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?

My workplace has basically said that summer annual leave is prioritised for parents. Quite a few people have been asked to cancel theirs to give effect to that and union has been involved. It sucks for everyone’s morale.

I think this is a management problem and they need to leave you alone.

@pinkcircustop

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.

If everyone were sensible, no one would go abroad on holiday. This would free up space for people to see family. It would put a stop to a lot of this mess and France would be a lot more receptive to us going over even without the recognised vaccine. This is rubber stamping / political and a way of keeping a lot of brits out. So yes, I’m pissed off at people going to France and creating the need for restrictions in both directions.

I don’t presume she’s low skilled
And yes I presume there are eventualities in place for everything and everyone.
Including lawyers and surgeons
Probably even more for them

The people who won’t have anything in place will most likely be crap companies with no forward planning.

@Mummyoflittledragon
As hard as it is for you. You’re making no sense.

@AudacityBaby

My workplace has basically said that summer annual leave is prioritised for parents. Quite a few people have been asked to cancel theirs to give effect to that and union has been involved. It sucks for everyone’s morale.

I think this is a management problem and they need to leave you alone.

What?! That's mad

Sorry I mean that leave is prioritised for parents.

If everyone were sensible, no one would go abroad on holiday. This would free up space for people to see family. It would put a stop to a lot of this mess and France would be a lot more receptive to us going over even without the recognised vaccine. This is rubber stamping / political and a way of keeping a lot of brits out. So yes, I’m pissed off at people going to France and creating the need for restrictions in both directions.

@Mummyoflittledragon None of that makes any sense at all. I get you’re mad and upset and your situation sucks, but this isn’t holidaymakers fault and they’re not what’s stopping you going.

There isn’t a certain number of spaces that need to be freed up. Anyone can go to France. Other people going isn’t in any way shape or form affecting you at all.

@pinkcircustop

Why should OP have holiday cancelled?

@skodadoda Annual leave is granted on the basis of business needs. If the business needs her to be there, regardless of the reason, then as long as the correct notice is provided, the leave must be cancelled.

Actually I see that we’ve strayed somewhat from OP’s AIBU. The holiday has been sorted, it’s the bullying she’s complaining about.

@AudacityBaby

My workplace has basically said that summer annual leave is prioritised for parents. Quite a few people have been asked to cancel theirs to give effect to that and union has been involved. It sucks for everyone’s morale.

I think this is a management problem and they need to leave you alone.

So no one without kids can have time off mid-July to September? What if they or their partner is a teacher, or they have family children they want to see, or they just have event to go to or want time off? That is very unfair and I hope the unions manage to change this.

@StealthPolarBear @Overthebow There’s some backstory to this (I created a thread) but essentially yes, that’s the policy - originally the summer was to be prioritised for those without children to give them some time off after to a very generous working hours policy was introduced to assist parents with homeschooling, meaning that everyone else worked overtime. Unfortunately outbreaks are widespread and holiday clubs aren’t running so parents have sought priority for summer leave and it’s been granted. The union is very swayed by the majority of its members being parents so it’s difficult to get it to do anything across the board but it’s helping anyone who’s been asked to cancel leave.

Numbers are high here too but holiday clubs are still running.

It’s a bit mean to originality prioritise leave for non parents in the school holidays though when that is their only chance to go away. I can’t imagine why anyone without school age kids (and who isn’t married to a teacher) would want to go away Iin the 6 week summer hols. It’s busier and much dearer and there are loads of kids everywhere!

Given half the chance I’d prefer to go early July, or June or September.

Not having any issue nor is anyone in my place of work.

Summer comes every year, holidays with pay have been law for about 85 years, people have car crashes on holiday or accidents, then there was the Icelandic volcano incident which stranded people abroad several years ago. If the absence of one person causes issues that is the result of bad planning. Not a reason to ask someone to move their holidays.

Or perhaps poor planning on behalf of the person who chose to go on holiday in the full knowledge that regulations are frequently changing and now refuses to come back in time to do the job they're paid to do.

They interviewed some drunken teens in Ibiza last night - they were a bit annoyed, but making plans to come back before the deadline so they didn't need to isolate and wouldn't miss their work.

Most businesses can limp on without their full compliment of staff, and OP should absolutely not have been threatened to have her leave taken away, but let's remember the cause of this issue.