total inflexibility

[iwillbrushmyteethbefore10am]

My manager is totally inflexible. I'm only allowed annual leave for an appointment or something that can't possibly be re-arranged. I have requested to move teams and will be moving teams in the next couple of months, although they seem to be dragging their heels on this one. Although I am happy to be moving teams, I am desperately trying to keep my chin up in the meantime but it is hard. I work fulltime and will have gone fomr May until October without leave by the time I move teams - I am knackered. Do I start phoning in sick (my work is not covered if I do, so this would mean twice as much work when I return)? Do I start the latest I possibly can and take extra long lunch hours? - I have loads of time in lieu built up as most weeks work a couple of hours more than my contracted hours.

I woul also love it to all come round and bite her on the bum too but nothing so far!!

I don't understand; are you not allowed to book Annual Leave for holidays?

What is the policy on TOIL? Some places expect you to take the hours within a certain period of time eg you can only hold the extra hours for 3 months.

Quite clearly not allowed to book annual leave for holidays as each time I have tried to book, it depends on my reason for whether I'm allowed it: house move = yes, birthday = yes, anniversary = no, child's medical appointment = no, just to have a break = no.

TOIL rules, are that I can only accrue a certain amount - I have accrued treble the amount so far.

Do you have a HR department you can talk to? That's absolutely ridiculous, you are entitled to annual leave and as long as it fits in with the business you should be able to take it when it suits you! Sounds like your manager is a total control freak!

Not worried about grievance procedures etc. as I will be moving teams, would love a bit of karma in the meantime though! Just wondering what to do until I move - can you phone in sick because you're too tired? I very very rarely get ill

It's none of their business why you want Annual Leave!

So, will you make sure you don't accrue any more TOIL before you change teams? There must be someone you can talk to about this - HR, Senior Manager?

Is somebody going to replace you in your current post; guess they'll have the same problems?

I'm trying to not accrue any more TOIL, although my manager did say that until I worked her expected hours I wouldn't be able to prioritise my own workload. I like to prioritise my own workload to reduce stress.

Interviews are taking place for my job but lady before me left due to atmosphere in team and another new team member is looking to leave soon (team of 4).

s long as it fits in with the business you should be able to take it when it suits you

Um, no - employers are quite within their right to dictate when employees take their annual leave entitlement.

I also don't think, OP, that you should be phoning in sick if you want a break but aren't entitled to book it.

Personally, if I was in that situation, I would put the cards on the table (in a polite, professional manner) to your supervisor, and not continue to do over and above your core hours. Why have you accrued treble the amount of TOIL that you're permitted, yet still working the overtime?

I have sympathy, because clearly something has to give. I just don't think that calling in sick when you're not (you simply appear to be overworked and their inflexibility isn't helping that).

In other words, I suspect that the fact that they're inflexible about annual leave is masking the real issue here. Am I correct?

The whole point of annual leave is that it is used for holidays otherwise why else would we have it? That is absolutely ridiculous

Thanks all,

Parisian - I continue to work over and above my hours as our offices have to covered between core hours and the other member of team will not cover. If I do go early, I get more work allocated to me, and as said previously, i have been told that if I don't put in the hours i won't be able to prioritise my own workload - it will be done for me. Yes there are underlying issues I could also go into, such as if my child is sick, i am not allowed annual leave, TOIL, carers leave or unpaid leave to look after him - i am expected to travel 25 miles out of my way and back so that his grandparents can help. The fact that my manager checks our desks prior to us starting work and after we have left to see what work we have on. The fact that for any annual leave at all we have to put a case forward for why we want it... the list goes on - hence my moving teams.

My point is that if you are not allowed annual leave for a break - which I believe it is there for - how else am I supposed to get a break?

indeed Parisian. How can employers be allowed to dictate when and why employees take leave if that amounts to leave in the employment contract not being taken at all over the entire year? Clearly most employees will want a summer holiday. This hardly seems unreasonable unless the OP works in a hotel or somewhere where main demand is in summer. Why on earth has she been blocked from having a holiday from May to Oct?

You might find this helpful.

www.worksmart.org.uk/rights/holidays

Does your contract have anything about when you must take holidays or the prescribed notice for it?

Make formal requests for leave by email/in writing. Then if it gets refused you can document each time it's been refused and ask when you will be allowed to take it. Make sure to cc hr. Yes you can be refused holiday if there is a business reason to refuse it but if you document a clear pattern of refusals and give the reasons refused it will become clear whether this is unreasonable or not. Of course going on holiday puts strain on others but this is expected. There are very deals/times when you can't do this.

Do not state a reason for your leave unless you are required by policy to do so. Only circumstances I can think of would be if moving day is an extra day given outside your annual allowance and therefore you want to make it clear it's not coming out of your annual leave but the other allowance or if there is something similar for medical appointments. I don't know if this applies to you but depending on the reason for the child's medical appointment if they come under the equalities act as their carer this can be classed as disability discrimination.

Good luck.

Is this holiday ban connected to the Olympics? My husband and I have both had holiday bans this year from 1st June - 1st October (different industries) and have had some real issues (I had to pay £300 to fly my mum in from Spain to cover some childcare)
It has been a pain but I see why it's needed.

Thanks for the great advice - I will request in writing from now on and I have started documenting refusals in my diary.

gaston - ironically those who needed leave for the olympics were allowed it as - you guessed it..

The olympics can't be re-arranged and it's a once in a life time opportunity.

When does your leave year run from? Apr - March or Jan to Dec? If it is Dec, then it is leaving it close to the end of the leave year to use all of your allowance.

I would be inclined to e-mail your boss and explain that you currently have x amount of hours in TOIL and X amount of unused days annual leave. Then ask for a week's leave / toil in, say, September.

If it gets turned down, then ask when it will be possible to avail of your toil and leave, cc-ing HR.

I don't tell my boss what my plans are whilst on leave - it is not your employer's business.

This sounds bonkers.

Is anyone ever allowed to take leave?

What is your annual allowance?