Leave and what they didn't warn me about at interview.

[Winterlogs]

Hello
Started my new job last month. Fast paced but I like it, a little intimidated by my boss.
Anyway had a catch up and leave was mentioned.
She wants a detailed plan of the year ahead and for me to submit all my request for leave now (leave starts in the acedemic year fir me)
I've never come acteas this before and really can't commit to a whole years leave just now!
I have a partner and it's impossible for us to know everything that will come up.
The other thing is I made need to take leave on a whim and so would like some for a rainy day.

This idea of leave isn't policy and wasn't mentioned in the interview. I don't know if this is normal? Is it unreasonable for a boss to expect this?
My other query is what should I do? I was planning on submitting those days I know I need leave for and then say the rest of leave I just don't know yet

What are peoples thoughts?

Thanks x

One thing to keep in mind is that the employer can dictate when you take your AL, so if you don't specify dates they may allocate you certain dates.

Have a conversation with your boss. The idea above of specifying all but five days would be a reasonable proposal to put forward.

I suggest you read up on it many websites are available. Your employer must legally give you the statutory holiday allowance and must make it possible for you to be able to take it but not necessarily when you would choose to take it. Your employer can indeed insist that you take 3 weeks off at Christmas, they can in fact tell you when you can take your holidays at other times as well, as long as they give you the correct amount of notice. Most employers are not that rigid, but some are because of business reasons. It depends entirely on what it says in your contract.

I have worked in one place that asked you to do this. It is normal at interviews IME for them not to run through all their policies. If they ask everyone to do this, I don't think you can do anything sadly.

It’s worth remembering that you request holiday - your managers don’t have to let you take it when you want it and don’t have to let you take it on a whim. They wouldn’t need a policy to say that either - nor would they mention it in an interview.
You need to talk to your manager and decide if this is an organisational culture you want to work in.

For what it’s worth I suspect you could learn to mange with this leave system - it just takes a different mindset.

My partner's work is like this, all holidays have to be requested in March. Anything out with school holidays can be slightly more flexible but there are no guarantees it would be authorised. They can only have a certain number of people off at once so it takes planning.

However he only gets shifts three weeks at a time, so we still don't know what he's working in November yet all holidays were requested in mArch . It does make planning anything ad-hoc, for weekends, wedding invites, concert tickets etc a pain in the arse, because you don't know that stuff a full year in advance to book time off and the shift rota not being avaialby until 3 weeks before means you can end up having commitments booked (because you can't leave it too late or you'll miss out) then being rotad to work.

Why do I get the feeling your role is in a chargeable service?

Are they trying to get you to plan it so they know when you are available to book client projects for? Even so, it's not standard.

Thanks.
My contract simply states the number of days and 8 bank Holidays with 4 days having to be taken over Christmas because of the business being closed.

I work for clients in an international setting.

I am not expecting to do things on a whim and I'm obviously adjusting.
Just surprised that this wasn't simply said at the interview in a by the way manner.

I wouldn’t agree to anything. I would say “I have caring responsibilities so can’t commit to my leave for a yea r, but rest assured I will work with or around others when I know what dates I would like”

I mean how can you possibly know that you won’t need an odd day off to take your car in for repair, or an emergency appointment or just a duvet day.