To think I'm entitled to the holiday?

[internallyrebellious]

I started a new job in November, at that time I had already booked a holiday for my milestone birthday next year - 2 weeks abroad.

When I had the interview for my new job they asked about booked holidays and I told them about the one I had next year, plus a couple other important dates.

I've now started my new job but haven't yet booked it on our companies app that we book our AL with because it hasn't rolled over onto next year's holiday allowance yet (will do on 1st Jan) and I didn't realise I could do it early.

My boss (manager) has booked off a week in the same week as my holiday. Obviously their holiday is already in 'the system' and mine isn't but AIBU to think that it doesn't matter as they knew about my holiday in advance and if anyone has to cancel (as we can't have 2 people off at the same time) it should be them not me?

I'm not sure whether or not to raise it with them directly or go to my area manager and see if something else can be arranged. I'm not cancelling my holiday, it's already been booked & paid for. My manager has told me they haven't booked anything yet so they won't lose any money. Wibu to expect them to honour my time off when I told them about it before I even got the job?

You seem to be very confrontational about this and I’m not sure why as nobody has told you that you need to cancel?

The obvious thing is to speak directly with your manager and remind her of the situation and your pre-booked and agreed holiday, it’s very likely she will find a way to accommodate it whether that’s by cancelling her own or arranging other cover.

I can’t think why you’d go direct to the area manager when there’s not even an issue yet, that’s a sure fire way to piss people off and cause bad relationships.

Why not just tell your manager that you have noticed their booking on the system and remind them about your holiday? It will be sorted in about 5 mins. No need for all the drama.

Take a step back here OP.

Chat with your manager and tell them about the discussion during interview and that you didn't realise you could book your leave yet.

As your manager I'd be annoyed that you went over my head by speaking with the area manager first.

I would have asked when I started how to book the dates off for next year/ how the bookings work etc .. but that doesn’t help you.

But you need to chill out and speak to your manager to remind them you confirmed the dates at interview etc
there seems to be a lot of drama in your post, why wouldn’t you be able to have the same week off as someone else

You just need to add it to the system. The interviewer will have noted the dates down, as will the application form. It's no big deal.

They booked their holiday into the system yesterday and then today we got a message in the work group that everyone needs to book in their holidays asap as it's first come first served and that we can't have more than one person off at a time - we were chatting about holidays yesterday and I mentioned that I was away in the same month so yes it seems implied that I will cancel as they got there first.

But yes, I don't want to cause any issues, especially this early on! I'm not cancelling my holiday though so we are at a bit of an impasse if they won't change it, hence considering reaching out to my area manager to see if we can get cover for the crossover week.

Just speak to your manager and tell them all the holiday dates given when you were interviewed that need honouring

I am sure this won’t be the first time that on this occasion two people would need to be away at the same time because of ore booked holiday for someone new

It's probably because we have a very small team (only 4 people) so 2 being off will have a massive impact. I get that. But what's the point in them asking me at interview if they won't honour it?

I know I should talk to my manager first but I'm just concerned about what the next step will be if they refuse to change it. Whose request trumps whose? My dates were booked before I even started the job.

Just speak to your manager and stop trying to undermine her by going to the area manager. As a senior manager, if a junior member of staff came to me and said “my manager won’t let me go on holiday at the same time as her”, my first question would be “what exactly has your manager said?” and I would be seriously unimpressed if the answer was that they hadn’t yet addressed the matter directly with her and had come straight to me.

You just need to respond to the message saying you already had agreement to have x time off but hadn’t realised you could book in the system this early. You will now book on the system.

Don’t be overly defensive or confrontational. If they say no, they won’t honour their agreement, that is when you escalate.

Just add it on the system and if it has a notes box then put “as agreed at time of interview”. That’s what I did when I started and what I advise new starters do as it let’s whoever is approving it know the situation.

then if it gets declined, you can bring up the discussion.

If they refuse to change it, you simply say “per our agreement at interview I will be taking XYZ dates off for my pre-booked holiday”. If your manager won’t authorise it on the system, speak to HR who can mediate. It’s up to the manager to manage the situation so to speak and arrange cover if needed.

You're making this more of a deal then it is- just call your manager and say hiya- I just want to flag I'm in Paris on holidays week 13 and 14, I booked before joining so it's not in the system.

HR Director here. I would send an email to your manager that says:

“Hi, I have just logged the holiday that I mentioned in the interview process and noticed you have a booking at the same time. Just wanted to make you aware in case we need to make a plan for cover.”

This should be absolutely fine since you’re already inferring that it was pre agreed, by mentioning it being part of the interview process. However, if there is any issue and mention of you cancelling it, say:

“Apologies but I raised it during the interview process and it is booked and paid for. I was asked for the dates, I provided them and no issues were raised.”

This , polite but to the point .

Exactly this, just be calm and professional, there's no need for the 'well I'm not cancelling my holiday' and going to the area Manager, I'd imagine that all that will happen is the your Manager will think 'oh yes, I'd forgotten about that' and move theirs, especially if they haven't booked anything yet. You're putting the cart before the horse.

Yes you are right, I need to raise it politely with them first. I guess I'm just panicking a bit, mainly because when I gently reminded them in our conversation earlier that I had already booked a holiday the subject got swiftly changed so the implication seems to be that I will cancel and lost out because theirs is in the system first.

I shouldn't make assumptions though.

Legally your company can cancel your holiday anyway.

Booking time off
The general notice period for taking leave is at least twice as long as the amount of leave a worker wants to take, plus 1 day. For example, a worker would give 3 days’ notice for 1 day’s leave.

An employer can refuse a leave request or cancel leave but they must give as much notice as the amount of leave requested, plus 1 day. For example, an employer would give 11 days’ notice if the worker asked for 10 days’ leave.

https://www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement-rights/booking-time-off

While this is true, most companies wouldn’t be able to retain staff if they did this for no other reason other than “someone else got in there first” or “sorry we just don’t want you to go”.

When I started my last job I told them I had 2 weeks booked away for my wedding. If they had told me no I couldn’t take it after all, I’d have left the job. Simple as that. I know not everyone could just walk out of a job, but with plenty of notice most people would just start to look for something else.

Jobs like the police where they may well be needed for urgent situations are more aware of their holiday leave needing to be cancelled. But if you just work in accounts in a company selling windows you wouldn’t expect your holiday to be cancelled “just because”.

Would insurance cover the cost of your holiday if your company cancels your leave? If you spent 10k on a once in a lifetime trip but your company just cancels it 3 weeks before could you recoup the costs? I think I’d rather leave the job or call in sick and risk the sanctions than lose 10k because Mary has decided she also wants to go away at that time and the boss prefers her.

Refusing leave when you first ask is a different story. You shouldn’t book anything until you leave has been granted. But refusing a pre booked holiday for a new starter or cancelling leave already booked is bad form. They will lose staff quickly.

You need to tell your manager asap. Ideally you would have discussed the holiday with them in your first week in the job but since you neglected to do that the sooner you do it the better.

I didn't think I needed to since they were present at the interview where it was discussed and written down. I had no idea they were planning to take holiday at the same time until a few days ago.

As others have said, you need to chill out! This is a conversation with your manager situation, not a run to the Area manager or I'm cancelling one.

As a manager, I don't hold every single detail of my teams leave in my head! Normal practice would be to book it into your work diary as a reminder.

I work in a school and I’m not allowed any holidays during term time. But at interview I told them I had one booked for the following year. I got the job and they said they have to honour it. So I don’t think you need to worry as it was booked before you signed any work related contracts.