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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it's a bit unfair to expect staff to use leave

77 replies

Shrunkenwasps · 04/01/2025 15:36

I've been in a new role for around 6 weeks, dislike it for a number of reasons so looking to leave atm.
The training is 9 months which is bad enough, I could understand if it were an apprenticeship or something I were studying for but I really don't see this as necessary.

When I started our manager was saying to us 'Oooh get your Christmas leave booked in now, take as much as you want!' I get 26 days after 2 years , plus bank holidays and the privilege day, so it's not bad really, but I didn't need to use 2 weeks over Christmas.

There hasn't been any work between 20th December and 7th January, and our office is only closed on 25th, 26th and 1st January.
Since 20th December I've only done the odd bit of online learning, there is honestly nothing to do. It might sound great but now I see why they were trying to get us to take our leave over Christmas.
I know I sound stubborn but I also think 9 months of training for a role paying under 30k is ridiculous. Anyway I made a mistake coming here. Does anyone else's work try to pressure them/expect them to use leave during quiet periods?

OP posts:
ThisNattyFish · 04/01/2025 15:39

My brother works for a company where leave is used for the Christmas shutdown. They have to use three or four days to cover the closure depending how the bank holidays fall. Then the rest of their leave days are choice.

luckylavender · 04/01/2025 15:40

It's pretty standard

LittleRedRidingHoody · 04/01/2025 15:40

I mean, they could force you to if they wanted (and changed their policy to reflect it). It makes sense for them to encourage you to use your leave for quiet periods, what were you expecting?

Original poster
Shrunkenwasps · 04/01/2025 15:43

Maybe I'm being ungrateful, there just hasn't been anything since December 20th. Like a lot of places we don't get anything whatsoever for Christmas, didn't even get chocolates or anything like that, we got some pizza in my old dept last year I suppose.

And then adding to that with the fairly limited number of holidays we're given, we're encouraged to use it when we don't really want to. I know I'm just complaining but that's why I'm looking to move.

OP posts:
MrsFezziwig · 04/01/2025 15:45

Saying "take as much as you want" is not really what I would call "pressuring". They didn't force you to take extra leave which a lot of places would do in similar circumstances.

PermanentlyTired03 · 04/01/2025 15:45

Are you civil service/MOD by any chance? My office closes for 2 weeks around xmas and new years? I take the leave as no one else is in, but it’s not mandatory- you’ll just have an incredibly quiet 2 weeks! 9 months training seems insane though if you are on a training scheme or apprenticeship. How many courses can there be?!

ComtesseDeSpair · 04/01/2025 15:45

It’s not unusual, and I don’t think it’s a particularly “unfair” policy. They didn’t force you, and it stands to reason that it makes more sense to your employer to take leave in quiet periods than busy periods. In my company a lot of staff actively try to plan leave around quiet periods if they can because taking leave in a busy period and returning to 1,000 emails and a project racing towards completion isn’t optimal. Plenty of people do want a decent break over the Christmas period anyway, and those who opt to work knowing there isn’t going to be much work to do and they can doss about for a bit have that balanced against the loss of a longer holiday.

FeegleFrenzy · 04/01/2025 15:46

But they haven’t made you take it so I don’t see the issue. Dh has to use a weeks leave at Xmas. Your place can encourage all they want but if they’re not forcing you it sounds good

Original poster
Shrunkenwasps · 04/01/2025 15:47

I'm in the civil service. Maybe I am being unreasonable, I guess there's not much I can do about it. I can understand there being busy and quiet periods in jobs, but we're supposed to be on a training programme and they just haven't planned anything for us to do over Christmas.

OP posts:
Original poster
Shrunkenwasps · 04/01/2025 15:48

I see that others are made to take it which I agree is certainly unfair. Most companies don't give enough annual leave allowance as it is.

OP posts:
ComtesseDeSpair · 04/01/2025 15:49

But it’s unclear what you’re complaining about. You haven’t been forced to take leave. Most people have taken leave, because they want to, so it stands to reason that things are going to be quiet, training programme or not. Yes, the latter means things might be a bit tedious for those who have opted not to take leave - but that’s why they were encouraging you to take leave in the first place!

Sausagedog101 · 04/01/2025 15:50

Sorry but YABU.

They haven't forced you to take leave, and work often quietens down towards Christmas. If you don't have enough to do, surely this is something you should be taking up with your manager, rather than complaining on Mumsnet?

