AIBU to think that these holiday restrictions are crazy?

[Holyshitbags]

This place of work bans anyone from taking their annual leave in June, July, August, December, January, February. Anyone in the office is not allowed to take a holiday at the same time as anyone else (so 6 people have 6 months in which to take their annual leave)
It is an online shop that sells equipment for one particular sort of hobby. They release a catalogue twice a year (August and feb) and the office produce the catalogue. The management have this holiday “rule” across the board so it includes the staff in the warehouse. Now whilst I understand that warehouse staff may be needed at end of catalogue and new catalogue times the office staff only take a couple of months to produce the catalogue so I’m not quite sure why the holiday ban applies to them.

I just find it crazy that this company can ban you from taking a holiday basically for the whole of the summer!!! AIBU? Is this the norm?

Well if he's looking for a new job, and 2 have already left this year, then perhaps he has more wriggle room than he might first thought.

Suggest he asks for some time with his manager/HR - explain that the higher wage doesn't make up for the terrible atmostphere caused by the "ill thought through" hoilday leave situation. That moral is incredibly low, that noone seems to see this as a long term job, so aren't all that worried about the quality of their work. That he'd like to make this job work, but the lack of flexibility on leave, particularly when there doesn't seem to be a convincing business need for it, is destroying moral, and makes it seem to the staff they the company doesn't really value them.

It might not change anything, but some companies do need to have it spelt out before changes can be made, and if he's planning on leaving anyway, he's nothing to lose by seeing if he can get them to change the policy.

@ordinarysnowflake
I suggested this, but he’s been told by more long term staff that the feintest sniff by management that you may not think the sun shines out of their arse and they will find a way to get rid. Whilst he would love to not work there sadly we have a mortgage and bills to pay :-(

But op, there are 6 members of office staff, 2 so a third, have left while your DH has been there, so in the last 6 months alone, they have had to change half the staff. The more longer serving staff members might think it's worth sitting tight, but management might need it pointing out to them, they can't miss the fact they can't retain staff.

While you have a mortgage to pay, realistically, they aren't going to ask him to go tomorrow. As he's already applying for other jobs, there's not much to lose from saying it's a problem.

If it's well paying and he enjoys the work, rather than just quitting, seeing if he can work with them to improve the atmosphere and culture would be worth a shot.

It might be that his options are put up with it or leave, but if no-one has tried to constructively change the way the company operates, you don't know there's not an option 3. Mind you, he might have lost all interest in the company and rather go elsewhere.

@ordinarysnowflake
He’s been applying since his first week there...so six months with no job offers :-(
The whole place is toxic - the big boss is a narcissist but hubbys immediate manager is a self important psycho. I did suggest that perhaps if he gets an offer of a job that isn’t exactly what he wants it might be worth going to them and trying to change things and at least he’d have something to fall back in 😁

I just realised that I read your post wrong, that only he works there. For some reason I read it as you both working there.

In that case and reading your follow up posts you are actually able to be very flexible from your end so surely most of the time you are able to get your holidays in? I see it would make it hard though if you want to do something with other people or at a specific time of the year that is disallowed.

Yeah we do have that flexibility, however, we don’t go abroad so taking a holiday in the UK when it’s the summer months and it’s less likely to be rainy, and it’s warmer and the days are longer is impossible.
This year he missed out on all that beautiful weather as he had three months probation to contend with too. Annual leave has been taken in October and November lol and now he’ll have to wait to take any more holidays until March. When the weather will be great of course 🙄