Holiday decline aibu

[Namechange19op]

Worked at my current employer just over 1 year less than 2

Im a single mum one little boy aged 7 my parents and family live in wales and I am in london and his dad isnt around much

Work told me today the holiday I requested for easter school holidays are declined because its over a busy period and they dont allow holidays at that time

I did work there last year at the same busy time but they altered my role to wfh with covid. My job cant really be done at home full time I open post do filing print alot of docs etc and so am back in our office. I asked if I could wfh this time but the tasks i need to do are office based.

The company is small around 20 people and 1 other lady does same job as me but no kids so she doesnt care about holidays ban

Aibu to think this is unfair. I have ZERO help. I earn a pittance (around 11k) work either mornings or afternoons depending on the day.

Senior management are not budging as other people asked for holidays and got declined. Hr is outsourced.

Aibu to think i should be given this time off

@DebbieGetsTheJobDone

they dont allow holidays at that time

that is very standard, but they really should have made you aware of this when you signed your contract and started working!

There's something wrong if you only found out when asking for time off.

She hasn't just found out, she said same rule was in place last Easter bit because of the first lockdown WFH was permitted, it was only after first lockdown employers were allowed to have some people back in the office, particularly those unable to do their work from home, she falls into this category

@Mylovelyhorsee how is the employer being unsympathetic? They have a business to run, it's not for them to cover the OPs childcare issues!

The OP doesn't have enough holiday to cover the whole school holidays so at some stage will need childcare surely?

So pay the childcare this holiday and then she'll have less to pay in the summer/half term when she can take holiday.

@Blockedoff yeah i suppose so, I just feel sorry for the op. It must be really hard.

If you really can't get anyone to look after your DC, you could ask for Dependents' leave, which is unpaid, explaining your circumstances and the lack of childcare.

Alternatively, would you be able to repay the time by working extra hours on different weeks? So, the time off over the Easter holidays wouldn't come out of your holiday allowance either, and the company still gets your time and effort.

Either way, you get the time off, and you still have all your holiday allowance to take another time (you win).

Sorry if what you do at work doesn't lend itself to this.

People saying use holiday clubs, get a childminder. How? Where? Places are as rare as hen's teeth here. A lot have folded during lockdown. I'm having to manage without childcare at the moment as my childminder has closed permanently and there simply is no replacement at the moment. Luckily I'm still wfh and can just about do it but I'm dreading September when we are back in.

People saying use holiday clubs, get a childminder. How? Where? Places are as rare as hen's teeth here

Let's hope the OP doesn't live where you do, then.
Plenty of holiday clubs with spaces near where I am.
The main point was that OP hadn't even looked before deciding she had no alternative but to take time off herself.

@DrCoconut

People saying use holiday clubs, get a childminder. How? Where? Places are as rare as hen's teeth here. A lot have folded during lockdown. I'm having to manage without childcare at the moment as my childminder has closed permanently and there simply is no replacement at the moment. Luckily I'm still wfh and can just about do it but I'm dreading September when we are back in.

OP lives in London so I'm sure there are some!

@DrCoconut it’s not that most play schemes have closed... it’s limited numbers. However for April they are now open to ALL children. How does OP usually manage?

I’m a single parent too.. I can sympathise but she really out to have a play scheme in place.

So, they never want to spend Easter/Christmas/whatever with family who live far away? They never have a partner who can only holiday in school holidays?

Easter falls at a weekend, few businesses are open Christmas Day, if they have a partner that can’t take school holidays, they’d surely think twice about taking a job where those are restricted. Why must people always be so bloody precious about it all? I can’t wait for the time we’re not restricted to school holidays once again, it will save us a fortune.

I actually can't get over the attitude that it's perfectly reasonable to treat employees like shit and then expect their loyalty and honesty and whatever else, for 11k a year.

Except that OP was clear that they are a relaxed stress free employer that allows her to do a few hours a day that suits her childcare needs.

Easter falls at a weekend, few businesses are open Christmas Day, if they have a partner that can’t take school holidays, they’d surely think twice about taking a job where those are restricted. Why must people always be so bloody precious about it all? I can’t wait for the time we’re not restricted to school holidays once again, it will save us a fortune.

The level of entitlement from some people is from another planet.

I am loving the Easter falls at a weekend, few businesses are open Christmas Day 😂 😂 to ensure YOU are the only one to have your pick. That's fabulous. 😂