Holiday booked preemployment, request for leave might be delined ?is this allowed?

[PeepToes]

Hi
I have recently taken up a new post started 1st Feb, and have requested leave for a holiday booked pre-employment. The start date leaves where I work short, and they are telling me they might not be able to give me leave. I believe that new places of work should honour prior holiday commitments. They have said, yes in principal but I have left it too late to tell them.

Is this reasonable.

I'm clearly gutted about having to cancel a holiday, and really angry too. If I take a sickie then they will know!

Whats the legal position, if there is one?
Thanks x

It's normal to mention pre booked holidays at interview. Did you not mention it/they not ask about pre booked holidays.

I don't think there's a law that covers this, employers can say when you are allowed to take holiday as long as you get the legal minimum in a year.

Should have made it a condition of accepting the role. Yes an employer can decline a request for leave.

Yes it's reasonable and you needed to say that at interview - I've quite often been asked in interview if there are any pre booked commitments.

Unless you expressly told them about the pre-booked holiday before you accepted the position and they agreed before offering you the role then, sadly, they are not being unreasonable in declining for business needs.

The only option (though may not be feasible) is to offer to take the time off as unpaid? Allowing them to accomodate cover using overtime for someone else.

There is no obligation on a new employer to honour holiday already booked. Most would if at all possible and with enough notice. Sounds like your new employer would have had no problem
If given enough notice, and as you chose not to mention it at interview stage, offer stage or even immediately on joining, you have absolutely no justification to be angry about it.

Thanks, it was an over sight on my part as I asked for the week starting x, and my holiday is from the Friday rather than the Saturday. But I have offered to work an alternate day that week so that all my appointments are covered. So we shall see.

I didn't have a job interview as I was free lancing for them before I became salaried.

Doesn't matter. You should have still told them.