I've booked the trip of a lifetime

[soundsintheair]

DH & I have been looking for ages and after a few drinks we have booked to go on a holiday of a lifetime, however I need to tell my manager next week. I will need 3 weeks off including over Christmas /NY

I work for a smallish team and we have to split the leave between us as we can't all be off at the same time, so it will mean that some of their Christmas plans will be affected if they were hoping to have time off. I know he might tell me I can't have it off in which case I would leave my job.

I feel awkward about it but also I've just got to that point where I just want to do what makes me happy. Aibu?

Right, so if you were offered the job of a lifetime, you wouldn't take it in case you screwed over your colleagues in two months time?

Aye, right

So could you never request time off at Christmas ….eg 2 weeks for a holiday? Or is it a definite no no ? ( I took time off last year to go to my nieces wedding in Australia and to visit my DS …..I would have been gutted not to go)
I’m 59 and not worked on a ward for donkeys years so forgotten how leave works.

I don't know how I'll sleep tonight!

How is Mexico the ‘trip of a lifetime’?

That's really sad and your username is ironic here as well.

You can put a leave request in but it will depend on the ward matron as to whether it gets approved or not...they will try to be flexible and colleagues might offer to swap but no guarantees.

Exactly.

People leave their jobs all the time, for all kinds of different reasons. It makes no difference to those left behind if you've left for a dream holiday, you're retiring or you're off to Aberdeen to work on an oil rig, lol.

I find it boggling that so many people are so loyal to a job that would drop them tomorrow without question if they had to.

I think you could probably request special permission for annual leave over Christmas with plenty of notice and you’d probably have to request it in writing and get both the ward manager and matron to approve it. If I had a specific occasion to attend like an overseas wedding, I’d definitely be asking.

You've selectively replied to my post. Of course anyone can quit their job whenever they choose, but I just don't think a three week holiday to Mexico is worth resigning over. A six month worldwide trip, absolutely! That is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Getting drunk and booking a holiday that probably means you need to leave your job is... A questionable life choice at best

This thread really just shows we are all very different. To me,.my job is just that.a way to pay the bills and put some aside for fun. The only reason I show up for my job is for the money. If someone offered me a couple of extra quid, I'd go there instead, no loyalty involved. If my colleague told me they'd booked a holiday over Christmas, I'd think good for you. They haven't screwed me over because I'm free to do the same. Someone said don't come back in 10yrs complaining that you're not successful in your career you could equally said don't come back complaining your life is boring because you didn't do anything fun.or spontaneous for fear of upsetting the people.

Yep same here, you have to write a statement why and then it goes to higher management ….like an 8B manager ….and I asked in March ….so similar.

judgy much @TeabagOut ? Some of the best holidays I’ve had have been booked drunk.

however, none of them have involved dropping my colleagues on it over Christmas (I work for myself) which I think is a rather shitty thing to do op. Sorry but it’s a really nasty thing to do.

Yep sounds familiar. Also depends on our ward what general staffing levels are like in terms of other absence / study etc and our vacancy etc

100%. I'm exactly the same.

I love running my business and doing what I do, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't jack it in if I won the lottery or had the chance to move elsewhere and do something completely different.

Just as my clients would stop using me with no hesitation, if they no longer needed my services, I'd also happily close and move on if I found something else I wanted to do instead.

Glad it’s not just my hospital where leave over Christmas isn’t the done thing.

This is one of the reasons I work in the community ….much more flexibility with leave…..and flexi working……mind you on a freezing cold February day when I’m in and out of my car I always think I would love to be on a nice warm ward now 😁

You sometimes get your normal rostered days off to fall on either Christmas Day or Boxing Day if you are lucky though...depends on who is pulling together the off duty,

Ah community sounds brilliant but yes the wards are toasty in winter.

And we get lots of treats from relatives and patients and the local bakery sends us mince pies so working over Christmas isn’t all bad (bad for the waistline though) plus the money is good, with all the bank holidays. I like working Christmas. 🎅

I think if you are willing to quit if necessary then all fine. I think that you have to look after yourself as no one else is going to. I think that jobs should offer more money over holidays and I'm sure if they did this it wouldn't be a problem.

Yep and I love the bits of my job that mean I've made someone feel better and helped them when they are really poorly. It's a really special time of year and we are really privileged to work with some amazing people.

Yes you are being unreasonable, you should have Christmas or new years off not both

And you have said you will quit of they say no? If that's your plan, please quit now so they have time to find your replacement and train then up before Christmas, don't be selfish and finish just before Christmas

That sounds amazing - have a fantastic holiday!