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?

Does your company not require an employee keeps their calendar up to date ?

Your's must be a very laid back organisation, because, in my experience, you don't get to take annual leave during your first 6 months of work, except in special circumstances. I'd have a quiet word with her Manager that her frequent holidays are making her training difficult.

I just tell my boss. What happens about cover is my boss's issue not mine. That's why my boss gets paid more than me.
As to when to take annual leave, thats a company thing, different in each company I've worked at, but if shes not breaking those rules, then what can you do?

If she doesn't do the work properly then I will have to do it. I deliver to the client and it would reflect badly on me if we provide a subpar service.

Just worry about doing your own job and don't concern yourself with your colleague's holidays!

She's following the correct process to book annual leave, it's between her and her manager.

What is it with “annual leave” and constant time off. If I ever need my daughter’s CAMHs key worker, she’s as likely to be on “annual leave” as at work. Don’t people just have a set amount of holiday a year?

Total non issue, you will be off on annual leave the same amount of time as she is over the course of the year.
Unless you’re a martyr who lets annual leave go unused.

So this informal set up with you being responsible for her work but not able to address her work failures as you aren't the manager, isn't working.

So you need to raise it with your manager.

And keep an audit trail eg email in her manager with person is doing x, y and z so that if it doesn't happen then you are not held responsible

Sounds like a crap place for the new joiner to work and for OP to work. No processes for anything and no clear training policy and those already there feeling aggrieved with new-joiners who do t know what to do.

Shambles by the sound of it.

OP…what you are describing and think is the norm, is not the norm.

I know it's bloody awful isn't it. People taking days off work to do whatever the hell they want! Who thought of doing that? It's a disgrace!!! People should be chained to their desks.

It is completely not acceptable to tell a colleague that they need to cover for you. Very unprofessional.

So would you prefer she didn't use any of annual leave that she is entitled to? Do you just decline to use yours?

I'm intrigued to know what the job is tbh.

Your company processes need to be revised. You have complex jobs that need someone to back up when the process owner is away. That means you need process manuals.
This will help with an onboarding process, which also needs a manual if the roles are complex. There needs to be a training schedule with plenty of scope for repeating the processes and giving 360 feedback between trainer and trainee at every stage.

And you need a general company process for allocating leave etc, including when and who to inform that you will be absent.
At mine we have to plan at least 10 days for the first 6 months, this is done early january. And by the end of june we have to plan the remaining 20 days. Within our teams we have to make sure that the work can be covered by someone else, and what can be left until process owner returns.
When you make the request, you check with the one(s) who can cover your role, and they have to click "OK" before it goes on to to the manager who gives final approval. They won't give it if the backup person hasn't okayed it.

It is then on our online system, visible to all. But the project managers also use a planner for their teams, and holiday is reflected on that - so we can't allocate tasks if a person isn't there.

Finally we have a buddy system - when we have a new starter, they get a buddy who passes on the "soft knowledge" - how the coffee machine works, what it is acceptable to eat at your desk, that we use headsets for calls, and most of the time the spontaneous calls are taken in one of the many meeting rooms. That the bins by the desks are only for paper, how to use the desk booking system etc etc. Including who to tell when you plan AL

In fairness to @Abitboring having now explained that what she's doing is on the job training, that's a different remit to general induction training, showing a new employee the ropes, general information about ways of working. Doesn't sound like that's anything @Abitboring needs to be involved in, just the on the job training.

if I were you @Abitboring I would schedule a series of 90 min - 2 hour blocks of time lasting from now until end Sept into your calendars. That's 8 weeks in total, say 3 times a week, giving the colleague a total of 48 hours exposure time. You won't use all that time, I'm guessing that you may only need half that, but it's in both of your calendars now, and if she decides she wants leave around the Aug BH, fine you can release some of that time, without stressing about it because you know you've deliberately over estimated the exposure time as a contingency.

Any time she's officially in work, she needs to attend those sessions.

if you include her manager as an optional attendee, then that also gives a clear message that there is more than your eyes on this situation. If she cancels any slots, don't remove them from your calendar, just make a note that it was cancelled and the reason (AL, sickness, needs to attend another meeting).

there are ways of managing staff that get them onside and influence them to do what you need even when they don't directly report to you - it's called matrix (or dotted line) management. Maybe worth looking up some techniques online.

She's not paying the system. She's taking her holidays that she's entitled to.

She will run out of annual leave soon and then watch her take sick leave. I hate people like this.

I'm another one who thinks that your organisation needs some proper processes.

If someone is needed to cover if someone is away then there needs to be an actual process for managing that

@JogOn123 I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I remember a shit experience I had as a young worker too. You are right, it never left me. And now I feel just as clueless training this new lady.

I actually wish she'd ask any questions or be a bit more proactive.

Why not have her do up a detailed list (process document) of exactly how each individual is done?

Unless the job is super complex and changes daily a "user manual" to produce task X can be produced.

This has a long term benefit for you. You get a document, you can hand the step by step guide to anyone in your team who can follow basic instructions and be trusted to ask questions about anything they don't understand when its not in the instructions. The task gets done even if very slowly and you do your own work.
if need be you check and sign off.

You have a nice training manual too.
She can't blame you for any lack of training because she gave you the detailed list of the training you provided.

Yes, I see this after the experience with the new person. I thought about putting together a new manual (many months into their job) but I worry it will sting for them and they will feel I do it because I'm not happy with their performance.

I guess I have been in the fog for too long and accepted the lack of involvement by my boss as normal.

@daisychain01 what's exposure time?

OP to be honest, i think the pair of you could make a manual pretty quickly while you are training - get her to make notes, then both of you can slap them into shape as a manual, onboarding process. It will help you both in case you need cover and it will be good for the company.

Then you can roll it out to everyone, and it will make your working lives a whole lot better.

When she applied for the role they would have asked her if she had any holidays booked and when so whoever is responsible for signing them off is at fault here. I can understand your frustration though.