Job Share response to hol request

[Stargazer75]

I'm fairly new to my jobshare with another lady (I've been there 1 year). She's older, single and no DC.
She loves her cruises and goes on around 3 a year, I cover the days she is absent.

As yet, she hasn't booked any days off this year, but as I have a husband, grandchild, elderly Mum etc, occasionally I book things in advance as have a busy life outside of work.

The other day I asked my jobshare if she could please cover 2 days for me in September as I would like to book annual leave.

She went all red in the face and said 'I just don't know if I'll be available, I don't know when I'm going on my cruises yet'. I could tell she was very annoyed at me asking! She asked if I needed to actually book something such as travel or accommodation etc? I don't personally think its any of her business what I plan to do on annual leave and I think 7 months notice is pretty decent. In the end, in a huff, she just said 'well, you may as well go ahead and book then and I'll let you know closer to'.

My DH needs to book his annual leave to coincide - and we were hoping to visit friends in London who would also book annual leave, but obviously if she changes her mind closer to it will mess everything up 😬

I guess she's pretty much saying 'I'll cover if I don't book a cruise' in effect saying her holiday plans trump mine (unless I'm getting it wrong)

I put my holiday form in to HR, but how would you address this going forward?

I'm not just going to sit back each year, wait for her to book the days she wants, then have the crumbs that are left.

Anyone else jobshare and how do you navigate?

Id view it as a first come first served. id book my leave and that effectively means she cant book that time off. If she then gets pissy because she wants to go on a cruise THAT WEEK - its up to HR to tell her that holidays are already in the system. Its not my responsibility to wait for her to confirm her holidays before i book mine. Its my responsibility to make sure my holidays are in system and they dont clash with any holidays already in system.

OP do you know if your employers factor your regular overtime into your holiday pay amount?

Legally, they so have to factor this in so make sure they have done this and you're not being short changed!

I didn't job share but worked in departments where each job did have to be covered by others when someone was out. Vacations were booked on a first come first served basis.

Your job-share has no right to interfere with your plans just because she May want the same time off.

Isn't there a company system where it shows booked holidays? I would reply with yes, several people are booking the same leave and you do need to do it, fact not a favour. Give and take, say you will do the same for her when she books her next cruise. X

Where l work it's always first come first serve, so put your holiday request to HR if you know the dates you want and she will have to work round your dates

Put your AL request in before her. It will get approved, she will have to book her cruise for a different date? I dont know why this is even an issue? Its not your problem. Management will have to either decline her request or get other cover if youre both off

First come, first served. You have submitted your very small leave request and it will be assumed she will cover it.

I used to jobshare.

There was never an issue if both of us wanted leave at the same time. Most of the time we made sure we didn't take leave together but sometimes it was unavoidable and our employer's attitude was "if the job was done by one person, that person would be out of the office for the week and everyone would have to manage without them, so what's the difference?"

Which was admirable. And true.

Have a look at the Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000. You should not be expected to cover your job-sharer’s days. And don’t let your employer tell you it’s different because you are job-share. When all’s said and done you are part-time. As others have said, if there were just one full-time person in that role your employer would expect to be without anyone in the job during holiday periods. So this would avoid the issue you are facing with your entitled job-sharer.

Book the annual leave ffs, it's 2 days! If they can't cover you that's their problem not yours. Your life isn't on hold until your delightful colleague decides which dates she wants to go on her third cruise of the year. First come, first served, as it should be - nobody's plans trumps the other's - just book it.

What is your problem? Why are you being so snippy and commenting on things that aren't the actual issue in the op? I think it is relevant that she doesn't have kids etc as it means she doesn't have to go during school holidays and things, so has plenty of freedom to book her cruises whenever. Pipe down.

Ignoring your colleague for a moment this is not a job share. A job share you work your set days and have pro-rata’d leave in line with your hours.

if you are covering your colleagues days off, you’re not actually getting your entitled leave days as you’re getting your own then giving them back to cover her. Even if you get paid you should be accessing more PTO.

I would be revisiting your entire arrangement on this.

A lot of fired up negative comments. I took from this OP wants to make holiday plans and job share wants her to hang off till she decides if it suits her. That’s not how things work, whether you are first in or not. OP is not dismissing job shares right to choose holidays, she’s objecting to her not wanting to commit to when meaning she can’t plan anything either. Personally I’d be saying to job share I’m going to put my requests in as I need to get stuff booked. Last chance to let know if you’ve planned anything for those weeks. If she hadn’t then she will need to organise holidays around what’s left. That’s fair and not unreasonable

I think some people are maybe getting annoyed as they think the main point in this post is those with children should take priority. I don’t think that’s what OP is saying here. I’ve worked with those who demand Xmas and school holidays off every year and think it’s their right. They are irritating and selfish but I don’t think that’s what sp is saying

I don't understand this. If a full time person is on holiday it's not covered. It doesn't matter when I'm off I never tell my job sharer and she doesn't need to cover for me.
please someone explain this thanks

Book your leave with your line manager/HR and ask for it to be approved in writing. You have asked first this time and if need be explain after approval that you cannot move the dates now as you have a commitment. If your co worker trys to pressure you in changing the dates etc report that to HR.

When I take annual leave, another person on the team picks up urgent requests but to be honest the rest of it just sits there until I get back. They don’t get someone else in to cover my leave!

No way can your employer expect this of you. How could you do it anyway, I thought you had young kids. Surely on your non work days you have the kids.
You've confused what acas means somewhere because if you were ft you couldn't cover yourself.

Your employer has done a number on you all. I'm FT, when I'm on leave my colleagues at the same level can pick up any emergency stuff, but they don't cover my job because they have their own jobs. If the role wasn't a job share your employer wouldn't have this 'benefit'

It’s is absolutely NOT your responsibility to barter with colleagues for holidays, you submit a request as normal and your line manager has that discussion with her, and as you asked first there isn’t really a leg to stand on.

you should never have got into a situation where you are asking a job share (we all do it with colleagues, especially in rota based jobs where it’s good to have a favour) but it’s completely irrelevant, put your time in and don’t feel guilty

I’m confused, your original post implies there are just 2 of you but much later on you mention a 3rd person as part of the job share, why can’t she cover you?

Yes: that’s exactly how leave works. You apply, they look if it can be covered, they agree it. They dont then wait to see if someone wants the same date

I manage a job share in my team (2 people split the week). If it was one person then they’d be off for a week with no cover but as there’s 2, I do ask that they avoid the same week so there’s always some cover even if it’s not the whole week. They never been asked to do extra as they’re part time due to childcare so unlikely to magic up extra 5 weeks of the year and when the other person is sick.

I wouldn’t even ask, I’d merely make the request with HR/Line Manager or whomever approves, then once approved I’d email the other 2 letting them know and then it’s up to them who takes your shifts. Not your problem 🤷🏼‍♀️

I think her reaction was completely out of order and you’ve done absolutely nothing wrong. If this reaction becomes a regular response mention it to manager or HR as nobody should dictate when you can take your leave. If she’s not organising her holiday yet no problem BUT that shouldn’t impact you and your life.

She would hate me as I’m always requesting holidays well over a year advance as I’ve got to book around school holidays 😂😂

Some of you have a real chip on your shoulder about this person being single with no children! I was once that way myself and yes it was very easy to take holidays whenever I wanted, as I didn't have to plan around anyone else.