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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Can employer force you to take holidays?

44 replies

Lemonpancakesultana · 02/05/2020 14:12

We are working from home. We normally work out our holidays over the year to ensure there’s enough cover for the department - no problem at all.

Now, due to CV we are all being told we have to take 50% of our holidays before the end of June so time doesn’t build up and people are off more on the second half of the year. Naturally most people keep their holidays for their two week break or trips during the summer and late half term.

I have two holidays booked for much later in the year that may still go ahead but I won’t now have enough leave for.

I guess they can do this but it feels unfair. I now have to take 10 days in the next few weeks that I don’t want - just sitting around the house.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Iwalkinmyclothing · 02/05/2020 14:14

Yanbu to be annoyed but yes, employers can direct when we take annual leave.

Carolduckingbaskin · 02/05/2020 14:15

Had you already booked the leave for the two holidays you have coming up? I’d consider that a special case to be honest

Original poster
Lemonpancakesultana · 02/05/2020 14:17

Yes, both trips already booked.

OP posts:
Shamoo · 02/05/2020 14:18

They have to give you twice as much notice as the number of days holiday they want you to take - so for one weeks holiday they need to give you two weeks notice.

That said, I would encourage you to think about the bigger needs of your company, assuming otherwise they are treating you well. It is true that most companies cannot just cope through what is happening at the moment and then come back to the office with everybody having all of their holiday left to take in six months, that’s just not workable for an ongoing business. Everybody needs to take some of the hit of what is happening, and if you are at home on full pay then I would try and be understanding of the holiday request.

Obviously if you aren’t being paid in full then that’s a bit different.

Carolduckingbaskin · 02/05/2020 14:19

I’d speak to them - if you’ve already had the leave approved, I think that’s a different thing.

KillerofMen · 02/05/2020 14:20

They can tell you when to take it but if you'd already booked it then i think it's fair they leave it as it is. Why don't you ask them if you can keep those weeks and you will take your remaining annual leave when they want you to.

Iwouldlikesomecake · 02/05/2020 14:21

Yes employers can cancel leave booked as described above and they can direct when you take your leave.

We are going to have to start directing leave. Nobody really wants leave especially the people who are WFH but we can’t have everyone off at the end of the year, it just won’t work.

Littlebelina · 02/05/2020 14:21

I agree speak to them. My sister's work is doing the same but making exceptions for trips already booked.

It sucks they can do this though

ScarfLadysBag · 02/05/2020 14:22

It's annoying but logistically they can't have everyone refusing to take holidays and then taking them all at once when things are trying to get back to normal. Nobody particularly wants to take holiday at the moment if they're WFH and especially if work isn't that busy, it's just one of those things. I'd see if they can make any concessions for those with booked trips, though.

MinesaPinot · 02/05/2020 14:23

OP do you work for my company as they are saying exactly the same thing.

Me and DH were due to be away on holiday over the last couple of weeks - we were due back tomorrow in fact. As that holiday got cancelled by the holiday company we decided to cancel the first week of our leave and just take off last week. We've also got a couple of long weekends booked in July for events that I suspect won't take place, along with a 2 week holiday booked for the end of August. Our leave has already been approved and booked for these and put in the calendar and I've said that I'm keeping them as planned.

vanillandhoney · 02/05/2020 14:23

Yes, they can, and they can make you cancel pre-booked leave too.

It sucks, I know

Ghostlyglow · 02/05/2020 14:26

Yes, they can. If they've already accepted your leave for later in the year, then I would see if they are willing to negotiate. My employer (NHS) has let everyone cancel their leave for the next couple of months and I suspect they might regret that decision later in the year.

tenterden · 02/05/2020 14:37

They can make you do this.

However, in your shoes I would explain that you already have x days holiday booked and ask if you can take slightly less time off now so that you still have enough for your trips.

BarbaraofSeville · 02/05/2020 14:39

NHS will let people carry more leave over into next financial year anyway.

OP are they big trips you have booked at the end of the year? I suppose you could try and plead your case, but if they're already booked you must have had the leave approved anyway so you would have less left to take earlier in the year.

