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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think this is unbelievably cheeky? (but really wish I'd thought of doing it!)

49 replies

didireallyjusthearthat · 07/08/2015 10:20

Colleague called the boss this morning, just before she was due to start her shift, and said 'since it's such a nice day, can I take the day off?'

WTF? Seriously? That's how it works?

So here I am, coped up in a stuffy office, hugely pregnant, exhausted and warm, while she's off enjoying the sun because she was cheeky enough to call into work and ask for the day off!

I'm clearly some kind of idiot for not thinking of doing that myself aren't I!?

OP posts:

CrystalMcPistol · 07/08/2015 13:40

One of those dreadful US ideas a "duvet day".

Dreadful to you maybe. I get four a year so I bloody love them!

Tizwailor · 07/08/2015 13:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PrimalLass · 07/08/2015 14:21

She can't be much good at her job if the boss allows her to take a day off at the drop of a hat without any notice

Quite the opposite.

LurkingHusband · 07/08/2015 14:23

One of those dreadful US ideas a "duvet day".

Dreadful to you maybe. I get four a year so I bloody love them!

It's true about irony and the internet .

CrystalMcPistol · 07/08/2015 14:25

You can't blame me for not picking up on your ironic tone, MN is awash with people complaining about supposedly dreadful American things!

Binkybix · 07/08/2015 16:27

I don't see the problem really. Presumably you're one member of staff down whenever they choose to take their AL. My work would be fine with this so long as I managed any meetings, deadlines etc properly.

Atenco · 07/08/2015 16:39

I think it is a lovely idea, but I wouldn't dare do that in a job I didn't like, because I would have to fight the impulse to ask for another day off every single morning after that.

WorraLiberty · 07/08/2015 16:43

Reading that link to 'Duvet days'

It seems to be a new name for 'service days', which have been around since the year dot.

My DH has 4 of them a year and once he's been with the firm 10 years, he'll get 5.

wafflyversatile · 07/08/2015 17:26

2 weeks notice for one day off is ridiculous unless there is a very good reason.

If she'd booked today off 2 weeks ago would it really have made any difference to how your day would be today?

Never heard of service days.

I don't have to give much notice for a day off. Even if a couple of us from our team of 3 are off for one day, the world will not fall apart.

A week's holiday has to take into consideration other people's holidays though.

ginmakesitallok · 07/08/2015 17:31

I can be pretty flexible about taking days off. I work part time, have guests coming next week, so on Tuesday mentioned to boss that I might switch my days about. Yesterday she said, "don't you want some time off next week?", so I am taking time off too. I am lucky though, and responsible for getting my own work done.

SnowBells · 07/08/2015 17:31

didreallyjusthearthat

You don't always have to be so formal. DH and I are in professional roles. DH often takes a day off by sending his manager an email at 5pm the previous day. But they all know their deadlines, etc. and his boss knows he wouldn't just leave them empty-handed. I just put it in the system - and yes, sometimes, my manager just figures it out a day or two before.

Sometimes I just send an email in the morning saying I'm going to work from home that day. So???

teacherwith2kids · 07/08/2015 17:39

When I worked as a manager in a large firm (previous life), my boss used to throw us all out on the first day of summer - the first warm, sunny day - to go out and enjoy it.

He expected a lot of us - we were all very young - but I always think of him with fondness round about end May / early June!

howabout · 07/08/2015 17:51

The year I went to wimbledon it was because it was a slow day in the office and sunny and the boss decided she could spare any juniors who wanted a day off. (Long before the days of Henman Hill and fanatics camping). In return we all worked overtime at short notice when needed. Give and take makes for happy workplaces.

Getthewonderwebout · 07/08/2015 18:07

Always worth asking in my opinion. If you know you're up to date with work, there's nothing pressing for that day and the boss is ok with it, then why not? Very often for us we are so busy and under so much pressure with work that we get to the end of the year and have loads of time to use, at a time when the boss would prefer little or no holiday to be taken. If we can square it with a colleague to deal with urgent work we can take an impromptu half or full day. There's never an ideal time so we grab when we can. It's part of the give and take which makes a business work well.

TheRealAmyLee · 07/08/2015 18:14

Try it yourself if you need.

Cabbage. You gave your dd a day off school to play in the snow? Unless school was shut prepare your flameproof pants!

JovialNickname · 07/08/2015 20:10

I used to work as a manager for a company that allowed members of staff to take a day's leave at very short notice - provided of course they called in early (7.30 am for a 9 am start for example; not 1 minute to 9), there were no important meetings on that day, and there was adequate cover.

It worked very well and contrary to what you might think, actually reduced the amount of time employees took off. Apparently the reason why was because people were able to take a day off legitimately using annual leave, instead of throwing a sickie as they would have done otherwise. (According to HR that is .... obviously no one 'fessed up to that) :D

Woolyheads · 09/08/2015 17:53

A colleague of mine caused a scandal doing something similar - Rang in the morning for that day off and was already far away so couldn't be refused! Mind you they did find a new job soon after so yes they might have been sparable'

RB68 · 09/08/2015 18:04

I would say she is good at her job - she is valued and trusted to know when she can take a day without much business impact other than a 24 hr delay. I used to be able to do that before I worked for myself.....

I think it is good for moral - obv not going to work if everyone takes the mickey. Its the exception rather than the rule and the written contract thing is to allow them to say no to longer holidays at short notice like 2 weeks than a friend of mine got asked for (she was the boss) on a Fri night and she knew it was because the inspectors were in.

CoopedUp · 09/08/2015 19:00

I don't think duvet days are an 'American' concept. I think they were invented by August.One, an offshoot of Text100 group to help retain techPR staff in the dotcom boom. They were based in London, just opposite the BBC on Wood Lane.

shrunkenhead · 10/08/2015 09:57

I thought Duvet Days were when people threw a sickie, not genuine days off!?! Please enlighten me!

LurkingHusband · 10/08/2015 10:19

There was a local (Brum) discussion on duvet days when I used to drive to work - at least 10 years ago.

You can argue where they come from (annual leave, extra days off, flextime). But the main characteristic seems to be they can be taken at very short notice. For those days when (for whatever reason) you really can't face getting up, but aren't ill.

CrystalMcPistol · 10/08/2015 10:29

I'm given four official duvet days a year, basically four extra days leave that can be taken at very short notice that but can't be tagged on to annual leave. So it has to be a stand alone day.

chrome100 · 10/08/2015 11:13

I have never done this but providing I had no meetings or deadlines I am sure that my boss would be happy to accommodate it.

I also book days off at short notice when I see the forecast is good so I can get out cycling. I am glad of the flexibility.

vikihayden101 · 12/08/2015 15:31

I don't see a problem with this at all - I did something similar during the heatwave in July, where the day before it was scheduled to get really hot I asked my boss as I was leaving if I could take two days as holiday. Best idea I've had all year!

It was a perfect two days in the sun with no stress or hot, stuffy travelling in London.

A couple of my friends gave me stick about it, but if you have the holiday days and your manager is OK with it, I don't see the problem!

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