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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Employer asking me to cancel overseas holiday

179 replies

chedderandport · 09/04/2022 08:44

Hello

Booked and.paid for a 2 week break in the sun , leaving in a week

Due to other members of the team being off sick been asked to cancel my.holiday

Has anyone else had this ever?

OP posts:
Fernsinthegarden · 09/04/2022 09:08

Without making assumptions on what you do, wouldn’t it be easier for your employer to have an agency cover rather than go through compensation and the ill will that would come with it?
I absolutely would not cancel though!!

DifficultBloodyWoman · 09/04/2022 09:09
  1. They are absolutely allowed to ask.
  2. You can absolutely say no ……If they have not given you notice equivalent to twice the amount of holiday you are taking (eg, two days notice for one day off or four weeks notice for two weeks off).
  3. If they have given appropriate notice, ensure they compensate you for absolutely every cost incurred and will pay for any additional costs if you take holiday at a different (peak) time.
KatherineofGaunt · 09/04/2022 09:13

Do NOT cancel. Go and have a lovely time. The business should be able to cope with a staff member off sick. It's not your responsibility to cover in this instance.

Enjoy your holiday!

LutherRalph1 · 09/04/2022 09:13

Also who is to say your colleagues won't have recovered in 7 days?

Quartz2208 · 09/04/2022 09:15

Have they asked you to cancel your holiday or have they asked if you could cancel you leave and come in.

I suspect it is probably the latter - I have cancelled leave before (during lockdown when one of mine had to self isolate due to class closure). It was easy enough to do no money lost and I got lots done.

So I would firstly say that you have booked an overseas holiday and that you simply cannot cancel with a weeks notice and that you will be going ahead with your leave

Then if they push back follow points 2 and 3 of Difficultwomens post

PUGMEISTER21 · 09/04/2022 09:17

What compensation are they offering in return.

Original poster
chedderandport · 09/04/2022 09:18

Thanks all

That is reassuring about the notice

Work is very short staffed and I now feel guilty at having a holiday booked but I don't want to ruin other people's holiday by not going

Will stick to.my.guns and won't be guilt tripped

OP posts:
oakleaffy · 09/04/2022 09:18

Enjoy your holiday, OP

oakleaffy · 09/04/2022 09:20

@chedderandport

Thanks all

That is reassuring about the notice

Work is very short staffed and I now feel guilty at having a holiday booked but I don't want to ruin other people's holiday by not going

Will stick to.my.guns and won't be guilt tripped

Well done, OP. A week’s notice is nuts.
BeforeGodAndAllTheFish · 09/04/2022 09:22

They've got plenty time to sign up to temp agency and get some temps in. Dont worry about it. Go on your holiday.

VTechnophobe · 09/04/2022 09:25

Just to clear up a mistake in guidance offered. Employers only need to give you the same notice as your holiday duration plus one day not double - that only applies to the employee.
However, if you leave in a week for 2 weeks and they have only just asked then it isn't enough.
What does your contract say?

From gov.uk:
"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.

If the contract says something different about the notice a worker or employer should give, what’s in the contract will apply."

HestersSamplerofCarrots · 09/04/2022 09:26

@BeforeGodAndAllTheFish

They've got plenty time to sign up to temp agency and get some temps in. Dont worry about it. Go on your holiday.
Depending on the industry and the company, a week certainly isn’t enough time for that.

But it also wouldn’t be OPs problem.

shssandhr · 09/04/2022 09:26

Work is very short staffed and I now feel guilty at having a holiday booked but I don't want to ruin other people's holiday by not going

Other people's holiday is not your problem.
Work being short staffed is not your problem.
You are legally entitled to holiday.
Other people won't be grateful that you have cancelled your holiday for them. They will either not even notice or not give a shit or think you are a mug.
They would not do the same for you.

Do not cancel the holiday. Work has not given you enough notice.
If you cancel this time you'll be the one they think they can pressure into doing other things in the future.

Brideandprejudice · 09/04/2022 09:29

It's not your problem they're understaffed. Have a great holiday.

OnlyTheTitosaurusOfTheIceberg · 09/04/2022 09:29

I manage a team and I don’t always remember who has made what plans for their leave. So in the event I’ve had to ask if anyone can cancel their leave, it’s been just that, not “can anyone cancel their booked holiday abroad”. I wouldn’t expect anyone to do that or think badly of anyone who said “no” for whatever reason. Sometimes shit happens to resource plans, especially when cost cutting exercises that the on-the-ground managers have no control over have left the team depleted and stretched to start with, so you have to try every option open to you to fill the gaps. And very occasionally someone says “oh, I’m just at home next week, I can cancel so long as I can take X week instead” and I practically weep with joy and make sure the week they’re now taking in the future is protected so they don’t end up in the same position again.

TL;DR: not unreasonable for boss to ask; not unreasonable to say no.

balalake · 09/04/2022 09:31

Right decision OP, have a lovely holiday.

ZibbleDibble · 09/04/2022 09:32

Don’t be guilt tripped, it’s not your fault there’s sickness in the team. They wouldn’t guilt trip them in to coming in to work when they’re unwell, so don’t allow them to do it to you.

Stay strong, stand your ground and enjoy your holiday!

Penguinevere · 09/04/2022 09:32

Say no. Not enough notice.

If you do it. Nobody will care, remember or pay you back in any way for cancelling your holiday. Nobody will think they “owe you one”.

SmugOldBag · 09/04/2022 09:33

Dear god no. I've been 'asked' before and said a firm no on the basis that it's not just my holiday and it would hugely effect other people (no kids but my DH and a good few other friends). This is not your problem.

A colleague was 'told' to cancel an extraordinarily expensive holiday to Goa once with his DH bit they not only paid for the canx fees for it but told him to book again for another time but for a week longer and they would pay the lot and about him business class. He happily agreed!

SmugOldBag · 09/04/2022 09:33

@Penguinevere

Say no. Not enough notice.

If you do it. Nobody will care, remember or pay you back in any way for cancelling your holiday. Nobody will think they “owe you one”.

Absolutely this.
Sundancerintherain · 09/04/2022 09:34

Is it work asking , as in HR or work as in a manager?
I had this years ago, I approached HR who were very unhappy with the manager as she had not followed any legislation and had massively overstepped her authority.

notapizzaeater · 09/04/2022 09:35

You shouldn't have to justify why you aren't. It's not your problem if they are short staffed. They need plan B which isn't you

Nennypops · 09/04/2022 09:39

If they are short staffed, that is a problem they should have sorted out a long time ago. It's not reasonable to cover their failure to organise properly by expecting staff to forego holidays.

Patchbatch · 09/04/2022 09:40

I agree with others, say no. There are some caveats where they can enforce it but this will be in contracts where certain things are legally allowed to be disregarded such as armed forces and emergency services; but needs to be a robust reason and evidence all other avenues have been exhausted. They are trying their luck, don't feel guilty, it's not your problem that other people are off sick.

ExplodingElephants · 09/04/2022 09:41

If they insist, just go sick those two weeks. That’ll serve them right and they’ll have to prove it too. Just don’t post anything on social media and no tan 😆
But that’s an absolute last resort as I agree with other posters. They haven’t given enough notice and will need to consider agency staff.