To think my boss has no right to reprimand me over this?

[Expatworkingmum]

My boss is one of those people who is either super friendly, or very much not.

Today was the first day in ages she’d been really cordial and I had an enjoyable and productive day.

Just as I was about to leave the office she told me she had some work for me to do next week while she’s away on business.

I reminded her I’m on holiday next week.

She’d obviously forgotten as she got very annoyed. She commented I’d just got back from holiday (true-ish, I did take a week off at the beginning of October) and was clearly very unhappy.

Our workplace has an approval system for holiday time, in which this holiday and the previous one were approved by her. I’d also reminded her of this forthcoming holiday on 2 separate emails THIS week, one of which was a full list of my holiday for the rest of the year, to which she replied saying ‘yes, all good.’

She ended the conversation with ‘well, we’ll have to discuss it tomorrow’.

I have spend £000s on a cruise so I certainly won’t be cancelling (and I highly doubt she’ll expect me to), but I am a bit nervous about exactly what this conversation is going to entail.

Surely she doesn’t have a right to even reprimand me verbally about this?

Of course not. Sounds like one of those people who likes to take out their failings on other people by blaming them.

Go, smile, be polite but you're not cancelling the holiday and you're not doing any work on the holiday.

If you’ve got all your approvals etc in writing and maybe also some print outs of the emails from this week, I don’t see how she can tell you that your leave is cancelled.

No, she has no right: she approved the holiday.

I approve annual leave for my team members. I pop their leave dates in my diary so I can check ahead and see who's away.

Enjoy your cruise and don't worry

Gather any emails you have where you received permission. She can’t cancel your holiday. You could very politely remind her that she authorised both weeks. There is nothing you can be reprimanded for when you followed procedure and were given permission. Stop panicking.

Well if she approved it, then she can't really say anything about it! Maybe she just wants to talk about how to deal with the work when you come back/what needs to be done while you're off.

Honestly don’t worry about this OP, she can’t make you cancel your leave, she might just want to discuss some changes at work in the run up to your leave or something to try and ensure it’s all covered. But knowing that she can’t cancel pre approved leave, you’re fine.

Resend the email to her and reiterate the approval system and ask if there’s anything you can do tomorrow before you’re both away.

She’s dropped the ball and shouldn’t be taking it out on you.

Just remain professional and polite. If she’s being unreasonable can you escalate to HR?

I had a manager like this. He was useless and no matter how many times I reminded him of something, it was always my fault when he suddenly realised something and decided I hadn't told him. She can't take away your holiday though.

She sounds very unprofessional - and shouldn’t take out her mood on you - but I don’t see that she’s reprimanding you?

I’d assume that the discussion tomorrow is just to sort out anything urgent from what needs to be done that she’ll need you to prioritise tomorrow.

Yes. Hopefully I just misinterpreted what she meant. It sounds like I was to expect a telling off tomorrow!

I wouldn’t worry about it, you can take your holiday when you want so long as you get approval, which you have. I do think it is important to remind managers about it, you can’t exoect them to remember, but you have done this too. You have dine everything right.

She made an arse of herself and is trying to make you feel bad to cover it up. See what she has to say tomorrow, ignore it and have a fabulous holiday.

*done

techically she can cancel holiday but they need to give double the time off as warning aka you booked 5 days off they must give you 10 days notice that they are cancelling your holiday and legally they do not have to pay any costs you occur for cancelling holiday (if your lucky the insurance will cover but might not)

And sadly they legally can discipline you if you take the previous agreed holiday off. Can be classed as gross misconduct if they tell you they have cancelled your holiday and you must be in on your office like normal.

Some companies/ mangers cancel holidays when it suits them despite it being a moral destroying thing it is also a well known tactic for companies to get rid of someone. Aka a employee you dont want any more you consonantly cancel their agreed leave with the legally shortest amount of time possible as you are making their lives difficult and costing them (potentially large sums of money) while totally being legal which if all it takes to force a resignation.

And constructive dismissal is so difficult to prove now thanks to the tories its only going to get worse.

I think Justmuddling has it spot on: she forgot your holiday, you reminded her and as she felt a bit of a fool she has turned it on you. I reckon she won't say much about it tomorrow. She'll probably avoid you.

Well, simce the OP is on holiday next week, they’ll struggle to give her the legally required notice then, so I think her holiday is fine!

I once got back from holiday and was reprimanded for a customer being sold something at the wrong price. I stood firm and said, politely, to my boss "How could I have done that when I was on a beach in Mexico?" He grumbled and stomped off.

Moral of the story - he had fucked up and wanted someone else to blame. In your case, she's probably fucked off she forgot and will have to do the work herself.

Nah, unless you are in emergency services or army they won't cancel your leave, she could cancel hers.
You can do the work when you come back, not many things can't wait a few days
Don't worry, have nice hols

I think she was annoyed with herself/the situation which she'd forgotten about and which meant her plans had just fallen apart, rather than with you. By discuss it she means decide how the work will be done before you go/when you get back/by someone else

I can't see anything in your conversation that suggests you are about to be reprimanded. I think your manager was more annoyed at the situation (herself) than you. The meeting tomorrow is to discuss what happens when you are away, surely?

I can see how your mind is in overdrive. I agree with the consensus. She was pissed off and took it out on you. She will just be giving you anything urgent to do tomorrow. At the end of the day if it’s that important someone else will do it or she will even though she’s on a business trip.

I send my manager a recurring appointment for his diary when I have had leave confirmed.

Not only does it mean he doesn't have to remember or do anything (bar clicking "accept" on the appt invite) he can see when I am off in future too.

Hopefully.

I was wondering if I was going to be reprimanded tomorrow, not suggesting I was reprimanded today.

My personal favourite for being blamed for my boss forgetting my holiday was my honeymoon.

Similar situation, work for the following week, when I reminded her I would be away. She flew off the handle that I wasnt she would have remembered and I said I had the confirmation if she wanted to see it. "WELL WHY ISNT IT ON THE BOARD?!" she demanded, sweeping around to see.......My name next to the word HONEYMOON!!!! decorated with stars and smilies by the office manager (who was lovely and thankfully hated the director as much as I did!).

Why was it my fault? "Well if you had invited me to the wedding, I might have remembered..." in a very sneery tone. Silly bitch genuinely couldnt understand why I resigned a few months later and offered me a 25% (yes you read that right) pay rise to stay because she knew her sales figures would be through the floor the day I left. And they were, and she "resigned" not long after :o

Omg, that’s terrible! I do wonder how people can behave like that.