Extra holiday - would you be honest?

[StillCoughingandLaughing]

I probably will be honest because I’m superstitious about these things, but just interested in views

The company I work for has switched to a new holiday booking system as of 1 January. I went to book a holiday yesterday and the system is showing I have my full annual allowance, plus five days carried over. I did indeed carry five days over, but I booked off the first two working days of January (using the old system). This hasn’t been tracked to the new system.

Should I be honest and retroactively book off those two days, or do I enjoy an extra two days off?

Someone will notice. Say something so it doesn’t come back and ruin plans further in the year.

My online system doesn’t update itself properly until the end of January despite the leave year starting on 1st January. For that reason I would wait until 1st Feb before pointing out the error as it may rectify itself. And you don’t want it to go through twice if altered. But I would be honest and point it out.

Another one here who acts as system administrator for the holiday system. You wouldn't believe how much manual updating is required at the turn of the holiday year. It's not all "automatic".

I suggest you - politely - bring it to the attention of the system administrator, acknowledging they may still be making adjustments at this point in time.

People with non-standard work patterns create a disproportionate amount of work for holiday system admins. This may not apply to you, but your sys admin may be working on other people's records, each of which no doubt needs updated on a case-by-case basis. Then checked and double-checked. Then explained as simply as possible in an email. Then explained again when they query it because they're convinced you've done them out of 1.75 hours of holiday for this year (yes that actually happened, and no I hadn't).

when I retire, the shit will hit the fan as nobody else is able to administer the system and my manager is blissfully unaware of this

I would act surprised if I was found out! You could just say oh I thought it felt like more than last year but I put it down to having days to carry over

It could get discovered and your colleagues could lose all trust in you

More like they’ll all be jealous!

I would only tell if I needed to book something and it went into those two days. Otherwise I’d secretly consider them ‘banked’

If its the NHS - YABU

If its the Council - YANBU

Joke!

No one I work with has a clue what there holidays are! They are a nightmare for that. And it is genuine ignorance, they tend to have more days off left than they thought. You would think people keep track wouldn't you.

If you work with me, yes, it's completely believable. Except we haven't got a new system

Ohhh just take them it's not that serious, like other PPs said, just play dumb

There is a good chance that your hr or Payroll section or your managers could do a check so time later in the year and correct your balance. It will look bad on you that you didn’t come clean and they will take the 2 days. Even if they do this at such a point you have taken all your leave they could take it off your next years balance or have you cancel leave or take it as unpaid leave.

Something similar happened to a friend. She had to either work the days back or get them docked off her salary.
& that was months after she’d raised it with them & they told her it was right.
I imagine the company would eventually notice & best to say something now.

Play dumb as long as you don’t mind them potentially coming out of next years allowance

I know my holiday situation down to the hour. As does almost everyone.

Anyway... one of my coleagues 'forgot' to book on the internal calendar 3 days which meant it was not flagged up with HR.

Everyone of us knows she is a piss taker. And someone let it slip to the boss.

Truth is - every person in any sort of job / company / professions knows full well who the skivers are. Not saying the OP is, but always better to be honest unless you want the reputation!

Schtum

Keep quiet and see what happens.

Put it this way. How much are you paid for 2 days work? Is it worth taking that in holiiday and running the risk of losing the trust and repsect of your colleagues and your company?

You would lose my respect. And aaying 'well, who would notice?' Well, HR might. And senior management might. And jobs are quite precious things to have. The respect of those around you is a precious thing to have. Do you want to spend 40 hours aweek for the next however long with people who think you are untrustworthy? I wouldn't.

I’d be honest because I’m in a small team and we have to pick up the slack for each other. I’d feel bad making them cover two extra days.

Is it worth taking that in holiiday and running the risk of losing the trust and repsect of your colleagues and your company?

I am guessing you have a very junior position in your company haven't you!

No. Actually I have a relatively senior position. In a regulated profession. And what i know is that people despise hypocrisy. And people particularly despise hypocrisy in middle and senior managers.

Lying about holiday and effectively stealing from the company is rotten.

But, if living your life without integrity is your bag then crack on.

It's not about integrity, it's about not being ridiculous.

I also know that I have people coming to me all the time asking "how many holidays they have left". So it's utter bollocks that EVERYONE knows their holidays entitlement to the minute, and it's also bollocks that people care and would lose all trust in you if you mess up a couple of days. In the real world, no one cares. Or there should be a system to make it clear how many you have! (and even with one of those you still get questions...)

But the point is that the OP knows there is a mistake and she knows she is not meant to have those 2 extra days.

That is about integrity. Not knowing and making a mistake is one thing. Knowing and keeping shtum is another.

And yes, I would lose respect for someone who knows and tries to fudge it.

but you wouldn't know if it was a genuine mistake or not...

It happened to me last year and I just took the extra holiday. No one noticed or cared and I suspect I was one of many. My holiday allowance in this organisation is crap but luckily data and performance management is also crap so it all worked out. Not a single colleague of mine would have judged me for it either. Had the issue been discovered later in the year I would have just lost those days - it wouldn’t have been any sort of disciplinary offence.

I would really appreciate one of my team letting me know if that had happened

I'd take it too, then act daft if mentioned. They can either then dock a days pay or take another day off you if it is discovered.

I wouldn’t say a word!