Boss tried to cancel my holiday because colleague has to isolate

[Bluebeth]

Name changed because some of my workmates are here.

One of them is in France, and has another week of her holiday to go. She says she won’t come home early and will be returning next weekend. This means she has to isolate for two weeks.

My holiday is booked when she is supposed to be back at work, and my boss said I can’t take it. A call to the union rep has sorted that out, but I am still being bullied over it. Another call to the union will made on Monday.

Anyone else getting this kind of shit?

It’s completely the colleagues fault. Colleague took a the risk going abroad knowing that the return rules could change at any moment.

@Blossomtoes

It’s the government’s fault for changing the rules more often than its underpants. No way would I be cutting my holiday short.

We have been in this situation since March 2020. People can hardly be surprised that travel plans have to change at short notice. Employers have had plenty of time to plan. The government have not been changing the rules for fun. The situation with Covid changes daily and people still don’t understand.

we are in strange and new times

@pinkcircustop

Dh wanted to go to France fo visit family, predominantly his elderly father and she’s there for a holiday spreading it around so people like dh can’t see his father.

@Mummyoflittledragon Nobody is stopping your DH seeing his elderly father. He can go anytime he wants.

He’s has one of the 3 batch vaccines not recognised in France. That would mean well over a fortnight of quarantine when the french and U.K. quarantines are added together. I’m disabled. He can’t leave me that long. And y’ know he actually has to work.

You have no idea of our circumstances.

God, it sucks Mummy. My kids and I haven't seen my mom or brother in two years, but luckily they're both fit and well. I'm so fucking sick to the back teeth of it all...

You have no idea of our circumstances.

No, but you are blaming someone who has nothing to do with your circumstances for the fact that your DH hasn’t seen his relatives.

You blamed it on holidaymakers spreading the virus. It turns out that’s not it.

You should look up constructive dismissal

He’s has one of the 3 batch vaccines not recognised in France. That would mean well over a fortnight of quarantine when the french and U.K. quarantines are added together. I’m disabled. He can’t leave me that long. And y’ know he actually has to work.

You have no idea of our circumstances.

@Mummyoflittledragon All of that is irrelevant and nothing to do with OP’s colleague. Them holidaying in France isn’t stopping you at all, which is what you were trying to claim.

I love the airy blame of "management" on these types of threads and the idea that any job can be covered by a temp.

If colleague in France cuts short her break then she won't miss as much work even with isolation. Yes it's not her fault this happened, but it's also not "management's " fault, nor is it OPs.

I suppose it also depends if OP has plans for that week. If you hadn't planned to go away, then whilst no one could expect it, it would be good if you could change it.

@rookiemere

I love the airy blame of "management" on these types of threads and the idea that any job can be covered by a temp.

If colleague in France cuts short her break then she won't miss as much work even with isolation. Yes it's not her fault this happened, but it's also not "management's " fault, nor is it OPs.

I suppose it also depends if OP has plans for that week. If you hadn't planned to go away, then whilst no one could expect it, it would be good if you could change it.

Yes, it's the same attitude as when someone is struggling with something at work, they're told to tell their manager, it's up to them to sort it, that's why they're paid the big bucks. Despite the fact sometimes they are a manager and should play their part in sorting the problem. How far up does the escalation stop, does every person under ceo get to shrug and say "that's why you're paid the big bucks" to their immediate manager?

[quote Foolsrule]@MarianneUnfaithful - the rules for France changed last night. Loads of people have been caught out. Not easy but she likely can’t fit in the isolation within her holiday period anyway now.[/quote]
The rules for France haven’t changed. France has been amber for ages, meaning a 10 day isolation on return home. A few days ago it was announced that isolation wasn’t necessary from amber countries for vaccinated people, from July 19th. Then last night it was announced that France wasn’t included in this amnesty. So basically, the rules for France are exactly as they have been all along.
OP your colleague went away knowing this was an almost certainty. Plans should have been put in place to facilitate her absence , and those plans should not include last minute cancellation of other people’s holiday.

