AIBU to think a junior probationer’s month abroad request is unreasonable?

[estrogone]

We have a junior in our office who’s only been with us about three months and is still on probation, where the expectation is mostly office-based work. They briefly mentioned in passing at one point that they might travel overseas, but there was never any proper discussion or approval before the trip was booked.

They’ve now come back and advised the trip is already booked and confirmed for nearly a month overseas, in a time zone 10 hours away. They proposed a range of adjusted working arrangements, including shortened hours and overnight work, so they can continue working remotely while away.

I haven’t approved the shortened hours or alternative arrangements and have asked them to demonstrate how they realistically intend to maintain service levels and cope with working nights while effectively on holiday overseas.

I am a lot WTAF to four weeks of leave for someone who has only been with the business a matter of months and is still in probation.

AIBU to think this is request is out of order?

Well done OP. I think you've been really thoughtful and fair throughout this. The employee won't be assuming rules don't apply any more.

I saw you had updated - thank you - and had been hoping the employee had ‘moved on’.
I think your approach has been more than reasonable.

The critical thing to me is that this ridiculous person now has less leverage owing to your other hire. Very sensible.

While you have demonstrated patience, maturity, management skills and common sense, I still hope at the back of my mind that the whole thing is a joke post,

Good for you in standing your ground. An employee attempting to holiday and work at the same time was a ludicrous request.

Well done OP.

Time will tell if he just made a stupid mistake or thought you were stupid and he'd pull a fast one.

If it's the former, it will be a really valuable life lesson for him.

His comment about leave processes in a small company strikes me as another indication of his lack of integrity - quite likely a fib, as you recognise. It doesn't bode well for the future; no matter how well he performs at the actual job he'll be difficult to manage.

If the backfill person works out it'll be no bad thing, IMO.

No, this 100% not a joke post. Sadly, it is completely true.

Well, you’ve managed it brilliantly then!

Best of luck with your ongoing business.

@estrogoneYou need a much better template for handing recruitment. You need to ask specific questions and inform employees about leave as part of the contract and what probation actually means. Hiring is a two way process and not everyone is honest!

I did do all those things. Appreciate the thread is long - I have covered off everything you raised. Our processes, procedures, policies and contracts are pretty robust.we did identify a few tweaks to be made and have implemented these already.

No accounting for folk though.

E: Spelling

@estrogone Well honesty or not is a matter employers have to deal with! DH was an employer. I get it. Where people are dishonest, it’s a disciplinary matter in many companies.

I think that going to their country of origin is a bit different to taking an extended jolly holiday, so I wouldn't be as harsh

Is it? Why?

It’s no different. Policies are policies! Unless Australian employment law is different. It might be different in terms of withholding info when you accept a job too.

The probationer has played op like a fiddle. If I was employed there, I would be pretty pissed off with the double standards.

Not when they've quite frankly described it as a holiday it isn't

I'm actually quite surprised they didn't invent some family issue with deeply cultural overtones - maybe if they stay in the job they'll save that for next time - but they didn't, so at least OP should avoid being called racist for her decision

@Ablondiebutagoody That’s the risk with not starting a disciplinary hearing. The new employee didn’t disclose vital info and the company policy was breached - they haven’t earned the leave. What other employees think? The op might find out but not applying rules fairly is always a huge risk.