Holiday booking issues

[Beaubird83]

I work two jobs, one in a retail environment (won’t divulge where for obvious reasons) which I initially got as it was weekend working only, and it fitted with me having small children not wanting to put them into childcare too young. Been there three years.
I have a second job, which is what I have all of my previous work experience in since leaving school, I have qualifications in, and I am passionate about and has room to grow a career. It’s flexible around the kids weekdays only.

I made the decision to keep up the retail job as I love the people I work with, and due to circumstances there recently if I left it would cause them a lot of grief. I enjoy the job, but the upper management are, well, upper management. They aren’t amazingly helpful.

Financially, we as a family could happily cope with me just working one job.

Every year we all go on holiday with OHs side of the family, about 20 of us. Sounds hell, but we all get on together and we do our own thing some of the time.
We all looked at dates for next year, and with every one else’s schedules etc decided on dates. Nothing booked yet, but just to put in holiday requests.
I’ve put in for two weekends off in August 2020 and apparently too many people are off already. They said if it made me feel any better, June 2022 half term is also fully booked; I should book my leave further in advance if I want it during school holidays,
As it turns out, there is a lot of other people with kids who want school holidays off at this retail work. Doesn’t everyone.
My other job straight away said it was fine, and thanked me for giving such notice 🙄

I very very very rarely get any school holiday time off when I request it, I got one weekend off in school holiday time this year for a holiday and I had to fight them for that! As such, I don’t get to spend any decent quality time with OH and the kids as a family really. We haven’t been for a day out as a family since our second was born 3 years ago, and that makes me quite sad.

I feel like a right baby chucking their dummy out of the pram, but aibu to be considering leaving the retail job? If I haven’t booked all of my holiday by the end of April each tax year, they allocate it for me. But when I ask for holiday and it’s declined it doesn’t leave me much choice.

Fuck that. I'd hand in my notice.

What at @churchthecat said. Anyway retail is so transient they can't possibly work on that basis.

I'd leave

Would absolutely not be having that and I would leave. I loved my retail job when I was younger but it was crap like that that made my blood boil.

June 2022? Sorry, that's ridiculous.

Work there til Aug 2020 and then quit? The other employees who have booked that holiday slot off may leave before then anyway and you might not need to.
I don't really understand why you haven't had 1 day out as a family in 3 years though? Can't you book a Saturday or Sunday or bank holiday off during non school holidays? (Assuming your DH has a mon-fri job)

No need to resign just now. I would ask to be on a 'waiting list' for those weekends in case people leave.

If by this time next year nothing's changed give in your notice and leave then.

I'd leave no brainier

@benderinabun

The kids have stuff on quite a bit, like gymnastics, football, horse riding, their aunts & uncles take them out to cinema, and OHs son although we have him weekends sometimes does stuff with his mum as it’s the only time she can do it.
OH does also occasionally do overtime on a Saturday where my shifts allow it (if I work a late he’ll work early).

They don’t have a waiting list. It’s just a straight up no.

I hadn’t booked all my holiday last year by the end of April, so they allocated my two weeks holiday right at the end of March this year. I then had 9 hours still left to take but because they couldn’t find time for me to have time off, I lost the 9 hours.

I’m glad that I’m not the only one thinking it sounds insane.

To add, they have stuff on during term time on weekends mostly, like the football and gymnastics is term time only.

In that case you'd be mad to stay, def leave. Good luck!

Either leave now or stay until June / July 2020 & then leave. Either way, make sure to take your August 2020 holiday!

That is insane. I line manage a large number of parents and gave them a choice: everyone agrees leave amongst themselves and then comes to me with the outcome, or everyone takes it in very strict turns to have school holidays off. They chose option one as the most flexible. First come first served isn't fair and I say that as someone who would book years in advance!

Leave but I agree that you should wait until just before the holiday if nothing has changed. When you resign you tell them why.

Agree book the hol and leave in time to work your leave.

That’s crazy. Why are they allowing people to book holiday in 2022? Everywhere I’ve ever worked (including retail) you could only book a year in advance. If getting someone to cover your shift isn’t an option then I’d just quit. It sounds as if you don’t need the money and it’s eating into the family life so you’d probably be better off all round without the second job.

YANBU, I would tell the retail job to stick it up there arse.

They also need to manage holiday requests better. Special occasions like weddings notwithstanding they shouldn’t be allowing staff to book leave 3 years in advance!

*their

I actually work with another girl (she only does weekends too) and she has said she would happily cover my hours, but they don’t allow that.
Everything has to be authorised by the upper management. People go off sick, and their hours never get covered because it’s not allowed. We’re just meant to pick up the slack and put up with being told we aren’t doing enough, by the same management who won’t authorise cover.
Eg, someone had an op and was on long term sick for 5 months. They were a full timer, but upper management wouldn’t let anyone take up those hours in the interim.

Looking on it as I write it, it’s actually quite baffling. I used to be a manager albeit of a small team, but we all had kids. When the tax year began, we all sat down and said which holidays we’d like, and discuss it between us. Some times two people wanted the same time off, so I picked up the slack so they didn’t have to fight about it.
Maybe I was soft haha

This happened to me when I worked at M&S. They refused my leave for my wedding even though it was a year in advance and said that I had to book earlier as everyone had chosen their holiday days! I spoke to a more senior person who pointed out to them that it wasn't sensible to expect staff to come in and choose a date to get married with the people that approved the leave.

I left very soon after.

Booking leave for 3 years away? I’ve never even been in the same job that long! That’s mad.

Do you work at Boots?
They had an archaic way of booking holidays when I worked there 20 years ago!

@GillBiggeloesHair

Nope not Boots, although my cousin worked there for a time and said they were bloody awful for holidays, especially during summer holidays and that was only a couple of years ago so doesn’t look like it’s changed!

After speaking with MIL this evening (handily she used to be an usdaw rep up until a few years ago) she has advised me to ask how long in advance holiday can be booked, and ask for it to be shown in my contract and take it from there.
But she is also of the same mind that if it comes to the time and they still won’t let me have it, I could just quit and rely on the other job. We aren’t especially well off but we coped with me on one job before so it’s no biggy. That job also has the opportunity to grow and take on extra roles so I could always explore that I guess!

Thanks for the replies all 😘