To be annoyed colleague is taking two months off?

[galleo]

My colleague (and friend) is expecting. She is going to take July-January as mat leave, then she is taking July-August next year off as split mat leave.

Our team is very thinly staffed and manager isn’t getting someone to cover maternity. That’s fine we will manage. However, it does mean that there’s not enough staff to cover holidays. So we are being discouraged from taking more than a week at a time off during the time my colleague is away. We are very busy in the summer months so only one member of the team can be off during the school holidays - but as colleague is taking the split mat leave in July August, that means for next summer holidays, I can’t take a single week off to spend time with my kids!

Tbf OP doesn't say she's annoyed at the colleague, just that she's annoyed at the situation. It's pretty common in my workplace (public sector) for mat leave not to be covered and us to just have to absorb extra work, but there would then be wiggle room around holidays. I'm not clear OP, are you each able to take one week, or does her mat leave count as the one person being off?

So she’s coming back from January to June and then taking 2 months off and that still counts as maternity leave? I have never heard of that before.
I can definitely see why you’re annoyed but your manager should have it covered or said no (if he can) to it. It’s not fair no one else can take any leave in the summer.
You can’t really blame your colleague though.

Never heard of someone taking split maternity leave before, pretty annoying when it’s the school holiday she’s taking meaning everyone else is affected with the holiday situation.

id be annoyed with the colleague for requesting that leave knowing she’s left you all in the shit regarding holiday requests and I’d be annoyed with management for not sorting cover for it. I wouldn’t be happy with only take in one week summer holiday as we go on holiday for a fortnight.

Seems unfair to be annoyed at your colleague for doing something they are entitled to do

I don't have kids, so have no skin in the game. However, if I was entitled to take leave, I'd take it, without giving the slightest of shits about how my colleagues were impacted.

As others have said- your collegue is in no way at fault here. She is entitled to take the leave and so is doing the best for her family

that aside I wouldn’t work anywhere where I couldn’t take holiday as and when I want it (within reason - I wouldn’t expect to take it all in one go over the summer for instance). I have never been in a job in almost 30 years where I have ever had a holiday refused. It is part of my compensation and I also have to work around my husband and what time off he can get.

And you are annoyed at the colleague……. Why is your annoyance not correctly directed instead?

I'm using my annual leave to come back on reduced days. It's upto the manager to find cover, just like they should find cover for when she's on maternity leave.

This isn’t your colleagues issue, it’s your managers issue. Be annoyed at your manager not your colleague.

We are very busy in the summer months so only one member of the team can be off during the school holidays - but as colleague is taking the split mat leave in July August, that means for next summer holidays, I can’t take a single week off to spend time with my kids!

Do you mean you can’t take any time, not even one week?

If so that’s not on, but I agree with others that you should take this up with your manager.

I used to work in the public sector and we never got cover for maternity leave, or for term term workers during the holidays.
It did mean that the team was reduced in size and we were only allowed a set percentage of people off at one time.
It was successfully argued that the percentage only included the staff who were actually due to work at that time. If it had included mat leave and others not contracted to work then none of the rest of us would have been able to take more than the odd day during school holidays.

Put it this way, they’re going to be in a right mess next summer when you’ve spent the next 12 months looking for another job which lets you take your annual leave when you want it.

Your employer is obliged to give you annual leave, but they don’t have to make all dates available. In many jobs it can be entirely up to the employer when you take leave (teaching for example). You have 44 weeks flexibility where you can take annual leave, I can’t see the big deal.

So you have a year's notice and knowledge that your manager doesn't give a shit about you. Start jobhunting now and make sure you are in-post before next summer. When you start a new role it is normally possible to let them know if you have a holiday booked so make sure you start off with some time off booked for the summer.

Maternity leave can only be taken in a single block, so the second part can’t be maternity leave. It sounds like she’s been given priority to book annual leave over others (possible because of accruing it while on maternity leave) which does seem unfair

Based on my understanding of the rules (which might be mistaken) I think the employer should have said no to the original request, on the basis that it prevents other team members from taking summer holidays.

Taking shared parental leave in blocks seems to be possible but only with employer agreement.

All the PPs talking about maternity cover - for some jobs the knowledge requirements are such that maternity cover simply isn’t possible, especially for a two month block.

OP, you should complain and maybe there’s still time for it to be changed.

This.

This is something to take up with your employer, not resent the staff member.

I don’t know the specifics where you work but most maternity policies are something like 3 months full pay, 3 months half, 3 months stat minimum then nothing. So your employer is saving money for the time they are off. If they choose not to spend it getting someone in to cover then that’s their business decision but it’s not the employee’s fault that your leave is being impacted.

Yup - this is an employer issue. I don't know if the split mat leave being taken at a time that inconveniences the team is something that the employer could/should decline vs "actual" maternity leave which is based around the baby's birth, but whether it is or is not, it is up to the employer to ensure that someone else's maternity leave is covered effectively. And they are not doing that.

I agree with a PP - you have a year to find a new job.

And what’s the problem with that? She’s entitled to do what ever she wants with her maternity leave. It is not at OPs expense. What a bizarre attitude. OP gets paid to do her job, she is free to find a new job if she’s unhappy with her managers very poor decision not to cover maternity

Have your summer holidays in 2025 been affected? if we are talking about the second chunk ie summer 2026 then you and any other affected colleagues need to be clear that you will be taking annual leave then (reasonably), you are giving due notice of it, and it’s up to management to find cover / more equitable arrangements etc.

is this your manager can’t be bothered with the admin or is it a company policy?

agree with other PP that it’s not the mat leave colleagues issue - it’s the managers.

Just came to agree with previous posters- that whilst I completely understand your frustration, it’s misplaced! It should be aimed solely at your employer and not at all at your colleague.

It's no more selfish for her to want to take her leave entitlements to suit her than it is for you to want to take hers to suit you.

As others have said, this is a management issue and you'd be well advised to start looking elsewhere.

Your annoyed at the wrong person. You need to talk to management.

Not true if she's taking shared parental leave. You can use SPL to take leave in blocks separated by periods of work, or take it all in one go.

You need to look at this differently she could take a year mat leave July to July then get outstanding annual leave before she comes back the following September. Instead you get the help back January to July. The lack of cover is not your colleague's problem.