Holiday grabbing colleagues

[Allshallbewell2021]

I work with a team of people and we can't all be on holiday at the same time. Last year two collleagues put in for holiday over Easter with no acknowledgment of the impact on me, I still have a school aged child and one colleague has kids grown up so doesn't have to take Easter holidays.
I have no problem with working it - I've taken a few days at the very end of the holidays when they have graciously returned; it's just the lack of courtesy, consideration or consultation. Or even thanks, just snooze you lose, screw you and your Easter.
It just feels shitty and I feel disrespected - but I can't decide the value of saying anything as these two clearly don't give a crap so what would I achieve. But it's really eating me up. I don't mind the work at all, everyone has a right to a holiday -
I just feel disrespected.
Any way - thanks for the opportunity to vent!

Why don’t you get in there before them and request some holidays?

I don't see they've done anything wrong. Having children doesn't entitle you to specific holiday dates. If the dates are relevant and important to you, book them as soon as your calendar opens - thays what most people have to do.

Sorry, but you having kids doesn't trump anything, nor mean they should consult you. I get its probably annoying, but you can also I presumr make plans just as they have.

I got in and booked the first week of the holidays off (I have kids), I honestly don't care if someone else wanted it. I wouldn't expect them to think of me when booking annual leave either.

This is my thought. You should've booked it yourself if you wanted it. When did your holiday booking for Easter open and when did you consider booking it?

Any holiday I want, I book as soon as booking opens. Does that make me 'holiday-grabbing' or organised? 🤷‍♀️

YABU. They've booked holidays because nobody else was off, that's fair and square?

I mean, I don’t understand it from their perspective. I make sure I’m not off work on any school holidays as I can’t think of anything worse!

Just because you have children it doesn’t entitle you to school holidays off 🙄

Why did you not put your request in for annual leave?.

Surely this is down to your manager to coordinate better?

I don't allow first come first served for school holidays, except in exceptional circumstances (eg someone has a rare chance to see distant family). People get their requests in my a specified date then we share the school holidays out fairly.

But equally -if your manager doesn't do this then the onus is on you to get your request in early

(whether or not they have children isn't really relevant, lots of people like to extend the long weekend, or catch up with friends and family who are teachers etc)

Get in now with Christmas hols.

How does your holiday booking work - does it open at a particular date, e.g. start of the year? Are school holidays embargoed?

I used to work with someone. Three of us had school aged children and one of us always had to be in. She would describe herself as “really flexible” as long as she had her four weeks in the summer and week at May half term booked off.

Or holiday is booked online. People used to come in on NYD to book for the year to get the time they wanted. Snooze you lose

Many Of my childless colleagues have booked off, simply because they get two extra days because of the Good Friday and Easter Monday and don’t have to use two more days of annual leave.

It’s irrelevant whether someone has kids, Easter bank holiday is a great time to take as holiday - if you want that week off get it booked earlier, it’s next week, when did you try and book it??

The fact that you have children doesn't mean that they have to defer to you when they book available leave.

Years ago I was asked to move my holiday dates for a colleague because I didn’t have children. Boss said I could have whatever dates I wanted. HR said there were no options so I didn’t get any holiday.

You could apply for the dates early.

Having children doesn’t entitle you to priority with leave. Book yours earlier

One thing about me is imma grab my holidays.

If you wanted Easter off you should have booked it 🤷‍♀️

This has happened to me this year, 3 colleagues approachig retirement 'fancied Easter off' so now I have 2 weeks of childcare to juggle. I know everybody has the same rights but its annoying all the same...

I've just booked a holiday for next Easter!

YABVU.

If you don't put in requests for holidays, you are naive and sorely mistaken if you think colleagues are going to dawdle around consulting you about it!

Not quite sure what planet you think they would?!

The only person i knew who ever did this was my sister who used to offer to work Christmas Day so that colleagues with kids could have it off. Now she has kids, younger colleagues offer to work in her place over Christmas too.

I take a specific week off each year for very personal reasons that I wouldn't dream of explaining to colleagues.

Why didn't you book it earlier?

Me and my colleague discuss Christmas week as one of us has to be in (out of the 2) so we have an adult conversation . We don't have to but just something we find works for us.
Any other time is pretty much fair game though and we likely would not consult each other first.

Instead of being annoyed at your colleagues, you should be annoyed at yourself for not sorting out the leave you wanted early enough.