CraftyNavySeal · 04/01/2025 15:51

Sounds like every job I’ve ever had. I usually chose to work around Christmas because it was quiet, just listened to podcasts and faffed around all day tbh

Original poster
Shrunkenwasps · 04/01/2025 15:53

Maybe I am being unreasonable. I think they just could've planned something over Christmas.. doing nothing sounds great in theory but when you're in the office it's hard!
There's only so many times you can check your emails.

They've told staff off for talking too much in the office/checking phones too.

OP posts:
Original poster
Shrunkenwasps · 04/01/2025 15:54

I think it's because I'm not actually working yet, and this role as well as the one I've had was consistent work throughout the year, just daily targets we had to meet.

OP posts:
BeensOnToost · 04/01/2025 15:54

Shrunkenwasps · 04/01/2025 15:48

I see that others are made to take it which I agree is certainly unfair. Most companies don't give enough annual leave allowance as it is.

So what do you want?

If you're doing training for a certain role then I'm sure you can find extra material online go over previous stuff etc. Put some thought into your personal development what you can offer the company, do mandstory learning,.non mandatory learning, there's so much online if you actually want to be busy.

Or is this a backhanded way of saying the civil service is a joke compared to the private sector?

ThinWomansBrain · 04/01/2025 15:55

Minimum holiday entitlement in the UK is 28 days - including the 8 bank holiday days, so if you get 26 days plus privilege day plus BH, that's 7 days more than the minimum entitlement, that's reasonably generous.
What were you expecting?

Nine months training sounds a lot - is it their way of framing a probationary period? Are you on a lower salary for the training period?

If it's online, just use the quiet periods to whizz through it.

MollyButton · 04/01/2025 15:55

In the Civil Service there is usually lots of Mandatory Training to do but also lots of voluntary additional training. For example have you done all of this year's One Big Thing? Have you looked at last year's materials? What about the Line Management Standards?
In quiet periods you are supposed to catch up with the things you don't normally have time for, and things that might help progress your career.

Johaanah · 04/01/2025 15:57

ThisNattyFish · 04/01/2025 15:39

My brother works for a company where leave is used for the Christmas shutdown. They have to use three or four days to cover the closure depending how the bank holidays fall. Then the rest of their leave days are choice.

My workplace is the same, we have a complete shut down over Christmas plus we must take half of the AL allowance in the summer and half in the winter. Its use it or lose it.

FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden · 04/01/2025 16:00

I'm thinking of applying for a Cs job from a different career but a bit overwhelmed by the applications!

Can I ask what is it you're doing?

Original poster
Shrunkenwasps · 04/01/2025 16:01

FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden · 04/01/2025 16:00

I'm thinking of applying for a Cs job from a different career but a bit overwhelmed by the applications!

Can I ask what is it you're doing?

HMRC as an EO..honestly wouldn't advise, but it's up to you of course! The applications are definitely tedious i agree

OP posts:
TwistedWonder · 04/01/2025 16:01

I never take AL over Christmas because it seems a waste. It’s dead and we wfh over the 2 week Christmas/NY period and usually start late and finish early.
I enjoy the fact I can have a few days doing very little for a change and I can save my AL for the summer

BurntBroccoli · 04/01/2025 16:02

Could you do some free online courses, Excel for example or maybe something like Data Protection?

Barrenfieldoffucks · 04/01/2025 16:04

It is really common to have a shut down between Christmas and New Year, and to have to use holiday to cover it. It is annoying in some ways, but also stops the inevitable pushing and shoving for prime times off.

Other than that, you're complaining it was quiet over Christmas, but that you weren't forced to take time off?

Not sure what your complaint is overall to be honest!

Printedword · 04/01/2025 16:04

I am public sector. The building is closed from Christmas Eve to 2nd Jan,Good Friday through to Easter Monday and August Bank Holiday. May bank hols we are open and if you want time off you take it from leave. If the rota has you down for a forward facing shift, you get an additional day if you work a May Bank holiday. Aside from that the leave allocation is 5 weeks and there are opportunities for service leave and TOIL. Sick leave is also generous, ie it's not just SSP and if someone has a bad cold they can have a few paid days off. Return to work chat but no one would be worried unless someone repeatedly ill. Like many places, the option to wfh has brought sick day taking way down with people opting to keep their germs at home if not off their laptop keyboard 🤣