First family holiday booked with my partner and our new baby ( 6 months old ) booked for next week. Due to fly out on Saturday.
I've been really, really looking forward to it, as our last holiday, ( 2021), was cancelled at very short notice due to very close family funeral, ( very sudden and unexpected illness, deterioration and death) . Prior to that , our holiday before that was cancelled as we both got positive covid PCR tests a few days before hand, ( back when mandatory 10 day isolation was a legal requirement).
Anyway I organized babies first passport, booking etc. When I booked everything 8 weeks ago, I asked my partner if he had booked the week off as annual leave.
He said yes, then transferred me his 50%.
However it has transpired yesterday he has a different idea to the rest of the planet about what booking annual leave means.
He said to his manager that we were going to go on holiday around Easter, his manager said, "that',s nice, let me know when you have the dates sorted so we can book it off," ( he works in security so direct cover needs to be arranged).
Anyway my partner then had the following text exchange yesterday with his manager, ( he showed me the texts when he got back from work).
Partner: Hi Steve just letting you know me and "Easter bunny," are going to Malta next week.
Manager: T* you need to ask before booking a holiday and policy is you have to give at least two weeks notice. I'm not sure I can arrange a weeks cover at two weeks notice. ( and in my experience two weeks notice is a lot more reasonable than a lot of companies,).
Partner: But I told you we were looking at going on holiday around Easter.
Manager : But you never came back and actually booked exact dates , so I assumed you hadn't booked it .
Anyway manager has spoken to partner on the phone this morning, said as there has clearly been a misunderstanding he will try his best to arrange cover but cannot guarantee anything. We are waiting to hear back. Partner asked if the company would refund the holiday costs (!) Unsurprisingly manager has said no, but will do best to arrange cover.
I don't feel comfortable taking baby by myself, and I doubt many friends will be able to take a weeks holiday with two days notice either.
My partner has gone to work and said it's unfair me and his manager are annoyed at him. I'm waiting to hear any news.
My partner says he didn't fully understand how annual leave works , as he's not from the UK , ( he's an EU migrant and has lived and worked in the U.K for five years as a P.A.Y.E employee, and taken several holidays, including ones with me....)
I'm just very annoyed, partner thinks it's an easy mistake to make and me and his manager shouldn't be so annoyed with him.