To think my holiday time starts when the clock says

[FairfaxAikman]

And not when my manager says.

I reduced my hours after DS was born and as a result my annual holiday allocation, as calculated by HR, includes one half day, finishing at 12.30 as I start at 8.

When I took the half day in last year’s allowance back in February (we work April to April) the boss above my immediate line manager said he hoped it “wouldn’t be a habit” and I explained the calculation meant it would happen once a year. As it was I didn’t get away until 2 hours after I was supposed to that day due to an urgent project landing on our desks, nor did I get the time back.

DS had his vaccinations yesterday afternoon so I booked the half day from this year’s allowance so I could take him. Immediate line manager knew and approved it.

After I left I got a shitty email from the boss above, again stating he hoped it wouldn’t be a habit and that I had left work unfinished. (I hadn’t, the one joint daily project was short as he had made edit. While I had worked on it exclusively that day it is usually a team effort and my colleague agreed to finish it).

I replied to say why I had the holiday and why I had to leave on time but AIBU to think I shouldn’t have to do the latter. If I’ve booked holiday I am on holiday when the clock says, not when he says.

I wouldnt bother to explain WHY you are taking that half day off. You are taking some time off as per your allowance, you dint have to explain why and what you are going to do with it. I doubt that he is doing that himself.

I would put any other comment like his as an email with CC to the HR department.
You have half a day allowance, you are taking it. Unless your job requires you to give plenty of notice and you haven’t or you have to be present for a VERY important meeting and you are I’m not sure what he has to say about it.

is it the case that your company doesn't normally allow AL to be taken in half days?

Yeah we're not supposed to take half days as gathering information for reports can sometimes take hours if you are waiting on someone getting back to you and they don't like stuff being passed off to colleagues.
Under my old line manager you had to take AL as a full week - Monday to Friday - at a time, no single days and no splitting five days over two weeks.

• Isn't child's healthcare something you could do on work time anyway, or (devils advocate) on your day off? Are you working 9hours a day, no lunchbreak?*

My work is over an hours commute and my lunch (by choice) is 30 mins so no time to get back.
The vaccination clinic only runs on two of the three days I work so couldn't take him on my day off either - I did try and actually moved the appointment to a later time slot as initially it was at lunchtime. Having it late afternoon allowed me to take half day.

How do people in the UK put up with some of these batshit leave issues?
In Germany everyone is entitled to at least one break of 2 weeks in one go (all leave obvs subject to agreement with the company but they have to have a bloody good reason not to give it)

I like the idea of taking the next halfday as a morning.

I wouldnt bother to explain WHY you are taking that half day off. You are taking some time off as per your allowance, you dint have to explain why and what you are going to do with it

Agree and it might sound a bit ott but I'd actually encourage working mums generally not to tell people when they are using their leave for child related issues unless they have to eg taking at short notice. I've noticed in a couple of workplaces that some managers can be a bit 🤔at say Julie asking for next Monday off for [whatever re DC] but are absolutely fine when Ken asks because he's planning to be hungover after the football the night before! Oh and these are companies where people can and do take random days leave at short or no notice so that's definitely not the issue.

Wow Fairfax your old manager insisted on full weeks?? Not much thought there for work/life balance!

I should add I only told CF boss it was a doctors appointment after the fact and didn't mention it was for my DS.

Immediate line manager only knew as we are pally as have worked together the longest of anyone in our office (all others are under a year!) and I mentioned I was dreading it but also relieved that DS would now finally be covered for measles due to the uptick in outbreaks.

Laguna!!!!! She said as calculated by HR - second line of the OP!

Yeh all right, she said HR not HR department. just would have thought it was obvious to invvr them that's all!

Involve

Does your line manager have regular catch ups with his/her manager (this twat)? If so, next time you have your half day booked, get your line manager to pre-warn Mr twat-face that as per the leave allocation for your reduced hours, you have booked in your annual half day allowance for X date and remind this boss that it's a contracted allowance. Your line manager should be supporting you here. If they're not prepared to support, then do as PPs have suggested and involve HR.

People will continue to be there for under a year with that working culture.

Take your half day. Don't explain.

Get HR to confirm in writing to your boss that even though standard policy is no half days, your annual calculation includes one half day and the only other options would be to increase your leave (to replace the half day with a full day at extra expense to the company ) or for them to pay you extra in lieu of the half day at extra expense to the company .

Sheesh that's a shitty attitude towards people's legal allocation of paid time off.

Under my old line manager you had to take AL as a full week - Monday to Friday - at a time, no single days and no splitting five days over two weeks
I’d love to know what the sick rate was under this regime. That’s the obvious option people would take for when you need a day or two out of work.

are you entitled to parental leave?
www.gov.uk/parental-leave/eligibility
because you could be entitled to unpaid time off a week at a time? that would really annoy him

It seems inappropriate that your manager’s manager is coming to you directly with his concern. He should be speaking to your manager, who should then be supporting you and explaining that your requests are perfectly appropriate, and probably not even mentioning it to you as they have dealt with it.

Jess line manager was copied into the snippy email

I would probably ask him to clarify what the issue is. You have allocated holiday time which you are taking. You have worked your contracted hours and management should have allocated the work in the knowledge that you wouldn't be there for half the day.

Tell them to round it up to the nearest full day if they've got a problem with half days.

They're bonkers. If you're contractually entitled to X.5 days leave, how are you supposed to take the 0.5 if half days aren't allowed?

Maybe you should request half a day's parental leave, add it to your half-day leave and have the whole day off!

What a dick

"Dear [boss]

This half day is annual leave as was explained to be by HR (cc'd in this email). I will do my best to complete work assigned, as I would for any other annual leave.

My annual leave for this day as calculated by HR starts at 12.30pm until the end of the working day. I will return to work on the [date].

Kind regards,
[me]"

When I worked half days I always tried to take the morning off and come in at lunchtime, as doing it the other way around I never ever left on time and people were funny. This way I arrived then left with everyone and didn’t do any unpaid work.

I mean that the email should have gone only to your line manager (not to you). Your line manager could’ve dealt with it and kept you out of it, since you haven’t done anything wrong.

I suppose they think you could take your leave for both years on April first.