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?

But I would add, if how I have imagined it is correct, she is still being a CF in wanting the full day off and definitely would be because she couldn't be bothered to go back in for the rest of the day before she goes away!

I think she has you over a barrel tbh good cop v bad cop. Even if she isn't pregnant in the near future it doesn't mean she isn't now

You have to pretend to believe she's PG. I'd document every part of this extremely well. Bet she'll be keen to look for a new job, soon!

YANBU OP, but unfortunately I don't think there's anything you can do about it.

I agree fia, your explanation isn't particularly far fetched. It's less implausible to me than someone coming onto MN and giving this kind of detail about someone they're managing, anyway.

If I were the boss of someone who did what OP has done, I'd be considerably more fucked off with her than I would with the colleague, even if she had invented the pregnancy.

If it were me in this little quandary of having leave declined and then needing the day for an appointment I'd be bringing "proof" to show my boss, because I'd know it looked dodgy AF.

Agree with PP's you've just got to play it straight, follow normal procedure, screenshot and see what happens when she comes back. Even if she has lied and thinks she's got away with it she hasn't, because you'll always know that she had the balls to make up a pregnancy and subsequent mc to go on holiday. I wouldn't want to work with anyone who could do that if i could help it.

definitely sounds very suss

I don't think she's pregnant at all. But how to get the better of her is difficult with all the present laws. It's difficult. Pity you couldn't get somebody to trail her to the appointment. But that's probably illegal. I'd lay bets on she isn't going to this appointment. Why would she be if she can have a whole day off another time rather than fit it in with the airport.

It’s a big lie to get a day off so I reckon she is pregnant.

I’m not sure how, in a 40 week pregnancy, it’s fallen that the ONLY day she can go is that one though.

Screen shot the Instagram post plus tell her you expect her back in work following her booking in appointment.

Why can you not ask for the confirmation of appointment for this? I don't understand that?

Hmm it's a tricky one.

For her original request she sounds like an idiot for booking a flight before getting approval for the time off. You're definitely within your rights to refuse, although in my team if someone had done this I'd do anything possible to allow the time off because you're in a lose lose situation.

Force the person to work and they'll either resent you hugely (not your problem maybe but is it worth the grief of a sullen and potentially hostile employee? ) Or they'll take matters into their own hands and call in sick or find a reason not to come in anyway - as this woman has. Either way you end up no better off.

If you can prove she's lied then I'd discipline her for it. What I would personally do is consult the HR department and find out what my options were, as you do need to tread very carefully.

Even if you can't ask much about the midwife appointment, I'd certainly ask her about her flight times given she said they were booked for 3pm.

Hang on, unless shes going from London city, alll of the "london" airports are a good 2hour (if not more) drive from The capital itself. 🤔🤔

She's had to lie otherwise she will miss her flight. I can't actually blame her. She was backed into a corner. Overlook this one.

So according to her she's still coming into work. Leaving at 12 for the appointment and then rushing to the airport. This is a total lie. There is no appointment.

I would assume she booked the week of ages ago not having actually booked the holiday. She books the holiday and then finds she can't get the afternoon off. Yes she shouldn't have booked it without checking first but having done so, she's had to lie hasn't she. You felt bad that you couldn't give her the afternoon, so turn a blind eye to this one.

Let her know that she's been cheeky but say it with good grace. Something like " good luck with your "appointment". Next time make sure you book the holiday at work before you book the flights"

Hang on, unless shes going from London city, alll of the "london" airports are a good 2hour (if not more) drive from The capital itself.

WTF? No they aren’t!

@AmaraSas depends where you are and how you're going to get there.

Heathrow Express takes 15-20 minutes from Paddington, Gatwick Express takes 30 minutes from London Victoria.

If she was getting the train and leaving at 12 it's entirely possible for her to get to the airport by 1, although that's not particularly early for a 3pm flight.

She's had to lie otherwise she will miss her flight. I can't actually blame her. She was backed into a corner. Overlook this one.

What? No one has to lie! A friend of mine (a teacher) was once told by her Head that "throwing a sickie," which is pretty much what this is, is gross misconduct. Would it not also be a sackable offence?

If she's posting that on instagram it sounda like she'll also post an at the airport pic on friday too

Sorry I'm at a lose here. This woman has a holiday and a midwife appointment?

Where's the CF angle?

Loss! not lose!

Very difficult to prove that someone is “throwing a sickie” unless you have indisputable evidence.

There's no way I'd think I could get to the airport and through security in such a short window. If you know where she's flying from then you can check the flight times?
I'm not sure what type of job she has but not granting leave for half a Friday, when it would mean the employee loses her whole holiday, does seem harsh.
If she is leaving social media proof of dishonesty then screenshot and wait for her return. You can bet that she will be photographing drinks at the airport - in fact I'd be tempted to post Bon Voyage on them once she has got on the plane!

So many PPs saying OP is unreasonable for not going easy on someone who is clearly chancing it seem to be ignoring all the times people have posted threads asking about this sort of thing ('I want to go on holiday but WIBU to invent an excuse as my boss turned down my leave') - those people are almost always told they're BU and should have booked all required leave before booking flights. Why should OP not be irritated at someone who knows the rules and is making a mockery of them even on totally public social media?!

She may be lying but I'd wait a few months before calling her out on it. You can always discipline her retrospectively if it turns out to be a lie.