Employer being nosy about hols

[muttonjeffmum]

What do you all think about this.

I emailed my boss requesting a week's annual leave in August.

He finally replied after about 3 weeks authorising the leave but he has asked why I want the leave. This was in capitals and highlighted on the email.

Why? What has it got to do with them?

I'm tempted to reply with someone sarcastic.

Does anyone else think this is weird and none of their business?

If they are now authorised then I would just reply "Great, thanks" and ignore the why question, he surely won't email to ask why again but if he does then just say "nothing exciting enough to report" or something, he is nosey but I would keep it lighthearted

This is an absolute gift of an opportunity. You really must come up with something outlandish. Swine-herding in Bolivia, or a HMP Holloway reunion.

The moonlighting bit crossed my mind tbh but it's not like we are firefighters or policemen etc.

I'm in two minds as to whether or not to actually email a reply or just ring him. Unfortunately I do need to hold my tongue coz I need the job so it might be safer to email him. When I do actually talk to him he is always really nice - I think he suffers a bit from keyboard warrior syndrome. We don't actually work on the same site so I could go a week or more without seeing him in person.

Tell him you're booked to attend the Working for a Nosy Boss with a Small Penis Conference and you are the keynote speaker.

^

Please do not hint at, or be specific about, medical problems - you would not need to use your leave entitlement ( clue is in the name) to get medical stuff sorted.

I wouldn't respond if he's authorised it.

If he emails again asking why you want the leave I'd just send back 'Personal reasons'. You could keep it going for ever! Imagine him emailing back 'What personal reasons?' You could then reply with 'Gynaecological'...etc, etc.

Because I'm knackered from doing a stressful job where I'm overworked, underpaid, underappreciated, and my boss asks dick-head questions so I need a rest.

The only reply I would make would be thanks for authorising my annual leave.

I always used to get asked if I was going abroad at one company I worked for. It was an American company with quite a competitive work ethic and it felt like unless you were abroad, the managers thought they could ask you to change your holidays to suit them at short notice. Felt like they owned me. It was horrible. Once my boss asked me if my boyfriend was paying for our holiday. He was an odd man. (Boss, not boyfriend!)

You're on a course learning how to herd cats. Or elephants.

Ive responded in the past to "why do you want annual leave" with "I don't want to be in work that day/week"

V Passive aggressive doing that in an email. Don't answer, just say....I think we need to meet & discuss. Put him on the back foot. Then give any reason you fancy.....make him come crawling.

I would reply that I am obliged to take my annual leave as per the terms and conditions of my contract of employment.

Wait till you return and reply HOLIDAY

As above, I would reply my reasons were simply "annual leave" and leave it
Ike that. It's not a lie, and it tells them nothing.

I'd email back something totally random like

'The bells, THE BELLS!!'

and see if they've got the guts to query it.

I'd ignore it. You hardly see him and he's evidently disorganised.

It seems odd to keep it a secret to me but I work in a small business and people are more likely to get upset if people don't ask them where they are going and then ask if they had a nice holiday/ where did they go etc as they feel no-one cares about them.
Having said that I'd expect your employer to be equally open about where they are off to. Sick leave is different but even then people usually know what's wrong with someone and cards and flowers are sometimes bought if serious illness.

My company is very small and juggling the leave between us is an utter nightmare...However, the only good reason I can think of though to ask Why? is that 'We've got a family wedding' would trump a 'I saw a cheap deal to Spain and fancy taking it'. And I certainly wouldn't sit on the request for three weeks before bothering to respond. Usually when one of the very small number of us books some time off I make sure that the rest of us know asap so we can continue to work around each other.

"Thank you for approving my annual leave, I'm looking forward to a lovely break with my family." Tells him nothing at all, but answers the question.

I’d just ignore it tbh. Otherwise the anal bleaching sounds good

It is none of his business. By law companies are obliged to allow you to take annual leave. Your employment contract will detail how leave is allocated. They have no right to refuse a request unless there are good business reasons to ask you to change your dates. Most companies require notice and you have certainly given lots. Lots of good replies in this thread but you could also reply

"Because my kids are off school that week" or

"If I don't use it I will lose it"

But it really is none of his business. My boss NEVER asks what I am doing with my leave. Never.

But do let us know what you decide to reply ....

Tell him you're going to self identify as a man for a week and see how you get on.

They have no right to refuse a request unless there are good business reasons to ask you to change your dates

That's not true - employers can have all sorts of rules about when leave is taken, as long as they are in your contract and lawful. The business reasons can be pretty vague, and apply to the workforce as a whole. Teachers are an example: they can't take annual leave at all during the school year, other than for really exceptional reasons.

But none of that entitles the OP's employer to know what she is doing with her annual leave. Personally I might go with hissing, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you", then start wearing a balaclava and water pistol to work

Could you say 'As you know, I had trouble booking my leave for
convenient times last year so I wanted to ensure that wasn't an issue this year by taking this week in August.' Which is basically saying 'because I want to' but making it sound like you've explained!