No Annual Leave during school holidays

[Dodoluded]

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.

So the 18 or 16 year old could take it in turns to look after the 10yo. This is obviously a habit that she got into over the years and nobody questioned it until now. She is a complete piss taker.

Given that the 18 year old is an adult, that's some piss taking on her part!

It sounds like the Directors are open to you re-negotiating your contract since they have obviously cottoned on to the fact that you are doing most of her job on a secretary's salary.

I think if you can, stick with it for now and see how far you get with this. Ignore your managers sulking, but make sure you take a note of anything that is unprofessional

Good luck with your appointment OP

She is clearly taking the piss given the ages of her children and it looks like the directors are on to her not only regarding annual leave but also that she doesn't seem to be very good at her job.

This is bull..you need to go to HR. If its notim your contract already. They are just taking the piss.

Children are 18, 16 and 10.

WOW she's really ripping the piss.. I wonder how many years she's gotten away with this bullshit.

I hope you get the promotion so deserve OP, and everything goes well at the specialist appt.

This is awful and unfortunately she has to make arrangements for her childcare. You cant surely just allow someone with kids any time off hey want as they have kids. That's so bad!

Nothing to add, but I just wanted to wish you luck (and a serious promotion).

Is this woman also a director or the level below them?

Good luck for your app't tomorrow

Makes you wonder how much work she's actually done "working from home".......

Dodo is about to go full throttle with a male director about the state of my vagina.

Sorry, I know it is unlikely to be funny to you, but .
Hope all gets sorted tomorrow.

Your work situation sounds batshit. Unfortunately, these longs-standing 'arrangements' can be a PITA. Hope that gets sorted too.

I would email her and get it in writing and then be looking to find a new job and take this employer to a tribunal. YANBU.

Your manager has a pretty severe case of mumtitlement!

And with DC at 18, 16 and 10, barring a whole heap of special needs, it's unlikely childcare could be a major issue now even for a single parent. Unreasonable for you to have to restrict your holidays so severely - you're left with hardly any opportunity to take time off work, it seems!

When my dh was in charge of a lot of staff all wanting to have holidays in school hols time he allowed each person to choose 1 week each, then a second week etc. so all leave was allocated fairly. There were a couple of people with no children and as it happens they did prefer to go out of school holiday times as far cheaper but they still got to choose at same time as everyone else.

What a CF!! Glad your Directors are on the ball.

Children are 18, 16 and 10.
She's been on the take for a long time, hasn't she?

Your directors sound ace, OP, and as if they know very well how valuable you are.

I think karma is going to bite this CF on the bum very soon.

Good luck tomorrow.

A quick sum- if the four busy months only cover one school holiday and one half term, there are 10 other weeks of school holidays. So you have five weeks holiday and only 26 weeks to choose from. None of which include Christmas or a large part of the summer.

Hope alls goes well with the vag appt!

I'm glad your directors are being supportive, and I hope your appointment tomorrow goes ok.

For anybody reading this - join a union! This kind of thing is all too common, and whilst it's not unlawful, it is unfair. A union will speak up for you and work to find a more fair procedure. They can make things happen even when the employer has not broken the law but is still being unfair.

Re discrimination, in lay terms it is, but in legal terms it is not. In order to complain to an ET about discrimination under the Equality Act, the discrimination needs to relate to a protected characteristic. If you were being treated less favourably than a man, you would have a case, but because the comparator is a woman, there's no legal basis for a claim.

It sounds like the directors want to get this sorted for you, so hopefully good news soon.

Good luck for tomorrow OP

Get into a union, OP.

Fingers crossed the directors sort this for you. Good luck at your appointment.

.

Sounds like you have very good directors and your manager is about to have the riot act read or possibly worse. Let us know how you get on, both tomorrow and with work.