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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:
museumum · 30/09/2019 12:21

I would point out to her that she cannot possibly have enough annual leave entitlement to take every school holiday day off and while you're more than happy usually to avoid the peak school holiday times for your holidays this is a specific occasion that cannot be moved. If she does not back down then I'd go and speak to HR with the same info.

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 30/09/2019 12:22

DH was strongly discouraged from booking annual leave in school holidays when he was a postie, because he was in his late 40s and his manager knew he had grown up children. He also had a primary school aged child, so it was unfair, and we challenged it with the union's help. Is that something you are able to do?

Sciurus83 · 30/09/2019 12:23

Cheeky Fucker needs to pay for nursery like the rest of us, not make her subordinate's life miserable so she doesn't have to.

00Sassy · 30/09/2019 12:23

@museumum she is likely taking unpaid parental leave alongside her annual leave.

Paddington68 · 30/09/2019 12:23

The people at the same company are being treated differently, due to one having a child and one not.
You don't need a 'category'.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 30/09/2019 12:23

We have a ban during our two busiest times, for example. Anyone who asks for annual leave then will be told no.

That's a bit different from a blanket ban just because someone who has kids might want the time off!

IAmALazyArse · 30/09/2019 12:25

This is not a normal " company is busy xxx month so no one can take holidays".

Go to HR. Absolutely hate how we childless are expected to just never want holidays in a summer or around Christmas. Fact that someone doesn't have a child doesn't automatically mean their whole family and all friends perished🤷

lottiegarbanzo · 30/09/2019 12:26

Is there any chance they discriminated against parent-applicants, so in your favour, when recruiting? Not your battle if so, just interesting.

My pragmatic view would be that school summer holidays are one thing but everyone wants time off at Christmas. Also, being there when she's on AL is one thing, covering her lengthy unpaid leave is quite another - completely unreasonable.

I'd certainly talk to HR. There are what, 13 weeks of school hols a year, which is masses more than her actual 4 or 5 weeks leave can possibly cover. If this is a condition of your employment, it should have been explained to you before now.

BarbedBloom · 30/09/2019 12:27

I had this in an old job and mine also said no to any time off around Christmas as I had no children which meant I could never go to my family and had to spend christmas day alone. I asked if they would consider a rota system and they said no so I got another job. The person after me also left as her husband was a teacher so it would have meant they could never have time off together. Last I heard, there was a rota system.

My current job has a limit of 2 weeks taken over the summer unless for a special event and rest of the time is first come, first served. I think this is fairer as other people who don't have children may still sometimes want time when the weather is nice or for special occasions.

Drabarni · 30/09/2019 12:31

Go over her head, being a parent does not mean you get to call the shots on holiday entitlement, what a cf.

Span1elsRock · 30/09/2019 12:31

I'd double check with HR. The same rules must apply to all of you.

amusedbush · 30/09/2019 12:31

DH has very rigid annual leave at his work so I have to take mine when his is allocated. A previous boss knew this and when I asked for a specific week months in advance (and before anyone else had booked it) she said no, because she had been thinking about going away during that week but hadn’t looked to see what deals were available. In addition, was also looking to go away at some point so she was going to offer her the chance if she (boss) decided not to take that week!

I was furious but she wouldn’t budge. I didn’t get the week in the end and DH and I didn’t get a summer break together.

I work in higher education so it’s difficult enough trying to book leave between exams, exam boards, start of semester, etc Angry

Butchyrestingface · 30/09/2019 12:32

I’m more annoyed this rule only came out in the last two weeks and they weren’t up front about it (I had another job offer when I took this job)

If they insist on maintaining such a bullshit rule which applies only to you, I’d be looking for another job.

Original poster
Dodoluded · 30/09/2019 12:34

I do get time off at Christmas as our company close for a week (we have to take two or three days leave), I just can’t take any time either side of Christmas.

Also I am equally happy to have to be in work during our busiest periods.

Have asked HR what the deal is.

She does a mixture of WFH, annual leave and unpaid leave.

OP posts:
readingismycardio · 30/09/2019 12:36

This reminds me of my previous job. Christmas Eve + after Christmas and new year's eve was meant for people with children, because they had no one to leave the children with (and that's my problem how?)

BarrenFieldofFucks · 30/09/2019 12:38

If she has booked one day per week over the summer, she's effectively place marked the whole summer, as presumably you can't then book a week's holiday as there would be one day cross over?

DarlingNikita · 30/09/2019 12:39

That's disgraceful. I hate when people with children use them to throw their weight around like this.

DP and I don't have kids and aren't in education per se, but his work often coincides with the school calendar so the only time we can go away is in school holidays. I'm sure we're far from being the only people in this situation.

Also, what if someone was struggling to conceive or had lost a child and a manager told them this? It may not be discrimination but it is potentially very deep water.

OP, if your HR have any sense they'll nip this crap in the bud.

Doingtheboxerbeat · 30/09/2019 12:40

I have worked in places that you were unable to take holidays during certain periods due to their obvious busy times and it wasn't mentioned to me in interview but that's on them, isn't it?
I would take this as far as you can with HR maybe even invent children that you must care for due to their parents being in hospital /prison /institution facility - it happens.
But obviously look for another job at the same time. Fwiw, I do feel bad for parents having to negotiate holidays when I don't have to but I I factored that into my decision to not procreate.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 30/09/2019 12:40

She does a mixture of WFH, annual leave and unpaid leave

She sounds as if she's completely taking the whatsit, frankly, but that's her own manager's problem

I doubt you'll win this one, OP, and since it sounds as if you've not been there long (?) any boat-rocking will probably cause her to find some other excuse to get rid of you

Personally I'd cut my losses, start applying elsewhere and leave her to find some other mug

Original poster
Dodoluded · 30/09/2019 12:41

barren exactly that, I can’t take a week off over the entire Summer because of this.

I did go away on May half term this year and this was not mentioned.

OP posts:
Tippety · 30/09/2019 12:41

I think there's a difference between not permitting leave at certain times due to business needs, and dictating due to someone else wanting to be off in the holidays with their children. Is she on a term time only contract?

Smelborp · 30/09/2019 12:42

This isn’t discriminatory but it is unfair (and it could be discriminatory to others if they selected non parents as someone else has pointed out).

WhateverHappenedToMe · 30/09/2019 12:44

This is discrimination. As a manager of mine once commented when he overheard someone saying "J can cover at Christmas because he's not married" - "And how do you ever expect me to be if you don't let me have time off to meet someone?"

Mummyoflittledragon · 30/09/2019 12:48

So you talked to hr, did they tell you that you couldn’t take those days off? I’d be looking for another job tbh.

ExecutiveFiat · 30/09/2019 12:49

Sounds like you are being discriminated against to me. Yes a business can restrict people taking holidays during busy periods, but surely they can’t discriminate against someone who doesn’t have children
I would be all over to this with HR.