What would you do?

[Whatwouldyousayto]

I got a new job in January as an SEN support in school, term time only. When I accepted the job (which I love , and I love the kids and people there) I had a few - 4 - holidays in there term time. The schools round us all have similar but slightly different term times and holidays so my children have a few weeks that differ to the holidays this school has.

When I accepted the job I told them about 3 of the holidays ( holiday one is 1 day, another 4 days and the other a week 5 days ) and that was absolutely fine. They said no problem, they’d honour them
as booked before I started and going forward to only book there holidays which I absolutely will and agree with:

The final holiday number 4 I didn’t mention as I knew I could ring up and move to match the schools holiday a week later: however on ringing up the holiday company it’s £1500 more expensive. We can’t afford/ justify that. It requires 3 days off work. I’m not entitled to parental Leave as I wouldn’t have worked there a year. Bar , saying im sick which I’m reluctant to do as I hate lying and I love where I work and the people , what would you advise to do? Problem is if I ask them and they say no then I can’t go off sick, I morally feel in a conundrum as I can’t lie and wouldn’t want to. I didn’t want to mention holiday 4 as I didn’t want them to think i was taking the mick and I knew I could move it .

Because if you can’t it wouldn’t make very much sense taking that many holidays a year.

You’d be surprised

If you can move it without penalty, could you not shift it to next year?

Book a cheaper alternative for the dates you do get off

I also thought parental leave was only for emergency situations? We can't use it for ordinary childcare.

You believed, I'd say naively, that you could move a holiday booking without it costing more. Unless the company with which you booked specified this exact stipulation.

So it's either pay more or just go off sick and lie. But you're right not to ask if you know they'll refuse as then going sick would look too blatant.

Three holidays is a lot and a big favour to ask. Four is totally taking the mick!!
Either move it, at your own cost, or let the rest of the family go without you (or dip in for a couple of days, if viable - depends on destination)

I manage a team of support staff within my school and have had a similar situation within my team. I try very hard to be flexible but I would be pretty pissed if you were to tell me this. HOWEVER, I would try my best to accommodate you. The suggestion of showing school your booking so they know you aren’t taking the piss is a good one. I think you should also considering offering to take some or all of it unpaid as that is considerably less money than moving it. Above all though, be honest. If you were in my team and still in probation and I found out you’d lied I would have to consider whether to keep you on.

When I was a headteacher, I'd get at least one TA every year coming into my office and claiming their DP had booked a "surprise holiday" and hadn't realised that TAs couldn't get time off for holidays in term time.

Paying for a temp would be cheaper than the £1,500 ..maybe offer if you are able, it's permitted??

It would have to be unpaid if granted.

You should learn the difference between their and there if teaching kids in primary schools. It’s really not
that difficult

This. I would hope they would give you unpaid leave under the circumstances as it was booked prior to starting.

Thank you for the response. Yes all the time off I have that has been agreed is unpaid- I wouldn’t expect to be paid for it at all. Also I would prefer someone to be honest with me than lie as I hate people who do that (and I never have done it before) . I have the booking documents that I can show them and I think it’s fair if I explain to them the situation. I was trying to be decent and move it as it was the only holiday I could but the price increase is more than my monthly salary and we can’t justify it. They value me at work- I am paid a TA but will always step in and teach as I’m a qualified teacher and I never claim the uplift and save them lots in supply teachers so I try and do well for them and we have a good relationship both ways.

I wasn’t asking a favour. They were pre booked before I took on the role and agreed to upon on starting my role. The 4th one was not mentioned as I thought I could move it easily, which has not been the case.

I would advise not going away on holiday. Why not just have a nice time at home?

Hes lucky! We don’t get any extra day. I’m only having these as they were pre agreed before I started working for them. You are aware I was upfront with them bar the last one which I thought we could just swap.

Being there less than 2 years give you less protection. I very much advise against the claim sick days and hope that they do not find out.

Ask them if you can take the leave if not you will have to suckup the financial hit of moving it or cancelling.

Firstly 10 days off if that were a child would result in attendance letters home.

Secondly, if you can manage 7 holidays in a year then you'll just need to find the extra money to move this one. You have plenty of time to find the money. You're already losing 10 days pay as these days will be unpaid.

Kids that need SEN appreciate stability and routine.

If you call in sick then someone will find out you went on holiday and you'll be sacked.

if I were you I'd take the booking documents in (to prove when it was booked) and talk to the Head (or whoever you need to) just saying you assumed you'd be able to change the dates of this one, but on looking into it you actually can't. (You don't have to say you can't 'afford to')

how much would it cost to cancel this holiday? I know you don't want to cancel, but sometimes we have to choose the least worst option & that might be the option I'd choose if I loved the job.

i know someone else mentioned it, but have you checked your planned use of 'parental leave' going forward? Using it that way wouldn't have been permitted in any place I've worked.

Enjoy your holidays & your kids/life. Life's short & unexpected things happen.

I'd go on the facebook group for selling holidays you can't go on, sell the holiday at a slight discount, and then get something else cheaper during the right time.

You didn’t get back to work though… did you? @Whatwouldyousayto

It’s like you should be a detective you’re so good 😂😂😂

The £1500 extra holiday cost is more than your monthly take home pay and you work full time? That means you must be on £20,000 a year.

The NMW equates is a salary to pre-tax annual salary of approximately £23,800 to £25,400.

Wow…. Maybe you need to raise with your school that they are breaking the law.

Thought you loved the job and needed to get back to it, then proceeded to immediately post multiple times throughout the afternoon, which is concerning given you’re at work as a Sen teacher in a school.

Oof I don’t think you’ve covered yourself in glory with your replies OP but I do think your question was genuine and you’ve been given a bit of a hard time.

I think if it were me I would see if there were any other options for rearranging the holiday, you’ve said it’s an extra £1500 to go the week after but what about the next lot of school holidays or the following year? You’re having 6 holidays already this year so presumably delaying one doesn’t matter too much?

If moving it that way isn’t possible, I think next I would go to the school and explain, and show them the booking to prove it was booked before you started. If they say you can go all is fine, if they don’t you can’t go. Personally I wouldn’t risk my job by lying about sickness, but people do and they get away with it!

Has the whole holiday been paid for already or just a deposit? I’d consider losing the deposit as well and just cancelling if nothing else worked out. It’s a shame but these things happen.

And thinks "anymore" is a word