To say colleague is a cheeky fucker?

[SayYouCare]

She booked an all inclusive to Spain a few weeks back.

She requested a half day (leave at 12pm), so she can get to the airport and depart. The rest of the week she's there, she already had booked off.

Today she's requested to speak to me. Turns out she is telling me she will be leaving at 12pm on Friday (the date of her holiday), because she says she is now pregnant and has her first MW appointment (the booking one).

Employees don't need evidence for their first Midwife appointment.

AIBU to think she's cheeky and she is leaving for the airport?

Agree that booking in appointments take ages. Mine was 2 hours long. Also at a hospital (community hospital in a rural county) whereas for my first it was at a children's centre.

Both 2 hours long.

I don't get this.
If her flight is at 3 and you don't give her the afternoon off, then she misses her holiday, right? Why would you let her take off a whole week but not a few hours to get to the airport.
TBH, I'm more surprised she didn't just plan to ring in sick on the day. Not that it's ok, but how many people would honestly not go on a holiday they've booked and paid for because of a few hours?

@fried yes its hard sneaking off work for personal appointments.

I'd say time to cut some slack OP!

She's a CF, but she's got you by the balls.

If her flight is truly at 3, she doesn't have a booking in appointment.

She's off on holiday.

Ask to see her flight confirmations.

Wow, glad I don't have you as a manager! I find it hard to believe that you couldn't find a reasonable work around given the notice or have made an acception with the understanding it wouldn't happen again. I'm not surprised she's feeling desperate to be able to go on her holiday to be honest.

'If her flight is at 3 and you don't give her the afternoon off, then she misses her holiday, right? Why would you let her take off a whole week but not a few hours to get to the airport.'

Why would you book a holiday knowing you still need time off to make the flight? Why would you think your employer and all the staff are there to dance round you and enable you to take a holiday?

Seems like a pretty massive lie to make up just to get an afternoon off work. Wouldn't one just make up a phantom D&V and deal with the concequences later?

Also I'm London based and my two booking appointments were at a clinic with community midwives.

'Wow, glad I don't have you as a manager! I find it hard to believe that you couldn't find a reasonable work around given the notice or have made an acception with the understanding it wouldn't happen again. I'm not surprised she's feeling desperate to be able to go on her holiday to be honest.'

You really think it's your manager's responsibility to enable you to take your holiday because you didn't book your time off to allow you time to make your flight? Never mind the line manager, I wouldn't want you for a colleague.

This is what I don't get. If her flight is at three she's truly fucked if she doesn't get the time off. She would need to leave at least four and half hours before the end of her shift just to dash there

And if she has a booking in appointment - that is miles away and would take ages to get there - surely she won't even be able to make the flight in time?

You can't ask to see her flight confirmation ffs!

Just ask to see her flight confirmation email.

If she flies at 3 and has to be checked in for 1 she is pushing her luck anyway unless she is getting picked up straight from work and lives very close to the airport but you said London, not known for its fast flowing traffic!

My booking appt was at home, the midwife came to me - so they can have a bit of a look at your environment and see if anything looks worrying. I thought that was routine, but apparently not!

Are we quite sure the flights today weren't a cover for the booking in appointment in the first place? Either way if this is genuine I'd get it deleted. If she reads this you're in the shit.

The almost exact situation genuinely happened to me. I asked for a days holiday. It was rejected. Then my booking appointment (at a hospital over an hour journey from work) was allocated on that day. In the end I could go into work until 12 then had to head off.

She sounds like she's totally taking the pee. Surely you're within your rights to ask for evidence of medical appointments?

Eugh, too soon!

Given you know she is flying at 3.00 it certainly sounds suspect and could in the future be grounds for disciplinary action if she's lied....

I think at the risk of her losing out on the holiday I would have granted the leave

I work with someone who comes in 3 times each year and says 'I've booked my holiday and will need these dates off'. Never checks first if anyone else is off or would like to be off and the last 3 occasions have been across half terms (she's in her 60's. No-one is brave enough to challenge her or refuse to authorise the time off so she gets away with it every time. She even booked one without having enough holiday left! Now that's a CF if ever there was one.

Follow the baby...

Bit of an odd lie to make up just to get the afternoon off though, surely if she's just desperate to get to the airport she'd just phone in sick that morning wouldn't she?

Yes YABU. Hope she has a good holiday.

As you can’t ask for proof of attending maybe you could ask her to request this in future and ask the midwife in what format the trust provides this?