How do I deal with this member of staff?

[user106931]

I have recently started in a new role as a manager in a retail store. Every December the staff are asked to request their holidays for the next financial year so 2021/22 and also put down which bank holidays they will work.
I have one member of staff who has recently returned from long term sick (cancer) and she is refusing to put her requests in as she can't plan that far ahead.
Whats the best way to cope with this situation?

Call HR and ask them for guidance.

Awkward but can you ask her to put her dates and if anything needs to change, you will deal with it closer to the time as you can't be seen to be treating anyone more favourably whatever their circumstances?

Definitely get guidance from HR, but you most certainly can make allowances given her health challenges.

Your staff member is legally considered to be disabled. You should get proper advice from HR, not the internet.

And by the way your language suggests you’re not being very supportive. Deal with? Refusing?

You should be asking how to support her, not how to deal with her!

You want a person who is facing the possibility of losing their fight against cancer to plan her holidays for 2022?
That’s extremely callous

We have a similar system. There's a deadline when everyone needs to get their requests in and if people are willing or able to plan ahead, they have to take pot luck with what's left.

It's not unreasonable that she doesn't want to book her leave now, but she can't prevent everyone else from booking it too.

Aren't willing...

You make allowances for someone dealing with a whole lot more than planning annual leave 🙄

Christ when will management start treating staff like human beings?

I think people are being a bit unfair to the OP. At no point did they say they would force her to put in holiday dates but is asking for advice on how to handle the situation.

Like @BiggerTallerFaster said, it's not unreasonable for her to not want to put her dates in now but it shouldn't stop other staff getting theirs. And if her dates don't go in with everyone else's then she is unlikely to get the time off she wants.

I think it's hard to know where to draw the line. If you say holiday doesn't have to be submitted now with everyone else, when does it have to be submitted? A month before? 2 weeks? Regardless of the circumstances I think this would create some resentment with other staff who do have to plan a year ahead.

I'm sure a lot of people have reasons why planning that far ahead isn't suitable for them but if you go down that route you effectively end up pitting people's circumstances against each other to see which reason is the most valid - which isn't helpful for anyone.

As the employee has suffered cancer she will be covered by the equality act and under old terms (DDA)

This means that reasonable adjustments should be made to assist her to undertake her role. Reasonable adjustments doesn't mean by the way to do whatever they want which some managers mistakenly believe.

It is not unreasonable for her to be required to submit her annual leave requests. This is in fact sensible in helping her manage her condition to ensure she gets regular breaks. It doesn't mean she will always get priority over others.

If she is ill when scheduled to have leave the leave is returned to her

If she’s wanting school holidays or specific dates then she’s running the risk of having them refused when she does request them..

I’d have a sit down chat and explain it all again. Retail needs to be organised well and she’s there to do a job. I’m also a retail manager, I usually say ‘talk it over with your family and get back to me’

That way they realise it’s necessary ( family are usually more likely to push the issue)