I suppose they're thinking more about the people who normally take their leave at easter or may Bank holiday and won't be this year, so not the case for you anyway.

But a week at home in the summer can be nice too, much more than just 'sitting around the house'. I can easily spend a week sitting in the garden, eating nice food, drinking, reading, going for walks, binging box sets if the weather is not good, by June we might be able to do a bit more visiting of outdoor attractions like gardens and country parks. And that's before you get to dull but necessary stuff like gardening, DIY, cleaning and organising etc.

LIZS · 02/05/2020 14:42

Dh is in same position. 2/3 leave to be used by Sept 1st (Jan-Dec leave year). As we no longer have school aged dc he had hoped to use more Sept/Oct. He is also an essential worker to keep the company afloat during the crisis, so not sure how he can take leave as what he did have booked in April he had to work.

Saranvenya · 02/05/2020 14:45

Yes they can, I've just mailed our employees with set dates of when they will be on holiday.
It is company needs and should also be in your contract, so check that.

KatherineJaneway · 02/05/2020 14:45

Yes they can force you.

Trouble is in a lot of people who can work from home are not taking any leave. That worries companies as they know as soon as lockdown is lifted, people will want to take leave to see family, friends or travel etc leaving businesses short staffed or making the company choose who gets leave. Also it isn’t healthy in some cases to go months without a day off especially in a crisis such as this.

Herecomestreble1 · 02/05/2020 14:49

They can do this but tbh, I think the bigger picture needs to be appreciated. Many companies will be on their knees when we come out of this and if I'm forced to take my holiday when i don't really want to, but it means my company has a better chance of staying afloat and keeping me in employment, then so be it.

BarbaraofSeville · 02/05/2020 14:59

He is also an essential worker to keep the company afloat during the crisis, so not sure how he can take leave as what he did have booked in April he had to work

If he explains this to them , they can't do anything except allow him to take leave later in the year or risk breaking the rules about minimum leave taken per year.

Tappering · 02/05/2020 14:59

Yes they can as long as they give you the correct notice. My firm has done this as well. They have explained that whilst they know people will naturally want to save their leave for when things are open again, they can't have the whole firm all wanting to take weeks and weeks of holiday during the second half of the year. Apart from creating absence problems, they'll need more than a skeleton staff to rebuild the business and get things back to normal.

People are disappointed but nobody has complained as we all understand - the reasons are fair and we all want to continue to have jobs at the end of this.

NailsNeedDoing · 02/05/2020 15:01

Had you already booked and had your holidays approved for the dates you wanted? If they’ve already agreed, it’s shitty of them to take it away, even if technically they are allowed.

SluggishSnail · 02/05/2020 15:02

How about if you offer to take half of your remaining annual leave before the end of June (i.e. after your booked holiday is accounted for)?
My workplace is encouraging staff to do similar, but we are making allowances for pre-booked leave.

PleasantVille · 02/05/2020 15:05

I've heard of lots of places doing this and tbh I can see why they're doing it.

Common sense would say that each employer will decide what expections they are prepared to allow, you need to ask them.

Drgo · 02/05/2020 15:34

Same here OP! Yanbu to be annoyed because it is annoying but yes employers can dictate when you take annual leave.
Although I’m sure I read (on mumsnet) that teachers can’t have theirs changed but I think that must be the only exemption, most people I know have been forced into this too Sad

Tappering · 02/05/2020 15:36

Had you already booked and had your holidays approved for the dates you wanted? If they’ve already agreed, it’s shitty of them to take it away, even if technically they are allowed.

But where do they draw the line? Someone might have a holiday already booked, someone else might have not booked to go away but be saving it to cover childcare, someone else might be planning a holiday but always books a last minute late deal... Everyone's got good and valid reasons, and making allowances quickly becomes impossible if you have a number of staff to try and accommodate; my firm has just over a thousand employees!

It's a set of extraordinary circumstances and they have to try and do what's best for everyone plus keep in mind the business's needs for getting back to normal. At the end of the day being able to book leave when you want is always at the discretion of the firm.