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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

No Annual Leave during school holidays

329 replies

Dodoluded · 30/09/2019 11:49

I’ve just been told that because I don’t have a child I can’t take annual leave during school holidays as my line manager needs to take that time off for child care arrangements and one of us need to manage the team (I do this when she is not there).

Basically she’s taking a week off either side of Christmas and has worked one day per week over the summer holiday and taken the rest as unpaid leave.

There are already four months in the year when I am not allowed to take any annual leave due to my workload.

AIBU to not agree to the holidays leave thing? None of this was explained at interview or before my probationary period finished.

They have just refused a leave request for next year as it overlaps with school holidays by four days although she currently has no leave booked for this period.

OP posts:
MulticolourMophead · 01/10/2019 13:43

Whether this boss is in the wrong, is going to depend on how many weeks unpaid she's claimed over the years. The gov.uk site is clear that she can claim up to 18 weeks per child until the child is 18.

With 3 children, that's 54 weeks over several years, at a rate of 4 weeks per child, per year. Although now reduced as the oldest is 18.

And as the unpaid parental leave is a legal obligation, there's not a lot the company can do, is there? Even though I'd like to see this person get her comeuppance for taking the piss so badly, given that she has an 18 and 16 year old who could have easily looked after the 10 year old.

OP, you may well be better off somewhere else. And as colleagues have messaged asking if you've quit, I suspect someone may be spreading stories.

Sashkin · 01/10/2019 14:01

Multicoloured the boss is also taking weeks off “working from home” and saying OP can’t take leave then (because she is employing OP as a secretary but offloading her own work, including line management, onto her).

That clearly isn’t on. If you are working from home, you can’t block your secretary from taking any leave because you need her to cover your work. You are either working from home as in actually working, or you are skiving and using your secretary to cover this up to your bosses.

Nross42 · 01/10/2019 14:13

You need to ask for a copy of the policy. Iam a union steward and i know coverage is never an employees problem. It is always management responsibility to provide coverage. And as long as you asked for time off before the schedule they cant denie it. Even if you dont have a union their is always a grievances process thru Hr. This is not fair and you have to say something.

Becca19962014 · 01/10/2019 14:34

op thankyou for responding to my post. Sorry for the slight derail and rant. It was rather a shock for that to appear on my feed!

I hope your recovery is going well.

Definitely sounds like someone is stiring implying you quit at the meeting yesterday (no prize for guessing who!) ideally the directors should be looking into the leave situation now moving forward, and, there should be no reprisals for you, but we don't live in an ideal world so no idea what'll happen!

MulticolourMophead · 01/10/2019 14:38

Sashkin totally appreciate the working from home side of things, was just working on the parental leave she's taken.

Even if boss is disciplined for the wfh issues, if it's determined she's gonevsgainst policy, I somehow can't see her being fired, meaning she'll still be there and could cause issues for OP.

Maskin · 01/10/2019 14:41

OP is going to get promoted and I am here for it.

CatkinToadflax · 01/10/2019 16:25

I daresay that the boss may be well within her rights to take so much time off - but the unreasonable bit is expecting just OP to cover all of the huge amount of time that she has off! If the boss has it in her contract or other agreement that she takes all school holidays as parental leave or A/L, buggers about from home works from home etc then fair enough - but she and the company should ensure proper cover for her buggering about not being in the office.

OP I hope you may be getting a well deserved promotion very soon. Flowers

Tlolly84 · 01/10/2019 16:48

Approach ACAS ! Good luck

Nated · 01/10/2019 17:26

I too have encountered this situation. It was not policy however HR did not challenge the discrimination until I revealed I was infertile. A different situation to yours perhaps but still I felt not only aggrieved but victimised by having to reveal my infertility just to enjoy the same rights as my fertile colleagues. Go to HR, this will absolutely not be company policy, in the same way a mother cant be discriminated against nor can a childless woman. Your line manager sounds like a nightmare prima Donna and HR may be waiting for an official complaint to act. Best of luck

