AIBU to feel controlled because my boss is asking me to explain what I do during my annual leave?

[Fivetimes]

I booked a week off and my boss insisted that I explain what I did during my time off and why I wanted those particular days off. It was not a case of being short staffed, as no one else had requested those days. To me, it feels intrusive and controlling. I told my boss I did not have any particular plans for those days, but continued to ask the reason I wanted that time off.

I’d reply with the question ‘Are you telling me that I need to explain how I‘m intending to spend my time off before you decide whether or not to authorise my leave request?’

Are they asking whether you plan to leave the country during your leave? Our company has a policy that during lockdown, staff need to disclose if they are leaving the country and why.

@nervousnelly8

Are they asking whether you plan to leave the country during your leave? Our company has a policy that during lockdown, staff need to disclose if they are leaving the country and why.

No. They knew I weren't leaving the country. They authorised the leave. It is when I returned that after leave all the questions started getting asked.

What you did/do when on annual leave is not the business of anyone but you. Obviously if you wish to tell them, that is fine but they don't have a right to know. Did you ask why they want to know?

At the moment surely the answer anyone will give is sod all.

Which makes it even more bizarre he's pressing!

That's weird and controlling. Do they suspect you are using the time to interview for other jobs perhaps?

The problem is that for a lot of employees annual leave is at the discretion of the business - ie you may have up to 30 days AL but the days you take off have to suit the company, so they may say you can’t have particular dates off, so maybe he was trying to ascertain if you had to go away on those specific dates or if you could be flexible?

Did you book it very close to the time? Do they think you were hiding that you or a family member was ill with covid?

I'd tell them to mind their own business and then I would speak to my union rep .

I think it depends whether it’s due to H&S with regards to any journeys you’ve taken. We have to fill out a form at DC’s nursery for any journey we do that isn’t routine. It’s most bizarre.

I’d ask for the justification behind being asked.

Tell them to piss off.

Ooh, that never crossed my mind. Do you think they are trying to find out if you have been complying with lockdown rules? Could they be concerned about the risk from Covid?

Send him an hour-by-hour breakdown of what you did each day, including going for a poo, showering and looking idly out of the window. Cheeky sod.

Do they think you’ve broken covid rules or something? Which could be relevant if you doing so puts your colleagues or other people at risk.

Otherwise YANBU. My boss might ask me if I have plans/did anything nice when I have annual leave but it’s a general pleasantry not an interrogation, it doesn’t influence whether she approves time off or not (which is how it should be!)

"Oh that's my business isn't it?"

Global pandemic or not, they do not get to nose into your private business!

Sorry, posted too soon. All you need to say is that you complied with Covid rules. Do not elaborate.

I would ask him/her why they are needing to know! From there you can decide what to disclose if anything

Re-decorating your sex dungeon?

Ask him why he needs the info. If covid, just assure him you complied with law. Any other reason not his business, and you'll know best how tactfully or not you can push back.

I couldn’t imagine being grilled by a manager as to why I wanted a annual leave, maybe just a “you up to much on your annual leave?” But mostly just making conversation

There's a legal obligation imposed on employers now to ensure people aren't allowed in work when they should be isolating e.g. Post travel abroad.

Its excessively annoying to enforce, but its ask to see flight details and get it right or risk fines and prosecution. Loathsome, but nothing we can do.

And at the moment, the only people likely to be travelling are those who have to get home to deal with real family emergencies. In my industry, at least, that's predominantly South-east Asian and Black African minorities. It opens us up instantly to discrimination risk if we seem only to be quizzing them for Leave details... so we ask everyone.

Question starts and stops with 'are you intending to leave the UK?' for most at the mo, although that wasn't the case up till about November.

Just tell them you're staying at home to decorate, and move on.

I think it would be the most fun to do what @funnylittlefloozie said. Get right into the minutiae. Print it out for him in size 8 font, preferably Comic Sans or one of the hideous handwriting style ones. Watch him while he reads it, expectantly.

Your order for a shed load of different sized vibrators arrived this morning and you need the week off to try them all out

@Fivetimes

If they asked after you returned from leave are you sure it wasn't just a polite / sociable query?

Tell them you spent the entire week masturbating, eating pizza and watching all 31 seasons of the Simpsons on Disney plus.

Maybe they’ve had people travelling and not isolating? Or going to stay with family and bringing covid back to work premises?

Given you shouldn’t really have been doing anything remotely interesting what’s the harm in telling them?!