To expect to use my holiday.

[Pennyfloor]

Hi all, so - in my work I do 9 hours every other weekend . I noticed a couple of weeks ago I had 9 hours annual leave remaining so requested the Halloween wkend off as my dog gets scared with any noise and she would be alone till 8pm. This was declined as someone else off and told i would be paid the hours in jan. Fair enough, I asked which weekend I could have off as i dont want to be paid, i want to use the holiday and was told to look at holiday calendar. There are only 2 weekends i could take due to other people being off so I asked for one or the other and have been told no as they cant find cover and I will be paid. I am certain that they cant do this, i have adhered to staff policies and given 4 weeks notice and no body else is off. Surely it's not my problem that they can't find cover? Always seem to have a problem with things with some of us as we dont kiss asses! 🤣🤔Any help appreciated.

Do you only work 9 hours every other weekend? As in a very part time job?

You are entitled to take your holidays, they can’t just pay them. Look up the gov.uk holiday entitlement guide.

No i work hours in the week also then every other weekend so the 9 hours would have covered a weekend off.😃

So can’t you use those 9 hours on week days?

Thankyou this is what I thought. Ive contacted my union and waiting a reply. Just really don't like being labelled a troublemaker because I question them, but there is really no valid reason for them to do this other than to be awkward..

Are those 9 hours overtime, or part of your contracted hours?

Can you take annual leave in the week, but you just don’t want to because you want to take it at the weekend?

Usual contracted hours.😀

I didnt request week hours but my shifts are 12 hours then so it wouldn't work really. Also I did give a choice of 3 weekends to take.

So pleased you're in a union. Is there a rep in your workplace? Hopefully between them and ACAS this'll get sorted. Give ACAS a call if the union takes a while to respond.

You may need to ask them about week day hours to be able to say they won’t let you take your holidays.

Thankyou.😀 No rep at work as its a pretty small company that like to make their own rules! Some of us joined a union externally. Im just fed up of the treatment whenever we do question something that we know to be wrong or right, it's like we personally insult them. Or are told if you don't like it there's the door etc..

You are absolutely entitled to take your leave, but you are not entitled to decide exactly when you take it.

So you can reasonably expect to be allowed to take it within the leave year, and you don't have to accept being paid instead. However, if they decide that they want you to take the time off on weekdays rather than at weekends, then I don't think you have much comeback to this.

I'm not sure you can say you'll only take it at a weekend. Surely by next month you'll have accrued more hours and can just take a weekday off? Or is this what you have left for the whole year?

Tbh I'd just get it paid if you have every other weekend off anyway.

I have the 9 hours for the rest of the year and my shifts in the week are 12 hours. The weekend job can be easily covered by other staff there as it is when anyone is sick or other people are on holiday. If that makes sense.😀

I think your best course of action is to request a weekdays annual leave for them to say it cannot be accommodated so you can prove you cannot take your annual leave.

My work place will not allow us to dictate when we want annual leave, it’s distributed as closely to requests as possible. We have to book our entire 12 months annual leave on one formal request form (mine is now allocated until April 2028). Any remaining hours can be requested but will only be allocated according to business need. I imagine this is what your workplace will quote.

Do you not have a hand book or annual leave policy?

I have adhered to the policy of giving 4 weeks notice and no other person off. The only thing I guess they are using is manager can refuse but there is no valid reason. Other people are being allowed to use their holiday and even having unpaid leave allowed.

the treatment whenever we do question something that we know to be wrong or right, it's like we personally insult them. Or are told if you don't like it there's the door etc..

Hope you're looking for another job. Really doesn't sound like the company is doing well if they can't manage the basics like holiday.

But you haven’t been told you can’t take holidays at all yet, just on the weekend which makes it more difficult to argue

From what I can gather they haven’t told you can’t take your holidays, just not that (or those) weekend/s. They will cite business need. They will argue they are also adhering to policy.

They haven't been able to pay you rather than let you have the time off for years.I used to recommend friends not to do this even when it was allowed because it usually results in your being taxed on emergency and even going into a higher tax bracket if you are not careful.

They also don't have to facilitate you using them over a weekend though. Presumably there are week days you could take?

Of course you are entitled to take the leave, you're probably the one covering for others to take leave. Their lack of weekend cover, isn't a you problem, its a them problem.

They can just refuse to let you use it on a weekend though, you may need to take it on a weekday. If you have 9 hours and a 12 hour shift that means you just go in for the first or last 3 hours of your shift, so you’re still getting all your time off.

I am working several hours overtime to cover for others on holiday, And stepping in for sickness, was doing it to help not because I need the money. Might not be available in the future!😃