AIBU to be annoyed that colleagues moan when I take leave during busy times after covering for them?

[WFHFan]

Most people at work have young kids so there is always a rush to book time off over the summer and school holidays. My DC are grown now so I am thankfully no longer tied to the school calendar. Everyone wants half terms, August and Christmas off which is fine by me. It is deadly quiet then so I am happy holding the fort.

But then I book the week before and the week after the school holidays and after Christmas when things start to ramp up again and that is when the moaning starts. Suddenly I am the inconsiderate one for being off when there is “so much going on”.

Bosses have no problem when I choose to take my leave.

Get in there first and book all the school half terms off. They’ll soon change their tune.

You say yourself they take holiday when everything at work is quiet and then you're alway off when things are "ramping up" so based on that it sounds like they might have a point!

They take holidays at quiet times because those times are school holiday times. They probably wouldn’t like it if OP booked her holidays in school holiday times either.

Your colleagues should appreciate you covering during school holidays. Trying to find or afford childcare during the school holidays is a nightmare. Perhaps you can point this out to them and/or give them the first choice of holidays on condition that they don’t moan about their choice later!

The others aren't taking holiday when it's quite because its quiet. They are doing it because that's when the school holidays are and it suits them to have that time off!! So if the OP is at work then and unable to take holidays I think it is unreasonable for the others to then have a dig when the OP takes holidays at time that suits her. After all, it's only what they are doing

Ignore and don’t get involved.

if they moan in front of you. Say I’m happy to take the school holidays but thought you would rather have that don’t worry I’ll do that instead 😉

I think they should be bloody grateful you don’t want ‘your share’ of the school
holidays!

‘no worries Cathy - next year I’ll take the 2 weeks the school breaks up and you’ll have 2 weeks in ‘busy’ September, yes? great?’

watch them squirm.

If the bosses have no problem, its no problem and they need to shut up. Otherwise, when are you supposed to take time off?

No, they don't have a point. OP lets them book leave during school holidays because they have kids and hers have grown up. If she can't book leave during school holidays (because they would moan that they needed to be off during the school holidays and someone has to be in the office) and she can't book leave at before or after the school holidays (because it's a busy time), when can she take leave?

She's doing them a favour by never taking leave during school holidays so they should be grateful.

When should she take leave? The colleagues are already taking all the school holidays when it is quiet, should she throw her hat in the ring for those dates instead?

They sound miserable, entitled bunch of people.

I agree with another poster to say “I’ll take two weeks in August, and one at Christmas and half term then next time”.
Or “when would you like me to take annual leave”?

Id be thrilled to have a colleague as considerate as you!

Surely things are "ramping up" cos with lots of them off for holidays there is a whole load of work to catch up on.
If the op has held the fort in their absence of course she hasnt been able to totally keep up. So its time for her to go on her hols and for the rest of the team to deal with any backlog.

If it's anything like my office, it's quiet because it's the school holidays - there are so many people off, it's impossible to progress any projects because inevitably the person you need to collaborate with is absent. I'll be virtually the only one there next week I think!

Exactly. So many people are off so I can't make much progress. Then I go on leave when they come back but that is when the workload goes through the roof!

Ha ! That’s why they’re pissed off ! No progress on projects while they are away and when they get their arses back to work management are on their cases but they now can’t catch up because you’re on your holidays 😂

I am looking forward to a nice quiet August. I already booked time off in September. Usually most of the work is already done by the time I return!

Result ! 🤣🥰