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

@labamba007 Or businesses have business patterns that demand more staff at some times than others? When I was that age Saturday jobs in retail were common because trade on a Saturday was triple that of any other day of the week. We were only needed Saturday, so we only worked Saturday.

Adults are less likely to want 8 hour, 1 day a week contracts (although some of ours were, working around family life) whereas that's often ideal for young people and students.

Also we don't know how much the OP's DD gets paid in relation to any other staff at any other job, or what her contract is, so that's a moot point.

The employer sounds ridiculous, I think quit and get another job. Life is short, enjoy your holiday as a family x

When I was a teenager I worked at a supermarket on evenings/weekends and then did temporary contracts working over summer and Christmas holidays when I went to university.
My mum planned a surprise family holiday for my birthday once which would be during my summer contract, she went into the store and spoke to my manager! Who agreed to the holiday and keeping the secret because by that point I'd worked there over 5 years and I was a good and reliable employee.
If he hadn't have agreed to it, she would have taken me on the holiday & told me to quit if needed.
Some memories and experiences are far more important than a part time temporary job!

Staff member x you work Tuesday-Saturday, staff member y you work Sunday to Thursday. That helps that. And when I used to work retail over Christmas we employed Christmas staff to cover too - but there were plenty of them who were able to swap shifts about and have flexibility. The shop made more than enough money during that period to fund them. Sometimes we even had too many on shop floor but they could get on with other jobs. An extra staff member at £6.40 per hour would not be such a devastating waste. Whereas relying on a 16 year old for actual appropriate cover in your business is just bonkers.

And yes we can assume that the manger is employing a 16 year old because they want cheaper labour. Why else would you choose a 16 year old? There's nothing wrong with that, but yes they have less experience and shocker, other commitments.

Sorry I'm 16 my parents are forcing me to go on a holiday. I will hate every minute and am so sorry . Let me know if you still want me after the holiday.

Isn't there another week you could all take leave?

100% they should quit the job, especially as they've suggested it.

I would get them to word it to their boss as "I understand you aren't able to approve my leave request. I'm afraid this is a very important family trip for me, so if the leave isn't possible I'll need to give my notice in to be able to go on the trip."

I suspect they might decide the leave is fine after all, but if not then doesn't sound like it will be a big problem for you or DC.

There are more important things in life than a Saturday job.

@Mnetcurious

Ok. The word "contracted" threw me off.

At 16 my contract was 4 hours but I worked 17 hours over the weekend every weekend.

If you say so. But I could leave a massive long list of people to contact if things go wrong, and the one we haven't thought of would happen. Sod's law.

I don't know how old you are but I wasn't left alone by my parents for more than a night or so until I was 19 and had been at university a year.

People are saying it's too difficult for employers to give time off over the school holidays but what about swapping shifts? There might be someone working during the week who'd work the Saturday needed, and then the OP's young person can work a different weekday when they are home.

Or choose a different week and see if a different Saturday works. Or go in October half term. Probably too late to book/get time off for May half term now.

I don’t really understand why this 16 year should get special dispensation to have the leave. If you sign the contract, you abide by the company’s rules and that includes getting holiday leave approved. He can like or lump it!

or as @MsCheeryble stated yesterday, these are the options.

You've got three choices:

1. You go on holiday without the 16 year old.
2. You go on holiday at a different time with the 16 year old and suck up the extra cost.
3. Your child tells their employer that they will be leaving if they can't get leave, and puts their notice in. Then they work with you till they can get one of the many jobs going in retail, hospitality etc.

As OP has said their location means the 16 year old needs driving in, I don't think no 1 is an option. Or at least not one that will result in the 16 year old getting into work.

The 16 year old can always get a taxi or uber. Yes, it costs money, but there are options .

We don't know whether either are options. Neither taxi nor uber service are universal.

Well, it seems that OP is rural so Uber won't exist and taxis are a PITA (have to book well in advance, cash only, have to ring around to find one available at the right time as they are all single operators etc)

Are people honestly suggesting a 16 year old child stays at home without transport in the middle of nowhere while their family is on holiday, so they can do their eight hour weekend shift in a shop, transported by Uber?

Get a grip folks, and drop the supercharged Protestant work ethic. How about we teach our kids that their time is valuable and life is too short for that sort of drudgery!

When 16 year old is lying on their deathbed (of course, hopefully many, many years from now!) they won’t be thinking “damn, wish I’d done that 8 hour shift”.

Work to live, not live to work.

While I agree with your other points there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a 'Protestant work ethic'.

Let them quit. It's a really good to get them used to the idea that no job is more important than your happiness, and certainly not an 8 hour one!

There's ALWAYS another job.

@Irishmama100 I don't understand your comment about worrying that working for you won't be as respected as working away from family. Surely at 16 the primary focus is earning some cash and keeping busy. Respect really doesn't matter at that age!

Get them to quit, enjoy your holiday, and get them to work for you over summer. Life's too short.

It’s not bad parenting at all. Far too many people put up with shit at work. Half these managers don’t even know basic employment laws and will scare people out of their entitlements, cancel holidays last minute and other outrageous shit. I have seen it in my workplace (a mw side job).

I don’t put up with any of it. I like working there but I calmly say sorry it’s non negotiable. They can fire me if they want. But they never do. Because I do a good job, don’t cause drama, play the game of give and take and pick my hills to die on. Holidays are one of those hills.

It was years ago now but when I was 19 my parents invited me on a paid 3 week holiday around the USA. It was being booked months in advance but I couldn't get leave. I wanted to go so found another job and told the new employers it was pre-booked which was true. I was only working bars at the time so it wasn't hard to find another job. Obviously, I didn't tell the new employers I was applying to them over declined leave!

I did a few holidays with my parents as a young adult and they were amazing. Far better than anywhere I could've afforded myself and I really enjoyed the time with them. If your teen wants to come I'd encourage them. Life's too short.

Book it and ring in sick

@Irishmama100 I completely understand you want to have this family holiday, time off with family is important and shouldn't be taken for granted that there will always be another chance. I think you have a good worth eithic and clearly your child does too.

Personally I would ask one more time and explain that this is holiday means a lot to you all and they can offer to work extra when they are back. If the answer is still no I would encourage them to hand in their notice and find employment elsewhere.

Provided they do it respectfully and works their notice they haven't done anything wrong in my view.

They have a lifetime ahead of them of restrictions with holidays and prioritising work, it doesn't have to start now so young with a job that doesn't mean too much.

I hope you all have a lovely holiday 😊

Neither would I. But I don’t have an 8 hour contract on minimum wage. If I did I would definitely quit in her shoes.

If this is a part time job while they are still at school then the company are being ridiculous. Slightly different if they have left school though.
I used to always let the kids that worked for me take any time off they wanted during school holidays as they are only part time.
My daughter has a new job at the moment and is a student, they approached me to see if she would work when she finished Uni, she agreed but I did give them the dates we would be on holiday. She has now been asked to request holiday dates, if they refuse she will quit and she is definitely coming on holiday.