs of the business" clause in contracts nowadays. (been there, fought my corner, left the company)

Skiptonlass · 16/04/2015 11:47

Your situation (2 people, one must be in all the time) is inherently unstable. Management need to deal with this.

You both, together need to take this to your management. You need to say that you support your colleague entirely in her need to take the legally mandated time off and would like them to work out a way of meeting business needs whilst doing so. That's a reasonable request. It's only short term until the third person comes back

If I was your boss, I'd sit down with you both and get a list of essential tasks. I'd then look to see if there was anyone else in the organisation who had free time who could be drafted in to cover these tasks on a short term basis. I'd get you to train them up and effectively have a third person partially assigned.

They key Is to take all personal stuff out of it and treat it as a logistical issue. X amount needs to be done, we have x people and time off is becoming an issue.

The onus is on management to fix this. They should always be aware of potentially unstable team structures and have ways to sort it out. Good luck.

Flip

Swipe left for the next trending thread