Boss taking all annual leave over school holidays

[Sickofthissheeet]

Between me and my boss one of us has to be in to provide cover. We both have school aged children but mine are reception and pre school and hers are secondary.

she has emailed me to say that management have approved for her to take her holiday across august and Xmas and Easter and I can’t take those times off as need to cover. Explained that we would need to compromise as also need time off then and she’s said if I don’t cover it mean she won’t get to spend time with her children or see her extended family(?!)

AIBU to think this is really unfair? We both want the same times off but surely we have to divvy them up? She can’t just take them all?

That’s dickish behaviour. Generally annual leave is first come first served but surely things like Christmas and probably Easter should be either rotated or split in a small team.

id just say no, you also want to spend time with your children and family so there needs to be a compromise.
and if she steadfastly refuses, email the senior management now for 2024/25 holiday approvals and see how she likes that.

No, but I wouldn't want to be either.

Why didn’t you take thatching iff already ?

anyway, you know you can get time off this summer. You have half a year to find a new job in a market where there’s labour shortages so should be easier than normal to find something else, cite being told you have to work all of Christmas and Easter as a deciding factor in moving jobs

This is true.

If this is a hill you’re prepared to die on, I’d give the boss above yours the heads up that you’re highly unlikely to be replaced by someone happy with this arrangement so they’re better off implementing something to ensure that annual leave during peak times is handled fairly now unless they want to be dealing with it every year.

Have you only just started OP? Just wondering what happened this Easter/ May half term just gone?

That’s a bit different to your OP!

I worked over Easter and also worked over Xmas and new year. The year before she said she had to have it off because she had to work the year before when I was on maternity leave.

Read the updates. It's not all the peak holidays at all. It's 2 of the 6 weeks in summer, 3 days over Christmas and all the Easter holidays (which is the only part that's slightly unfair). However, OP wasn't there to have the discussion with anyway because she was off sick which presumably her boss has been covering.

That leaves October half term, over half the Xmas holidays, Feb half term plus 4 of the 6 weeks in summer.

I don’t understand.

You can’t possibly think it’s wrong for someone to have booked two weeks off in August. It’s July OP!!! You can still take two or three weeks of summer holidays.

You say she has booked one week of Christmas holidays so you can have the other?

Easter, she’s got in first. Book February or Spring half term off. I can’t see the issue. She won’t always want exactly the same weeks off, no matter what she says now.

You need to be better organised about annual leave.

No I think you don’t understand, for xmas everyone wants that week off, as it’s actual xmas week? Between xmas and new year, the bit where you do stuff!

Easter it’s the whole holiday.

August it’s the last two weeks, every single year. She has said that always has been her summer holiday period going forward. I guess she’s raised it because it’s my first august having to deal with school summer holidays.

The February and October half terms aren’t generally treated as ‘family’ occasions the same way Christmas and Easter are. Regardless of how anyone’s family is made up, they’re shitty times of year to try and completely commandeer without discussion.

Covering other peoples roles due to sickness or maternity doesn’t mean you’re owed anything by them, mostly that’s a management issue if it’s affected annual leave but the absent person doesn’t owe anyone anything for taking their statutory rights to time away from work.

She can't unilaterally decide that, surely?

Honestly, I would get another job op, you're going to struggle with this every year.

She’s behaving appallingly. So selfish and entitled.

Is this a thing? Curious because I can book up to two years in advance. I dont have to wait until the holiday year starts (in july) I booked my November this year holiday in April last year. Actually thinking about it I think we can go up to three years in the future.

I've just checked and I can see up to 5 years calendar on our system, so I guess I can book holiday that far ahead.

For OP it seems very unfair, but you know now for next year, get booking now if you can.

Its all the bank holiday weeks and important dates so yes she is being very unreasonable. These should be alternated in my opinion , shes a cheeky sod.

When mine was primary age I put my holidays in for the next 12 months on the 1st Jan when the calendar opened.

Thank god I've never worked anywhere that would allow that. Bloody entitled parents.

Sounds like a pretty rubbish boss to be honest, it’s not right she gets to book holidays around all the bank holidays to get more time off, which is pretty much what’s she doing.

It's July. You appear not to have booked any leave due to being off sick then before that being on maternity leave. Have you only just started back after a very extended period of absence? I simply cannot understand why you haven't tried to book any holiday yet. Most people book Xmas as soon as bookings open, book summer in advance etc. Not booking anything gives the impression you really don't mind when you take leave. If you couldn't book it as you've been off for months on end she may feel entitled to first choice as she's been covering your absences.

she may feel entitled to first choice as she's been covering your absences

she obviously does feel entitled. Doesn’t make it right though. No one should be in a less favourable position because they’ve dared to be ill or have a baby.

When mine was primary age I put my holidays in for the next 12 months on the 1st Jan when the calendar opened.

That's what I always do.

I told my team to get their leave in asap, as it won't be guaranteed they will get what they want if someone else has booked before them.

If they don't get the leave they want because they haven't bothered to book in time, sucks to be them and learn for next time.

August seems reasonable especially as you don’t have anything booked or planned yet?

If you worked the Christmas week last year then either you should get it off this year, or split it eg one of you has Xmas eve, one has the days after Christmas.

Easter ask to split it a week each so you each get a bank holiday?

At my work we are all part time mothers of young children. We operate on the basis that you can't request the same time off each year/same dates as the previous year. We also have to have adequate cover.

It's annoying but I'd choose your battles. Does it really matter that she's chosen the last two weeks of August if you can have any other time in the summer holidays? I'd say ok I will agree that, but we need to negotiate the other two. If she says 'but I can't have a holiday then' I'd just say 'neither can I if you take those dates.' If she won't negotiate I'd speak to her manager about having a word with her about the principle of agreeing leave plans between you not just her unilaterally deciding.

That kind of arrangement works if everyone is on the same page and talks to one another. It doesn’t work when one person decides they can make and change all the rules without discussion with anyone it affects.

I’ve worked in both types of places, the latter kind of person generally has the hide of an elephant when it comes to this kind of stuff but is more than happy to pull out their x-factor sob story when things don’t go their way.

this