To feel this was presumptuous?

[HippyHappygal]

In the process of employing a new member of staff and automatically, they say they can't work 23rd and 30th December almost as though they are calling the shots and automatically got the job.

It's pretty normal to honour holidays booked for a new staff member.

No, you seem like the odd one for being dickish about it. Why are you being like that?

If you start a new job and already have pre arranged things booked in then what else are you meant to do?

This person sounds sensible, organised and considerate of the company by not just dropping it on you nearer the time.

I wouldn't want to work with you, you sound mean and unreasonable.

I hate predictive text. 😕

I don’t know what you mean by “in the process of” or that they “automatically” told you they could not work certain days.

I read it as the interview process is ongoing and that the OP thought, by saying ‘I can’t work those days’, the interviewee has assumed s/he ‘automatically’ had the job.

It’s nonsense of course. It makes perfect sense to flag any availability issues in advance so that both parties can decide if it’s a major issue.

Hmm maybe you need some training in interview skills? Very common and desirable to state if they can't work certain dates due to annual leave, it makes booking training etc in before they start much easier.

It's perfectly normal ime.

I frequently recruit staff, and it's actually part of the standard questions I ask every applicant, along with eligibility to work in the UK, driving entitlement, etc. Just basic stuff!

No not presumptuous. Just giving you info so you had before you made your decision.

It’s totally normal to be upfront about booked holidays. I appreciate that those are popular days which lots of people will want, but that doesn’t make her in the wrong for flagging with you that she has plans on those days. Surely it would be worse for her to spring it on you after you offered the job?

I would appreciate the candour and efficiency of a candidate who did that, myself.

By during the recruitment process l interpreted that as after interview stage. As l said it’s the kind of thing you ask people during the interview stage and they state it then

@GabriellaMontez surely you don’t just tell your manager you can’t do a date. Some kind of explanation would be given?

@Smallsteps88 don’t worry, lm firmly in the real world

Totally depend how it was brought up. If they said 'sorry, can I ask about pre-booked holidays? I have these days booked after working Xmas period for 5 years, and this year was the one I was able to go see my poorly mother abroad, and we still hope to be able to go', very different to:
'by the way,just warning you in advance, I won't work on 23rd and 30th because I've always had the whole period off no matter what and I wouldn't take a job that requires to work these days'.

Saying that, if you're open on 24th and in between Xmas and NY, these dates being Wednesdays, maybe it is their young kids bdays?

I read it as the interview process is ongoing and that the OP thought, by saying ‘I can’t work those days’, the interviewee has assumed s/he ‘automatically’ had the job.

It’s nonsense of course. It makes perfect sense to flag any availability issues in advance so that both parties can decide if it’s a major issue.

Exactly.

That’s totally normal??? Are you offended that a potential future employee might have plans at some point in the future, or any desire to negotiate their job conditions? It is totally normal to start a new job by making an employer aware you already have holiday plans for certain dates, and if the job is offered you will require those dates off.

Haven’t seen anything to suggest the employee is unreasonable, in fact I have to say you would be giving me serious red flags as a potential employer!

Are you new to hiring OP? Try to remember you’re just buying chunks of their time, not their soul!!!

@12309845653ghydrvj

Are you new to hiring OP? Try to remember you’re just buying chunks of their time, not their soul!!!

I LOVE this analogy. So true and something that many companies forget!!

In all professional interviews I have attended and hosted, it is absolutely the norm to state any days that can’t be worked or any existing commitments. This makes the OP sound a bit naive or ignorant of the process.

You clearly don’t have any experience of employing people?

Very standard practice and it would be frowned upon if they did NOT disclose this information.

I got asked at my interview if there were any dates that I could not work due to holiday. I still got the job. Why would you not ask during the interview? Either honour the holiday that they have or don't employ them on the basis that they had booked 2 days off. Choice is yours although you do come across as the sort of employer that nobody would want. Do you have high staff turnover?

I can tell that you’d be a delight to work for. The candidate should run for the hills!

And absolutely agree that the interview process is as much for the candidate to assess if they want to work for the company as much as whether the candidate is suitable from the employers point of view.

Exactly this. The potential employer is as much being interviewed as the potential employee, yet so many people fail to understand that.

It’s totally standard to tell a possible future employer you have pre-booked holidays

surely you don’t just tell your manager you can’t do a date. Some kind of explanation would be given?

How do you know it wasn’t? The OP hasn’t been back to confirm either way.

I’m my current job, I had a holiday booked 2 weeks after I started and another booked 4 months after I started. Each had been booked approx 9-10 months in advance. The employer (public sector) didn’t bat an eyelid.

@EL8888 no I dont explain to my manager what I'll be doing in my holiday time.

And in this situation, the candidate has been open and honest, in advance. It's not for the interviewer to judge if it's a valid reason.

Are they saying they can’t work those dates this year because they already have plans (normal as others have said) or are they saying that they will never work those dates? If it’s the latter then yes that’s presumptuous.

It's expected to disclose pre booked holidays at interview