Holiday entitlement

[Howcanthisbepossible]

AIBU To think this is just not fair?

Basically we cannot have a family holiday this year because my DH has been told that he must take his holidays just two days at a time and cannot have a whole week in one go, let alone two weeks.

Our DC are 8 and 10 and I feel annoyed that the only alternative is for me to take them away by myself. I have no issue doing this, but fgs we are supposed to be a family.

Reason is lack of back up staff and no one who can do his role (hospitality) but is this even legal?

Yes, it's completely legal I'm afraid. As long as you get your holiday allowance, employers can dictate when orset rules around what they will allow. They don't have to accept any specific application.

Shit for you though.

I suspect he has misunderstood and has been told that he accrues it 2 days at a time and therefore has not accrues enough to take a week off yet if it is a new job

I don’t know about the legalities of if they are allowed to do this. If they are could he book a Thursday and Friday as annual leave one week, weekend as days off then Monday and Tuesday as AL the following week? Would give you a 6 day break, not great I know but may be a way around it.

Unfortunately it is legal.but that is crap for you and your dh. I appreciate that hospitality is suffering from a lack of staff but not allowing holidays is likely to lead to staff jumping ship.

Yes it’s legal. Employers can dictate your holiday.

Yes employers can dictate when holidays are taken.

Legal for them to do. Also under covid rules, they can stop you having holiday and make you carry the entire years allowance over to the next year. I got caught by this 2020/21.
It was another reason to change employer.

Although after today’s relaxation of the rules this may have been retracted. (I can’t be arsed to keep up with the changes anymore).

Could you be sneaky and try to book the Thursday and Friday before the august BH, then separately book the Tuesday Wednesday after? That should give a week off but if he books it with two sets of two days it might be allowed?

Well it is legal, but it is not a very employee-friendly policy and I doubt it will last or they will have trouble keeping staff. Not helpful for this year but you could try and create a long weekend as somebody else mentioned.

It's not great but loads of people aren't getting a holiday this year. I assume that if he's in hospitality you have the plus that he's back at work and earning

Wow, that's outrageous. Shouldn't be legal. What is the point of working if you never get any proper time to live. Sorry OP, that sucks.

It's legal but it's really crap! Employers can dictate how and when you take your holidays as long as you get them.

Could you book 2 days holiday + weekend (or days off) to get a 4 day break. Or dh joins you for 4 days and you stay on longer with the dc.

I sympathise because my dp has to request all his holidays 1 year in advance, which makes any impromptu trips or last minute things impossible, wedding invites, concerts & events etc. can't always be predicted a year in advance.

You have my sympathies OP, DP has had this for the past 5 yes he's a chef, long term booked holidays were cancelled the say before because the arse of a head chef decided he needed that week off etc ... He handed in his notice today and has changed sector completely. He's a nervous wreck after 30 yrs cheffing but I am thrilled that we can finally make plans

*the day before

@SeasonFinale

No! It's quite clear, he can take only two days off at a time and no more.

@sleepylittlebunnies

It's hospitality, he works weekends sadly.

@PickleAF

He works all bank holidays and every Saturday and Sunday, hospitality I'm afraid !!

@Rabbitheadlights

Same here! Chef! Someone upthread said well at least he is back in work and earning. Yes he is, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't look forward to a proper family holiday. To those who have said tag it onto a weekend, no can do!!

Wishing your OH lots of luck and less stress in his new career!!

My DH used to work for a company that dictated when employees had their holidays (they were given set dates). In 7 years, we had 3 weeks off together!

Is he contracted to a certain number of hours/ days per week? If he is on a 5 day out of 7 contract, it should be possible to get his two days off next to two days' annual leave. Or could he arrange to swap shifts with someone else?
Sadly though, employers can dictate when annual leave can be taken.

People are crying out for chefs. You think they would treat him better

@Howcanthisbepossible thankyou, the reality of it ishes gone from a skilled proffession (chef) to an unskilled manual job with regular hours, better benefits, more job security and his pay will be much the same if not a little more as he will commute less. It's ridiculous. Chefs in my opinion are woefully underpaid for a skilled, high stress, unsociable job even at the higher end of the pay scale which DP was.

Given how in demand chefs are, could he get a new job and leave a gap before he starts?

Gosh that's rubbish, I'm surprised its legal but MN seems sure. It would never be allowed where I work from a wellbeing perspective. What's happened to employers duty of care to their staff.

I can't believe it is legal to do that! Two days isn't much of a break at all. Can he look for another job soon? Chefs are really in demand.