Can they make me cancel my holiday?

[TeapotCollection]

Surely not, please ☹️

I’m on holiday next week, I’ve just been asked by a senior manager who I don’t know to do a job. Obviously told him I can’t because I’m not here. He made a few sarcastic comments about me having time off when we’re busy (we’re always busy) and I just got the impression he was expecting me to offer to postpone until later in the year

They can’t do this…..can they?

They need to give you twice as much official notice than the length of the leave.

If you are off for a week they need to give you 2 weeks notice if they cancel the leave. If they do this and you still go you could face a disciplinary for unauthorised absence.

They can always ask unofficially and you can say no and they make your life difficult or not however.........

Thank you. So they can’t cancel mine for next week, which is good

Rather shocked to hear they can give enough notice to cancel though, what if someone has got a £10k holiday booked 😮 (I haven’t)

From what you've said, it sounds like they are hoping to pressure you into 'voluntarily' cancelling your leave. Don't. It might be more proactive to find out who isn't on leave next week and who could do the requested task, and then suggest that person to the senior manager. But really it's for them to manage the resourcing issue - that's what they get paid for!

And I don't know what the law says,but i would also expect to be reimbursed for any financial losses

You're entitled to your holiday. You say you're always busy so even if you did postpone, exactly the same thing could happen again.

Go on your holiday and enjoy your time off. Holiday cover is not your responsibility.

One thing a good manager or company should never do is to try to mess with staff holidays.

Thanks all, this is very reassuring

I don’t know this manager but I’ve heard he’s a bit of a dick. He said that someone had suggested I might be able to help. I’d love to know who that someone is!

Im absolutely not cancelling, we’re going away and my husband wouldn’t be able to cancel his

It’s a simple typing job, albeit a long job

Whet others have said is the generic policy. Look at your own firms leave policy too. So for example as pp said they have to give you double the notice plus one day - my employer leave policy is that they won't revoke leave full stop so even tighter.

You have to get thick skinned about managers trying to get you to cancel leave.

Don’t worry I’m very thick skinned 😆

My own senior manager has just been to see me, he’s furious. He said that if he had approached one of Mr Dicks team in this way he’d hit the roof. He’s going to see him. My holiday is safe

As a bottom of the tree administrator I’m keeping out of it

Thank you all for your help and reassurance, much appreciated

He didn't ask you to make any changes to your holiday - you said you 'got the impression' he wanted you to. If anyone had said anything like that to me I'd just have laughed and said not a chance, this has been booked for months!

In the kindest way, I think you need to get a thicker skin about people making off the cuff remarks. And go and read your company handbook so you know where you stand on all kinds of issues. It'll save you a lot of worry!

Yes you’re right, I should have said “if this is leading to you asking me to cancel my holiday that’s a definite no”

You are over reacting. Nobody asked you to cancel your leave. Somebody suggested that you might be able to help, this really is quite normal, maybe the whole organisation doesn’t know about your holiday plans. You don’t sound thick skinned at all!