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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think this is unfairly restrictive?

49 replies

Sharkirasharkira · 11/12/2018 18:08

We have just been told that all our holiday for next year - the whole of 2019 - needs to be booked in advance by the end of this year. Basically? If it isn't booked and approved by the end of the year, you won't get it. We're not even allowed to reserve a few days in case of emergencies, it has to be 100%.

We have also been told that there are certain months we aren't allowed to book holiday at all because the business is too busy and we will not get holiday approved - namely the summer (July & August) and Christmas (December). Because we are quite a small team we also aren't allowed to have more than one person off on holiday at a time.

Aibu to think that these restrictions are unfair? That basically means that we have to guess months ahead of time when we will need holiday time, and every member of staff is fighting to get their holiday in the same 9 months of the year - obviously certain months will be more popular than others because of the weather so realistically we are going to have maybe 5 months of the year for all of use to book the vast majority of our holiday entitlement. It just so happens that one of the months I NEED holiday is in one of the 'not allowed' months - but that is when my dc's are off! We go on a trip every year in the holidays and I cant change the date!

OP posts:
Somewhereovertheroad · 11/12/2018 18:11

That's fairly standard for a lot of industries. I currently have all annual leave booked until April 2020

MakeAHouseAHome · 11/12/2018 18:12

Ye obviously it is a shit new policy but they can do what they want so if you don't like it you need to get a new job.

TheBigBangRocks · 11/12/2018 18:13

It is restricted but lots of jobs are due to the nature of the business.

As long as you can take the leave at some point it's not illegal though.

Thesmallthings · 11/12/2018 18:13

That is unfair.

I could get my head round booking in advance if you was allowed to to choose when.

What job do you do? Is there a union you can talk to?

Huntawaymama · 11/12/2018 18:13

That happens in a lot of places now. Personally I think it's ridiculous

Pippa12 · 11/12/2018 18:14

I thought this was the norm, mine is booked till April 2020 Confused

cloudtree · 11/12/2018 18:15

Its perfectly legal I'm afraid.

Original poster
Sharkirasharkira · 11/12/2018 18:16

The thing is, if it was in our contract that this was the case I would try and suck it up but this has just been sprung on us today when it was never a requirement before - I have literally no idea when I'm going to need holiday next year apart from one week. All of my colleagues are in the same position, none of us know really as we have nothing booked or planned yet, it's too far in advance!

No unions. No wiggle room.

I'm trying to find a new job at the moment due to this company being idiotic in a lot of ways but finding it difficult at the moment due to lack of transport!

OP posts:
Biancadelriosback · 11/12/2018 18:23

How is this normal?! That's madness! What if something happens and you need time off? We had to move quite sharply last year and needed a week off to pack up, move and unpack.
I wouldn't be impressed with that like.

Gth1234 · 11/12/2018 18:24

if you don't like it, you are probably better looking for a new job. How can no-one get time off in July/August?

QueenArseClangers · 11/12/2018 18:25

Can I ask why you don’t have a union OP?

Lazypuppy · 11/12/2018 18:30

I've always booked holiday with work, then arrange things for those weeks, not the other way around. Aurely you can use this year as a guide if you do similar things each year?

Original poster
Sharkirasharkira · 11/12/2018 18:43

I don't do similar things each year though @Lazypuppy, apart from that one particular week I know about it could be very different from one year to the next. Also I've only been in this job 6 months so I've never had to do this before.

Nope, no one @Gth1234. Apparently.

@QueenArseClangers it's catering, it's shit, hence why I'm looking elsewhere but now is a bad time for looking for work here!

OP posts:
clydeonabike · 11/12/2018 18:44

We had to submit our holiday requests for next year in October... we also have holiday 'rules' on how many of us can be off at a time and only one from each dept etc... I believe that although we're all entitled to holidays, businesses are within their rights to tell us when we can/cannot take them based on 'business need'...

LIZS · 11/12/2018 18:48

Not unusual in retail, manufacturing or education to have restrictions on leave.

curlycat · 11/12/2018 18:54

DH had to submit his holidays until the end of March 2020 in October.
Not ideal but he's had to do it for the last 13 years so we're used to it now

OneStepMoreFun · 11/12/2018 18:57

Join forces and complain as a big group to management. I don;t agree with the belief that 'if you don;t like it, find another job'. That attitudes weakens any power a work force might have. I'm not suggesting workers have the right to hold employers over a barrel but they do have the right to a work-life balance. And no time off during school holidays is not just.

AmIRightOrAMeringue · 11/12/2018 18:57

I think that's awful! To have sprung that on you now at such a busy time, it doesn't give anyone any flexibility or help to get used to this change.

I think when employers are really inflexible like this it just leads to people calling in sick. Not saying that's right but people aren't going to miss their sisters wedding or kids uni graduation because of a holiday policy

ADastardlyThing · 11/12/2018 19:00

Unfair to do it now without giving you all decent notice of the change. What does it currently say in your contract about booking hols?

ADastardlyThing · 11/12/2018 19:00

Contract/handbook/policy rather.....

madeyemoodysmum · 11/12/2018 19:01

Shocking!

DSHathawayGivesMeFannyGallops · 11/12/2018 19:02

Never had to do this in retail @LIZS, although no more than 1 manager off at a time and no Easter or December leave. If you needed emergency time off or a particular day we would find a way, though. People bound by school hols got priority for July/Aug time off.

I couldn't be doing that, OP. It would drive me mental and what if your booked big chunk of time off didn't work with DP/DC or just became undoable?

Original poster
Sharkirasharkira · 11/12/2018 19:03

Currently it only says that we have to book it off with management, and what our entitlement is, not much else about it.

Our contracts are changing in Jan 2019 but we thought it was only a change in contracted hours, no one mentioned anything about holiday until today.

OP posts:
3out · 11/12/2018 19:03

I’m guessing most of the team haven’t taken all their holidays yet and the knock on effect is that there will be more than one person off at a time from January to March?

It sounds fair enough to me, but it would’ve shown good will if they’d let you leave 2 or 3 annual leave days aside for emergencies.

Original poster
Sharkirasharkira · 11/12/2018 19:08

All of the team have taken holiday for this year, we were all forced to rush it through before December or we lose it, we can't roll any over and if we don't use it by the end of the year we don't get paid for it. Even the new staff who have only been there for a few weeks have had to take their small allowance.

OP posts:
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