Taking holiday away

[Stressedoutmummyof3]

Not really AIBU but more are DDs work being unreasonable. If before you start a new job you give holiday dates and the employer confirms in writing you can have the time off can they then change their mind?
DD asked for Christmas Eve off before she started work by email and her manager emailed back saying yes that's fine.
Where DD works then can check online to see how much holiday they have and DD noticed they hadn't put down she was off Christmas Eve. She mentioned this to her manager who said oh I don't know if you can have it off other staff booked it ages ago. DD said you confirmed it before I started here. Managed said did I? I'll have to check if you can have it off.
Given she confirmed it in writing at the beginning of October surely she can't just turn around and say you can't have it off now.
Are they allowed to do this?

With enough notice they can do it yes.

She needs to hold her ground. Essentially say that having Xmas eve off was agreed as part of her employment so they'll have to make it work.

Legally employers can give twice the notice as the length of the leave to cancel. This would be really bad form for Xmas.

Yes, they can do it. It was a bit unfair to the people already working there to say that the new starter was guaranteed not to work the worst shift. Are any of her other shifts over Christmas and new year favourable?

She has Christmas and Boxing day off as they are closed but she's working the rest of the holiday. Google says they can only withdraw holiday if there is an unexpected staff absence or a critical deadline.

What sort of job is it? An office is completely different circumstances to a bar.

It's a nursery. If there weren't enough staff in on Christmas Eve they should have said that when she requested it off.

Tell her to stand firm and resend their written acknowledgement back to them.

I think pp has a point, if others had it booked off before she started, it's not fair to give her one of the coveted days.

How do you suggest they fix it if everyone that wants it, having that day off leaves them understaffed?

What does she have planned for that day?

Of course.

But then they shouldn’t have said it was fine.

Exactly. They should have been honest from the start if she couldn't have the day off. We're supposed to be going away Christmas Eve and this has messed everything up.

They confirmed it in writing so she just needs to stand her ground and re-iterate that it was agreed prior to her starting the job
If they didn’t want her to have it as holiday, then they shouldn’t have agreed it. They should have just made that a condition of her starting employment that she could not have that day off

It sounds like the Manager has forgotten to put it in the system, it would have taken a while for HR to set up her account and the Manager should have made a note to add it on once this was done.

How long has DD worked there? Has there been enough time between DD starting and now that DD could have checked sooner than now and reminded her Manager?

Yes, even if they confirmed it in writing, they can still withdraw the leave unfortunately.

I just think it's disgusting that because the manager is disorganised DD now might loose out on a day's holiday. If they had said when she requested we could have rearranged travel for Christmas.

She shouldn’t lose it. She should be able to take it at another time or carry it over to next years allowance, depending on policy.

Does she have to work a full day on Christmas Eve, I know some nurseries close at lunchtime or early afternoon in line with many employers? How well does DD know the other staff, maybe she could ask the people who have the day off if they might consider changing their mind?

Legally they can but it's a shit thing for a company to do that.
I had it 2 years ago, was called 2 weeks before I was going away, to say unfortunately my holiday (that had been booked and paid for a year before, excepted at interview and confirmed in writing) had to be cancelled due to compant needs.
I replied well that is unfortunate as I will be going, promptly resigned and they then tried to talk me around so I would stay and cancel my holiday, apparently it would leave them without cover ... not my problem.
I hate companies that pull this shit, I really couldn't give a glittery fuck that the holiday time will be put back in the entitlement!

If it was a condition of her accepting the job then they should honour it. Does she have it in writing?

Yes it's in emails between her and the manager

if that happened to me, I would just say sorry, you did confirm it in writing that I could have the holiday, im booked to go away now so won’t be here.

I think they can do it. However, most places wouldn't and would still honour it even if it was inconvenient. At our place we would just struggle with fewer staff but obviously a nursery is different.

This, and keep saying it.

This is what I've told her to say. We are actually going away on Christmas Eve and while we can go later it's going to be really inconvenient and difficult due to the needs of my other children.

Could you go and she gets a train later after work ? Or are you travelling out of the country. I think the last option would be her travelling to you after her shift .

Google is wrong! They only need to give notice of the length of the leave + 1 day. Maybe as time nears children will cancel and they can let her go.