ToftyAC · 01/10/2019 17:27

If it’s not in your contract/Ts & Cs if employment then it isn’t strictly enforceable. Clarify with HR ASAP OP.

nuxe1984 · 01/10/2019 18:14

This is discrimination. Basically saying that only people with children are allowed to celebrate Christmas with their families! If wherever you work needs cover at Christmas then there should be a rota in place so that people take turns in having it off, if they want to. The same with other holidays. What happens if somebody's partner is a teacher who can't take time off outside the school holidays?

angelfacecuti75 · 01/10/2019 18:19

To those saying being a parent isn't a 'protected characteristic" there are laws to state that parents can take parental leave especially if thet are disabled. However, it sounds odd , can u ask the other job if they still want u?

Jack80 · 01/10/2019 18:23

Go above her head, speak to hr

LokiDoki75 · 01/10/2019 18:27

At least you now have the perfect way of describing her - "Oh yes, she's a real peach." Grin

katewhinesalot · 01/10/2019 18:28

It sounds as if the directors are on to the CFery of this woman. All will be good. It sounds as if your work will be recognised as well.

You might not have to leave.

FrancisCrawford · 01/10/2019 18:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PepsiLola · 01/10/2019 18:35

I think it will be interesting to see what happens as a result, you never know! You can be promoted and she could be sacked (maybe wishful thinking)

AllStarBySmashMouth · 01/10/2019 18:40

Glad the fruit salad is improving OP!

Yes, Christmas is always the bastard. My old place of work was the worst, gave all the special treatment to the mums and the childfree/student/young folk were given the shit shifts. I just knew they would ask me to work Christmas Day, so I quit before they got the chance Grin

gill1960 · 01/10/2019 18:45

Discrimination

Talk to hr and tell them about it

I would suggest that you look for another job because she is abusing you

manicmij · 01/10/2019 18:45

Employers csn dictate when you csn and can't take leave but you should have been made aware of this before you accented the job. HR should explain policy, why your manager is given such generous holiday conditions and why you are expected to cover for her so many times. Are you given recompense? Seems a real crap company if all the conditions you mention are confirmed.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 01/10/2019 18:49

as colleagues have messaged asking if you've quit, I suspect someone may be spreading stories

I'd say that was a certainty Hmm

Jaichangecentfoisdenom · 01/10/2019 18:50

It sounds to me as if higher management has only just been made aware of the OP's line manager's behaviour with regard to holiday entitlement for everyone she is responsible for. I reckon the line manager has been enforcing her own rules for donkey's years with no-one daring to call her out on it till now, and that is why it was not explained at interview and is not part of the OP's contract (as I understand it).

FelicisNox · 01/10/2019 19:28

I agree with the majority: email HR. Explain your query and take it from there. At least you will know where you stand and be prepared to look for another post.

If you do leave, make it clear in your exit interview the reasons why and ask them to be more honest with future applicants that they are essentially being hired as cover for the manager.

To answer some of the comments on this thread:

  1. I've never worked anywhere where I've had management dictate when I can have my annual leave. I've been in a position where I've had to work my annual leave around other members of staff out of fairness to each other... that's normal, but management dictating when and how I take my holiday? No.

  2. The manager in question IS behaving in a discriminatory manner. It is called "indirect discrimination" and it is illegal under the UK Equality Act.

  3. Regardless of the above, the manager is not promoting best practice, she is engaging in a toxic management style and as the saying goes: people do not leave bad jobs, they leave bad managers.

Sara107 · 01/10/2019 19:54

This sounds ridiculous- you’re basically not allowed any annual leave during 4 months (12 weeks) or school holidays (13 weeks). Even if it’s a one off event just for a few days booked well in advance? I can’t understand a manager who puts a good working relationship at risk over a few days hols.

StarB3 · 01/10/2019 20:02

In my place of work no one is allowed time off during summer holidays, whether they have children or not. What's she's doing isn't right.

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