Want a holiday but 16 year old can’t get leave

[Irishmama100]

So my 16 year old has a retail job, 8 hour contract and has been refused leave for when we went to go on our summer holiday. Can’t leave them at home on their for 11 nights

1)I am unreasonable - I should just scrap the idea and no one in the family gets a holiday.
2) I am not being unreasonable - I Should just book it anyway and they can quit and get another job

Oh this made me laugh 🤣

Has the teen tried to find someone to swap shifts with? If they can do that and present a solution to the Manager they may allow it.

Otherwise what does the teen want to do? Could they travel out separately to join you for a few days and still make it in for their shift?

Is the timing of the 8 hours defined in their contract? Teen roles like this are where zero hour flexibility can be a good thing! Able to increase hours in holidays and reduce availability for exams, but also just be unavailable for going away.

Onehappymam
For an 8 hour contract? At 16? I’d bin it and get something else. I worked like a slave from the age of 14 and never broke any rules - didn’t phone on sick, turned up if I was refused leave, covered for other people when they didn’t turn up… I got no thanks for it and looking back there are so many special events that I missed. If I had my time again, I’d have left.
This with bells on- the things I missed for teenaged jobs, messed around on a moment’s notice and absolutely no flexibility. Missed holidays, occasions … saying that it comes down to whether he loves and or needs the job (and whether despite my rant they’re actually usually a good employer)

They don’t seem to like swapping shifts!

Surely with any holiday, you confirm you can take time of work, before booking the holiday?

Maybe there are already others off on that day, which would leave them short-staffed?

They don’t want to, they want to come with us, we are near the end of the road with family holidays. They would be really disappointed if they don’t get.

I totally respect this. Hence why I did not just book and let them quit. I am trying to be reasoned. Hence coming on here to ask opinions.I def wouldn’t approach the manager.

Can they stay in the house for a night or two to cover work and then travel independently to the holiday?

Then consider a cheaper holiday elsewhere over the 2 unreasonable options you offered in the OP.

A gap in their cv at 16? Are you serious. Most 16 year olds don't work at all

Does it have to be 11 days? At only eight hours I'm assuming the job is once a week. Book somewhere for a week and the teen flies out a day late or goes home a day early (or you all just stay for six days).

I remember when I was in retail at that age it was sort of accepted that managers would need to accept the leave because it was parents booking the holidays. Would they rather he quit and just not be there at all? How daft to reject 8 hours well ahead of time. Can you go in and speak to the manager?

I haven’t booked

Pack the job in … go on holiday .. pick up something else when you come back. Almost time for Christmas hiring

We also used to swap shifts with each other if needed.

if they won’t agree to that in a ‘computer says no’ way I’d just get your child to call in sick.

Honestly op I will let them quit and find a new job when home, no way would I give up my last chances of a family holiday with my child for an 8 hour shift.

Employer is a bit ridiculous not understanding that 16 year olds will want to go on their family holiday which will be booked at a time that suits parents with their actual jobs and not teenagers working 8 hours/week. Must be easy to replace their young workforce.

There is absolutely no way my family holiday would be scrapped in this situation. Book the holiday and wait until just before your DC needs to give notice to double check they can't swap or get leave after all, then hand in their notice if not.
Could already be looking for the next job before you go away so something is lined up.

Who's the retailer, OP, if you don't mind telling?

I’d book and see what the response is to, sorry there were some crossed wires and my mum/dad has booked us for this period. I’ve got to go because I’m not allowed to stay home alone. See if there would be the actual request for you as parents to cancel your holiday for the 8 hours. Your DC could offer to quit if it helped or take unpaid leave. Less looking like a threat to quit and more a, what’s the best way to make this work?

Bit unfair of the employer. DH only gets two weeks set summer leave so we would never have a holiday if teen could not get the time off work.

What does your child want to do? are jobs easy to come by, could they stay with a relative. I would ring in sick if all else fails, we had to do that with DD once, not fair on everyone to miss out on a holiday just because one person works.

Thanks for all the responses such a range of suggestions and opinions which I really appreciate and I respect all points of view.
My 16 year old always worked from a young age but in family business. Thought it was good to get a job outside that setting. It’s more work for us getting them too and from work, due to rural location that we live in. Now this with a holiday. If they didn’t work in this retail job they would def have a summers work from me. But just worry working in a family business is not as respected as a young person working elsewhere. “My mammy thinks I am great”🙈🤣 I am going to get them to ask one more time and then if it is a no, we will weigh up our options.

What’s the plan over the next few years? Mine are mid 20s now and all of them had holiday jobs only, some literally a couple of shifts on their CVs.
No problem at all applying for, and now in, v good graduate jobs.
Let him resign OP, there may well be very few family holidays ahead, this is more important.

I would book the holiday. No way would I tell a 16yo that they couldn’t go on an 11 day family holiday because of an 8 hour shift.
They can ask everyone at work to cover this shift in exchange for one outside the holiday period, and also look for another job where they can tell them they have a pre booked holiday but can work extra shifts in the summer to cover other peoples leave. Either they will get another job, get someone to cover, or they can quit with the min notice period before the holiday. By the time you come back, retail businesses will be looking to replace their university students leaving home, and will be starting to increase staff for Christmas.

I would say at 16 the difference it will make for their cv will be negligible especially if they can work with you until they find something else but I agree if it's generally a good job I wouldn't quit over it.

I think op the best option all round is that you rethink your holiday ideas and look at something different for different dates so that you can all go together and maybe do the expensive holiday you were planning the following year?

Really what it boils down to is you need to weigh up if that location or being together on the holiday is more important.

I am not going to name as they are a big corporate company.