I'm amazed at the number of people who are so on businesses side - a pandemic is simply a cost of business, people have to isolate, they can't work, that's a fact of their life, they need to manage it.

Employees don't need to rush back so they're in work, it's not the employees responsibility, it's not the employers one, it's simply the law, if either groups want the law changed then they need to campaign to the law makers, not simply try and bully and shame the least powerful groups in this to try and make up for the others failings.

It's likely going to be expensive for the employer - that's just the risks of doing business. Even the really rare risks of "pandemic" are risks you have to live with.

I don't disagree with you entirely but I do think it's an employees responsibility to make themselves available for work as agreed.

They can't @stealhpolarbear, the government says they have to isolate.

I'm guessing it's really the jealousy/snobbery/annoyance/whatever it is about holidays in a pandemic that are causing the ire on the colleague, as I'm sure if it was simply the colleague becoming a close contact, then it wouldn't the colleague being called out.

But from what I'm reading (and I may be wrong) they always had to isolate on return from France? So they knew they were going away and therefore unable to fulfil their contract on their return?

Maybe they booked last min to go to France after they found out they didn’t have to isolate.
Anyway it’s 5 days. What business can’t manage without 2 people for 5 days. Unless you’re running a really shonky business

OK thanks. Other than knowing France is on the terracotta list I've not been keeping up with the detail as have no plans to go. You're right, that could be the case.

@Taliskerskye well for example bank branches- particularly small ones - are run on skeleton staff these days.
Many businesses have a policy of not letting people take holiday at the same time, should all businesses have extra staff just in case ?

The other member of staff could avoid this situation by ending their holiday early . Not ideal, but seems like the most obvious solution.

Many businesses have a policy of not letting people take holiday at the same time, should all businesses have extra staff just in case ?

It's a cost of doing business, there are numerous solutions, and of course they had to have the solutions ready for if two individuals were off sick at the same time, it's not as if this is even purely linked to covid, it's completely normal and likely that two staff are off sick at the same time, or one member is off when the other is sick.

It is not the responsibility of the other member of staff to end their holiday early to subsidise this business. They make the profit, they take the risk.

@Taliskerskye

Maybe OP and her colleagues are surgeons or lawyers and not having cover means operations will be cancelled or deals postponed?

Despite the very large number of professionals who regularly contribute to MN these threads always assume that the OP is a low skilled worker who can be covered by some random temp.

@Watermelon221

Anyone planning to travel abroad needs to have the conversation with their manager about what will happen if there is suddenly a need to quarantine afterwards and needs to then factor this into whether they can travel or not - eg if they can afford to take unpaid leave or if they will be allowed to work from home or if their manager will even allow this.

Anyone not doing this is massively selfish in my opinion.

No way would anyone going abroad on holiday at the moment want to open this massive can of worms with their manager.

They'd just head off and worry about any potential shit-storm when they get back, including the fact that other staff have had to cover their role.

Employer sounds a bit shit if they can't cope with this.

Not colleagues fault - they might not have the funds available to just book another flight/train/whatever home, and anyway, they are entitled to their leave and might be able to work from home for all we know.

Not OP fault either - glad your union sorted that out for you OP, but from what I can gather, your issue now is that your manager is bullying you because you refused to allow yourself to be bullied into cancelling your holiday?

In which case yes, get union rep back on it or raise a grievance.

[quote PegasusReturns]@Taliskerskye

Maybe OP and her colleagues are surgeons or lawyers and not having cover means operations will be cancelled or deals postponed?

Despite the very large number of professionals who regularly contribute to MN these threads always assume that the OP is a low skilled worker who can be covered by some random temp.[/quote]
I very much doubt that this colleague is a surgeon, no way would they be that clueless as to head off abroad and risk picking up COVID at the airport or travelling to the hotel the other side, or while they're away.

@daisychain01. I think that’s a bit naive. Plenty of HCPs are travelling overseas at the moment.

But sure it’s probably true that the OP isn’t a surgeon. My point is it’s entirely possible that the OPs colleague has a professional job.