Always on annual leave

[Abitboring]

I have a relatively new hire (but not direct report) who has been in the job since January. She took annual leave in February, April, May and June. Always about a week and always a 'holiday', so not family stuff etc. It made her training slow and difficult as there was only one full month she worked in her first five months of employment. There's been a bit of 'sorry, just got back from annual leave' as an excuse for one thing or another. It also made me wonder whether she's going to do this every year now and will effectively work part time a few months in a row.

I wouldn't mind as much if she was fully competent in her role, but she isn't. I find her a slow worker and I need to remind her about a lot of things, which I feel I shouldn't have to do if she just kept a list or something to remind herself what needs done when and how.

AIBU to be annoyed?

Wild suggestion….if you want to be told, why not be the adult and ask her to provide you her leave dates?

you’re being unreasonable, it’s her leave, she’s legally entitled to it so suck it up.

This is why law exists, so people like you can’t clamp down on someone having a holiday because you find it irritating.

On the bright side, it sounds as if she has been reasonably helpful in that she hasn't booked any of this leave during the school holidays, when presumably lots of other people will want it?

AL is a health and safety matter, not a matter of "playing the system". It's enshrined in law so that we don't get ill from exhaustion.

It's the new starter's line manager who should ensure that training goes smoothly. New starter can't know what she's not yet been taught, including how the training works. Your issue is with the line manager and possibly the leave request process, not with new starter.

This would be easily solved by asking her to make sure her leave is in everyone's diaries as soon as it's booked.

If her leave is an issue as PP said you should raise it not just bitch about it being her back.

Her using it as an excuse to be shit isn't ok. And sounds like she needs support on her organization.

I think you are burnt out and you desperately want this person to be able to get up to speed and take some of the pressure off you. Time off sounds well needed/earned. Please push back on your workloads - work burn out is awful.

I worked at a place that trained everyone (everyone!) in management, incl entry level juniors (equal opportunities etc) but their approach has stuck with me for 14/15 years for being so different (and albeit slightly uncomfortable). But, in this position, they would encourage a “what could YOU have done approach” - based on the fact we are often set in our ways, so you can’t change someone else but you can change your approach. You are measuring their success against what looks good to you, but what drives them?

For example, you say about recurring tasks - if they aren’t good at making lists, how about an excel how to with tickbox steps? Something that if you get more headcount you can resuse. Or, do they need a reminder? Eg on slack you can set reminders, or on their own calendar. Or do they prefer pen & paper? So get a calendar and pop down each Monday the tasks that need doing without fail. Yes work upfront for you, but it’ll save you time when you have to check their work.

As for notifying about AL, you could propose a calendar like others have suggested (on the wall or digital). And set in progress a process that a handover must be completed 2 days prior to AL. How far in advance are you booking your training? It’s sounds quite informal so putting all the sessions in ahead of time would be beneficial for both of you. And, maybe ask them how AL would work best for them eg calendar reminders etc and find a happy medium.

I appreciate it’s tough and feels like more work, but honestly, set them up for success will reduce your workload (and likely stress) - and also show management skills to superiors. Approaching it with a how can we solve this rather than heres 25 issues will be good for both yourself and your colleagues - and they might just recommend sometime saving tips for processes you’ve had in place forever because you think it’s the best/fastest way.

And I have to remind myself of this often, but remember, you never know what someone is going through outside of work/in life, and sometimes there is nothing at all they just want time off - and that’s fine too. Maybe us workaholics could learn a thing or two from them!

Where I work, the leave system generates a calendar that you can add to your Outlook and you can set it up to make an Outlook calendar for the leave of anyone in the department. Useful when you work with another person a lot.

If shes not your direct report and you dont even know how much leave she has YABU as its her line manager who authorises holiday, take your issues up with them

Not read the whole thread so sorry if I'm missing anything but I've worked with both these people - the new hire who seems absolutely determined to not to get up to speed (and, yes, in my case, took a load of annual leave at the worst possible times as well) and the boss who just lets them get away with it. And, several years removed, what I will tell you is that - even though this seems like a coworker problem - you're getting frustrated with the wrong person.

I wish I had better advice for you on how to solve this because, honestly, I solved my problem with these problem by quitting (they weren't the only reason why I quit but it was very much a 'last straw' thing).

