Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Employer doesn't let me take annual leave for more than 2 days in a row

180 replies

Acidburn · 07/08/2021 09:54

Posting here for traffic.
I work for a very small company, there are 2 other employees and director. We sre crazy busy, the business is doing great. The problem is - my boss (the director) doesn't allow me to take annual leave for more than 2 consecutive days. He is not oppose the idea of me going on annual leave (that would be against the law), but his idea is that I should be taking long weekends, take odd days here and there and this way to cover my annual leave allowance. He doesnt let me take 5 days off because the workload is crazy.
Is what he is doing legal? Technically he allows me to take my days, its just my days are spread... Does anyone know anything about the legal side of this?
Thanks

OP posts:
megletthesecond · 07/08/2021 13:34

Well, he'll be proper short staffed when you leave and he doesn't have an immediate replacement. Hope you find somewhere better.

Original poster
Acidburn · 07/08/2021 13:49

Oh, the boss himself went away for a week in June. And he normally comes to the office 2 / 3 days a week anyway.
I am jog hunting at the moment, but it's taking some time. My industry is a bit shit at the moment due to Covid.

OP posts:
Original poster
Acidburn · 07/08/2021 13:49

Job*

OP posts:
CorianderBee · 07/08/2021 13:59

Tell him you will not be in next week as he did not give sufficient notice of the cancellation.

Fuck him. If he gets the hump remind him of his holiday in June.

carefreecameras · 07/08/2021 14:03

My last job you had 23 days and it was stipulated that a minimum of 5 had to be taken consecutively so that everyone had a 'proper break' of 1 week each year.

My background is internal controls. This policy isn't about your well being, it's about fraud prevention. It's hard to hide fraud if another employee is covering your role and accessing your systems for a week or more. I imagine it was sold to you as for your well being though Grin

GoWalkabout · 07/08/2021 14:24

That is awful OP. I would state in matter of fact terms 'I would like to be able to book a one week family holiday once every year I don't think that is an unreasonable expectation please will you consider the needs of staff so that we can prosper along with the business.' And I would leave regardless. I also don't know how people ever book holidays when their leave can be cancelled at short notice or they have to find their own cover for on call duties. My colleague in nhs mental health couldn't find cover until the last minute for her on call duty for her honeymoon Confused. Managers were completely unhelpful when they could have assisted her.

MumofSpud · 07/08/2021 14:32

I once worked at a language school so during the crazy busy summers A/L was not allowed (May-Sep).
As the years went passed and we started having school age children (so school holidays became an issue) they had to redo this policy.

Funnylittlefloozie · 07/08/2021 14:39

How can the industry be "shit due to COVID," when you're so busy you can't even have a week off?

Original poster
Acidburn · 07/08/2021 14:49

@Funnylittlefloozie its fashion industry. It is shit at the moment, because companies are closing down. I am lucky to work in a company that is doing well due to being tiny as oppose to a massive one where they had to do a lot of cuts. Sounds bizarre, I know.

OP posts:
NiceGerbil · 07/08/2021 16:59

Little chance of fraud in my current role I don't think

And I know my company care about the wellbeing of their staff.

Not need to be so haha you naive fool to that poster.

KentuckyCriedFricken · 07/08/2021 17:05

Vote with your feet. Leave the job and he’ll get the message that if you want to keep good employees you have to give a bit more than the legal minimum. If you have an exit interview, tell him how ridiculous it is to expect someone to have no more than a long weekend off.

whatisforteamum · 07/08/2021 17:27

Weirdly my boss said the opposite to me.
I suffer hugely from anxiety so can only go out with dh.
I work w ends so decided to book one day per month last yr to go out and some whole weeks in the new yr.
This yr he told me not to book all my hols as w ends.i never did.
So now I have 5 weeks with w ends attatched so in effect more week end days off.
I think it is legal to do with the needs of the business.

VictoriousPlum · 07/08/2021 17:31

I had no idea about fraud control either. Odd to assume normal employees would know this! You live and learn.

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 07/08/2021 18:08

@VictoriousPlum

I had no idea about fraud control either. Odd to assume normal employees would know this! You live and learn.
I really don't think most employers consider that anywhere near the top of the list of holiday considerations

Most people don't have jobs where they could be committing fraud

UDontDans2Tekno · 07/08/2021 18:09

@SimonedeBeauvoirscat

I think employers have to give notice for holiday changes which is at least as long as the length of time taken off. So if you’re taking a week then he needs to give you at least a week’s notice of any changes. But check that with ACAS.
I think its double

So if you have a week booked, he has to give 2 weeks notice

UDontDans2Tekno · 07/08/2021 18:12

Glad I put i think!!

Booking time off
The general notice period for taking leave is at least twice as long as the amount of leave a worker wants to take, plus 1 day. For example, a worker would give 3 days’ notice for 1 day’s leave.

An employer can refuse a leave request or cancel leave but they must give as much notice as the amount of leave requested, plus 1 day. For example, an employer would give 11 days’ notice if the worker asked for 10 days’ leave.

www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement-rights/booking-time-off-

JustLoveYourselfALittle · 07/08/2021 18:19

Yes it's legal. Dh old place dictated all holidays each Jan but we had to book our hols from the Oct so made it impossible to go away together unless could get a swap.

Pinkrinse · 08/08/2021 17:37

Fro ACAS website:
If your employer says you cannot take holiday

An employer can refuse or cancel holiday, but they must let you know beforehand by at least the same amount of time as the amount you requested.

Example
You’ve asked your employer for 7 days off. They later realise they’ll be too short-staffed that week so they need you to work. They must tell you they need to cancel your time off at least 7 days before it was due to start.

LittleMissPlant · 08/08/2021 17:41

My brother booked a foreign holiday and his employer told him his leave was cancelled.
He explained he would still be taking the leave as he didn’t want to lose out on money spent, lack of family time etc
Employer fired him.
Brother took legal action through his union and won.

LowlandLucky · 08/08/2021 17:56

Please name and shame them when you leave for a new job. Who on earth would want to buy from a company like that ?

Duetorain · 08/08/2021 17:58

Here is an ACAS link. I know it applies to England, not sure about Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland.

www.acas.org.uk/checking-holiday-entitlement/asking-for-and-taking-holiday

TheGirlWhoWantedToBeGod · 08/08/2021 18:05

That’s sounds awful. And I reckon it’s a way of your employer squeezing more work out of you. I find that if you’re on leave for a couple of days you’re just expected to manage your workload around it eg slightly longer days before and afterwards. But when you take a week or two off there’s no option but for your workload to decrease and/or for others to step in and help out. Sounds like a classic case of boss trying to force employees to overwork.

OneStepOut · 08/08/2021 18:05

I did work in a very similar place, not the same industry but the same structure. After working very, very hard and being loyal for 4 years and not only taking tiny holiday (usually not even using my allowance), but also covering the boss and her daughter with sometimes less than an hour notice, I was then put through hell because I dared to 'disaapear' for 8 days when my father died and I had to sort out numerous legal issues before I could get back home. I left without finding another job first.

ThistleTits · 08/08/2021 18:07

Go sick for as long as you need to find another post. Employer is an grade 1 AHole.

BlueSurfer · 08/08/2021 18:08

Whilst your employer can legally dictate when you take your holidays, I wonder how a trivial would view it from a heath and safety point of view. This is because your employer also has a duty of care for yourself wellbeing, and if they never allow you to have a lengthy amount of time off to properly unwind and relax it could breach that.