to wonder why anyone sans-children would choose to take annual leave during the summer school holidays?

[OrmRenewed]

Everything is crowded and expensive.

And more importantly those poor buggers who are tied to school holidays to get time away are then stuck. There was a sudden run on booking leave today and it turns out that most of August is now booked - 2 weeks of which by someone with no children. It doesn't mean I can't take any leave but I will have to book the last few days of July and a few days at start of Sept. And if I whinge enough to my boss I might be able to get him to agree to my taking a week in August as long as I'm unofficially 'on call' ie I go nowhere without my mobile.

Arse!

Eh tocatta? They work with me. We aren't teachers

But DH is!

oh I didn't read that much of the OP I was just answering the title of the thread

maybe they're going on holiday with/to visit someone that has children??

ahh - there you go then - perhaps they have a "other half" (boak at the term) who can only take holidays in school holidays?

The thing is our leave year hasn't even started yet. We used to have a rule that you couldn't book leave until then - I think it must have changed Next year I shall be booking it in December!

I never book the time between christmas and NY simply because I know everyone else likes to do that and at least I have childcare covered as DH is home. I shall refrain from being so thoughtful next year

My dbil has to take 2 weeks off in the Summer hols (factory shutdown).

So his wife (my dsis) takes the time off to, even though their dc are out of school now.

YABU. When other people take their hols is no concern of yours.

But we have no factory shutdown - not these days.

I used to book all my years holidays on 1st April. Similar to BelleDamme. Worked a treat for years until I changed my job. All the team are married to teachers. We are expected to put on some provision during the summer, Easter and Christmas holidays and half terms. We do have to share it out but we sit in a team meeting and discuss it fairly. No issues so far. TBH it has worked out slightly better for me because I get a lot of holidays and can't use it all up in school holiday time I get to go away by myself or with friends in term time where as posieparker says it's so much cheaper.(especialy skiing) all though the kids are a bit at that.

Going back to the OP people want holidays in August because of events,eg Edinburgh festival is on in August. The country that they are visiting may be at it's best then. Who knows?

Ormre.... Some places in Lancashire still shut down

i always wonder why, too!
my OH books 2 weeks in august in case he wants to go away, and i asked him why he didn't book it for term-time as other people in his work might be refused because he's taken it.
he couldn't even understans why he would need to consider it!

Yep, the factory my dbil (OOP NORTH) has factory shutdown.

BTW When I say 'we have no factory shutdown' I meant we as in the company I work for. We used to until the early 80s.

Ohh Sorry Orm I thought you meant 'we' as a country!

because before you have children it just doesn't occur to you to think of these things at all.

Many belgian businesses shut down for the whole of august. And builders have July as their official holiday month when they are not allowed to work.

Belgo! That would suit me! July and August are my busiest months when I don't know if I'm coming or going!

But Orm - one of your colleagues may have a dh/dw who has factory shutdown annual leave, so may have to take school hols off in order to have a hol with her dh (even though she/he may have no dc).

Agree with cat. There is no way I would take hols in school time now my dd is older. I am very lucky that me and dh can choose the weeks we want, and not have to follow school/work timetables.

Well last year I went to Chamonix in the summer holidays but I am planning on going back there and also to Switzerland and Austria in August WITHOUT Dc. These places are often traditionaly seen as winter resorts and are expensive then but summer is there out of season and they are beautiful and have fantastic mountain biking and walking routes.

Also a lot of people like to go to Europe for their holidays and the rest of Europe can be as grim and cold in the winter months as it is in the UK. Attractions shut down and there may be not as much going on so of course non DC people will want to go away in school holiday time.

upahill- it's enforced holiday for builders to make sure they do actually get a holiday and are not made to work the whole year through. Try getting a builder to commit to any work in the three months before july and it's a impossible!

I've been to Switzerland Kandersteg in august and it was beautiful

The whole 'I have children therefore I should get preference for time off over Christmas/New Year/school holidays' thing really gets on my tits.

Also there are people whose other halves/friends are teachers. We went away year before last during August because we were going with another couple and the husband is a teacher. We would generally prefer to go away when it's not school holidays, but we didn't have a choice that year if we wanted to go with friends.

I know emsy! My DH is a teacher. So I won't get to spend time with him or my DC.

And the accused colleague in question doesn't have a partner who teaches Or works in a factory

I was just being light hearted Belgo. I enjoy my work but last year I ended up being 64 hours over in August. A bit tired but had lots of fun at work.

And it's not about getting preference emsy, it's about being considerate. If one person can't go on leave apart from during a smallish window, wouldn't it be nicer to try not to use that window when you don't need to?