I haven't read the whole thread, so apologies if I'm repeating things that have already been said. I think a lot of the comments on here directed at you, OP, are a bit harsh. I personally don't think you are being unreasonable.
I presume that you and she both do the same or a very similar role? And that she was taken on to share your workload, hence why you are having to train her, even though you aren't her manager? It must be incredibly frustrating to try and train someone who is frequently taking time off, especially when she is making such slow progress and you are having to take up the slack.
I do, however, think that this is something that you need to take up with her manager and explain the negative impact that this is having on you/the rest of the team.
I agree that it is common courtesy to notify other team members if you have requested time off, especially if it is a small team and cover has to be organised. This is certainly how we do things where I work, and I think you need to stress to her that she should do this.
With regards to her poor performance, as she has been there less than 6 months does she not have regular probation meetings to discuss these issues? If so, are you invited to these meetings, or asked to give feedback? If not, I really think you need to put all of your concerns in writing to her manager.

This is a manager issue. They are letting her take leave she’s not accrued yet. If she’s getting away with it that’s on management and not her

The problem is her line manager failing to holiday plan effectively, not her taking the leave.

You’re irritated with the wrong person.

OP I dont have any good advice I am afraid but I fully understand where you are coming from. I think many posters are probably exposed to a very different work environment (or are difficult on purpose). Yes the main responsibility is with your manager but I think it is common courtesy to run holiday days past the person covering for you and hand over to them if needed, when you work in a team. Who does she think is doing her work while she is off? But it feels like this is separate to the mistakes she keeps making which sounds basic and like things she should have picked up by now even if on holiday a lot. There have been some good suggestions on the thread and I don't have anything bette to add unfortunately, but just wanted to say that I get it and I would feel the same.

So she isn’t a direct report, you’ve not got planned in training when she’s booked the time off, yet you’re annoyed she doesn’t tell you about her holidays?
Is she a peer in your team? I’m confused at the dynamic, as in, why does her holiday effect you? Do you share workloads or something? Presumably you tell her when you’re off?
why don’t you just ask her to let you know when she’s got a week booked off.

As for yuur comment about her being part time for half the year, that just strange. She presumably only gets the same annual leave as you? So your AL has just as much impact as hers?
You don’t like the woman it seems, so much so you’ve posted on here. YABU

Holiday is there for the taking and I imagine that you have the same allocation. If she’s used most of hers in the first part of the year, she won’t have any more to take so the issue should resolve.

In teams whenever someone is on holiday it’ll have an impact on resource. Hopefully management will ensure more than one or two people have the knowledge needed when someone is away on leave or unwell. I understand your frustration, however if someone was directing this towards you when you had annual leave would you feel it was fair? Try to be supportive and positive to the new hire. We’ve all been the new hire once.

Why does OP sound so much like the ‘not-boss’ I had in my last job? 😂

Seriously, odd reporting structures like this are quite common in the public sector (creative accounting in the staffing budget mostly) and cause all sorts of politics. OP is not this woman’s manager and should (a) stick to her own job, which is delivering the training and (b) start working as a team in this to support both the woman and her manager. It sounds like this woman’s job might be quite a difficult role to carry out effectively.

Is this private or public sector? It seems sn awful lot of leave unless it is wrapped around public holidays, which is quite possible. How they’ve fallen this year means only a few days PTO are required for a week to be taken.

If not, who is signing off the leave requests? It’s unlikely the staff member has accrued that amount of annual leave so if, for example, they don’t pass their probation they will be liable to pay it back.

TBH, I’d leave it to their manager. If you’re legitimately not happy with their work, raise it through the correct channels at work.

There’s a lot going on here. If you’re responsible for her training but she’s not your direct report, then her line manager is at fault for not monitoring her competency. Why is her manager not involved? Alternatively the set-up is at fault for having the wrong line of direct report in place.
why haven’t you spoken to her manager and set-out your concerns? You can do this assertively but politely and explain how it affects the business. You can also request advance info about her availability to allow you to effectively plan training.
you’re not being unreasonable but you’re also not being very pro-active as the trainer.

Is she in this week OP or off on jollies again? Whilst you slog away

I am dying to know what this job is… even vaguely!

Why is her manager not involved?

Because he:

• wants to shag her or
• is shagging her

Either that or she's related to the boss.

Going by personal experience here. 😉

You shouldn't be having to remind her about lots of things, she should be on top of her work. If she's not then that's a performance issue. It's not really about the annual leave specifically but that's probably having an impact because as you say she has missed a lot in her first few months. Speak to her line manager if you're having issues, they need to address her performance.

The colleagues must have left it very late to book if she got in before them despite being new. They must be aware of the system, so that's a risk they chose to take.

How does it sound like it's a hard job to carry out effectively? 😂 we don't know what the job is! She's not being organised or keeping on top of her work but the sounds of things, needing constant reminders is poor.

But you've admitted that you have the means to check exactly when you are required to cover for holiday but you don't bother to check. I'm not sure that you're as organised as you think you are.