Holiday entitlement dilemma

[ChizzyF]

I have worked for my current employer for 10+ years in a small business. There is a new employee who I think is supposed to be my line manager (but this hasn't been made clear). We are the only 2 full time employees in our dept, both with school age children. In general conversation I've found out this new employee has a holiday booked the exact same 2 weeks as I was planning next year. I don't know if a holiday request has been submitted by NE, and I haven't booked our family holiday so haven't put my own form in. Who would have more priority over the holiday entitlement - new employee who has booked the holiday (but not necessarily time off work yet), or long-standing employee who follows procedure and won't book their overseas holiday in case a request gets turned down because the dates clash (and may miss out on time with whole family because of this). Any help/advice appreciated

Whoever gets the request in first and approved.

I am afraid in our place its first come first served and by that i mean whoever requests it formally.So the best thing to do if you want those 2 weeks is to put your request in asap. I always put in the request as soon as I know. Holiday may also have been agreed when she started.

They may have already agreed it so why not just change your plans knowing it is likely to be refused? Or put your request in immediately?

The new employee was probably asked at some point during recruitment process if he/she already had any holidays were booked. I suspect you will have already lost out....though had you already booked and had the time off agreed before new employee started.....they'd have to manage?!

If you know they have already booked theirs cant you choose a different two weeks?

In our dept (finance) we can't take the first or last week off in the month which knocks out the first 2 weeks of the summer holidays and my husband also works in a small business and his colleague has booked the last 2 weeks of the summer holidays! We were thinking of going in Easter holidays, but were waiting for some money to arrive that meant we could afford this holiday (that only arrived this week), and the place we were hoping to go to has now been booked. Normally I wouldn't be bothered by any of this, but want a special holiday with our children (one 15, one 7) before the eldest doesn't want to go (his GCSEs are the following year so don't want to disturb them). At the end of the day if I miss out there's not a lot I could do, but I might try putting in my official holiday form and see what happens. I just hope there won't be a bun fight every school holiday!

Now that there is 2 of you they might relax the ban on the first and last week of the month. It seems a bit unfair that only one of you is able to take off the school holidays per year effectively because of this.

I'd put in your form and if they say no, see if there is any wriggle room about the banned weeks now that you have more resource in place.

It would also be worth trying to clarify your new colleagues position - not really in relation to holidays, but if she's your new boss it would be good to know !