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Original poster

DD 17 keeps getting holiday denied

31 replies

Rollergirl11 · 19/09/2023 14:20

She works for one of the main supermarket chains. She has a contract for 11 hours per week for shifts on a Monday and a Saturday. She has 3 days of holiday left to take before the end of January but they have to be booked in before the end of October otherwise you lose them. She has had 6 holiday requests for individual Saturdays denied. One of them was for a university open day that was important and she ended up not being able to attend. The dates fall in every month from August through to December. She has spoken to numerous supervisors to ask for the reason and they have stated too many other people off. She has asked a manager to email her the dates that are available between now and Jan. She has put in another 2 requests specifically for those dates and they have still been declined. Is there anything DD can do? It seems that they are refusing to allow her to take her holiday!

OP posts:
CherieBabySpliffUp · 19/09/2023 14:23

Don't most holiday years run April-March in retail? A family member works for a supermarket and theirs does. On the basis of that try booking dates after January.

TheOutlaws · 19/09/2023 14:26

I would be finding another job if I were your DD, tbh. There must be other employers looking for casual staff. They sound unreasonable in the extreme.

Original poster
Rollergirl11 · 19/09/2023 14:27

The holiday year runs February to January here. Days for Feb onwards come out of next years. She has to take her remaining days by the end of Jan and has to have them booked in by end of October. It isn’t a case that she’s left it too late to request as some of the requests were made 6 months prior to wanting the holiday.

OP posts:
Comefromaway · 19/09/2023 14:32

Miss a university open day? I'd have taken the day off anyway, no two day a week student job is that important.

She must not lose her holiday though. She needs to go to HR and ask them when she can take her remaining days so as not to lose her entitlement. Put the ball in their court.

FeigningConcern · 19/09/2023 15:09

She needs to go to HR and if no joy, raise a grievance detailing exactly what she has tried to book and when it's been declined, and especially about asking for "free" dates and those also being declined!

As PP says I'd have taken the open day off anyway. It's way more important than a part-time supermarket job. I'd have told the employer I either have the day off or I can hand in my notice but the day off is non-negotiable. Anyhow.

Ponderingwindow · 19/09/2023 15:11

Why on earth did she miss a university open day for an 11 hour a week student job? Her education should always come first.

crazycrofter · 19/09/2023 15:51

If she's not allowed to take the holiday, she needs to request to have it paid. And then get in early with her holiday next year!

Billybagpuss · 19/09/2023 15:57

Totally agree don’t miss important future career opportunities like uni open days for a part time job that won’t even make her CV in 5 years time. These places think they’re so terribly important and treat casual staff appallingly. Dd worked at McDonald’s during her last year of school. She filled in the staff portal thing to advise her availability. It was declined and they scheduled her for lots of shifts that clashed with school She messaged back, I wasn’t asking permission, these are the times I am available for. She left shortly afterwards for more money and way better hours.

rwalker · 19/09/2023 15:59

if the other Saturdays were already booked fair enough

you have to be quick at my work
if I got a list of Saturdays emailed to me unless I booked them there and then they’d be gone

she needs to see her manager and book them there and then with the manager

the dates were available at the time the email was sent anybody could if booked them in the mean time

Saturdays are like gold dust to book in most retail

rwalker · 19/09/2023 16:00

FeigningConcern · 19/09/2023 15:09

She needs to go to HR and if no joy, raise a grievance detailing exactly what she has tried to book and when it's been declined, and especially about asking for "free" dates and those also being declined!

As PP says I'd have taken the open day off anyway. It's way more important than a part-time supermarket job. I'd have told the employer I either have the day off or I can hand in my notice but the day off is non-negotiable. Anyhow.

Great attitude to work comment

itsmyp4rty · 19/09/2023 16:00

FeigningConcern · 19/09/2023 15:09

She needs to go to HR and if no joy, raise a grievance detailing exactly what she has tried to book and when it's been declined, and especially about asking for "free" dates and those also being declined!

As PP says I'd have taken the open day off anyway. It's way more important than a part-time supermarket job. I'd have told the employer I either have the day off or I can hand in my notice but the day off is non-negotiable. Anyhow.

This. Crazy to put a very part time supermarket job above her higher education.

Original poster
Rollergirl11 · 19/09/2023 16:01

She’s planning on leaving before her A-levels next year anyway so just wants to stick it out until then. Yep the open day was really annoying. It wasn’t the sole reason she didn’t end up going but the main one.

She tried to sit down with a manager last night and do it but she said she would email them to her. She’s spoken to the store manager about it too who suggested she sat with a line manager which is what she did last night. She just keeps getting pushed from pillar to post.

OP posts:
Comefromaway · 19/09/2023 16:02

Great attitude to work comment

As someone who used to employ 17 year old students (in a setting where ratios had to be kept to) I'd say it was an excellent attitude towards an employer who is clearly taking the mickey.

AgnesX · 19/09/2023 16:06

For the Open day, was she not able to swap? For the remaining days get her to start a paper trail with the shop managers and HR copied in.

Behaviour like this by employers never ceases to amaze me.

Original poster
Rollergirl11 · 19/09/2023 16:17

@AgnesX she was told to try and swap her shift (they are only allowed to do this twice per year anyway) but she couldn’t find anyone to take it. She also put the shift up on the work portal for someone to take as overtime but still didn’t get any takers.

In the end where we were planning on staying the night before and after the open day fell through and the university is 250 miles away so a long way to go and just became too much of a faff in the end. Given that it’s only a potential insurance option rather than one of her preferred we just gave up.

I think DD would rather just lose the days then kick up a fuss but I’m adamant they shouldn’t get away with this.

OP posts:
FeigningConcern · 19/09/2023 16:27

I think it’s an excellent attitude to an employer who is being unreasonable when in a part-time job that’s not that important or essential.

MrsMoastyToasty · 19/09/2023 16:31

Go to head office HR , not branch management.

FeigningConcern · 19/09/2023 16:33

You are absolutely right and this is an excellent opportunity for her to learn how to advocate for herself when being treated badly. Sometimes you do need to “kick up a fuss”. Remind her that her employer won’t give two hoots about her when she’s left. Their world will carry out without her and soon everyone will have forgotten her. What’s important is they she ensures that she receives fair treatment while at work and that she receives what she is entitled to. That holiday is part of her pay. By not taking it she is working for free. She needs to kick up a fuss unless she fancies doing voluntary work for the likes of Tesco et al.

lifegavemealemon · 19/09/2023 21:20

The exact thing happened to me when I worked at ASDA. I wrote a stern letter and handed it to the People (HR) Manager stating the exact dates I had requested and been denied and named the manager who denied them. I explained that I was entitled to leave and had been rejected without good reason. The Manager was able to sort it out. I would advise DD to write a letter/email to head office complaining but with very specific examples.

BadHairBae · 19/09/2023 22:00

Absolutely go to HR. They're trying to play her like a fool.

Original poster
Rollergirl11 · 20/09/2023 14:05

UPDATE: DD’s line manager responded back to her today saying that all holiday is full now until the end of the holiday year (end of Jan) so unfortunately DD will lose her holiday. Then manager commented that DD really should have booked her holiday in advance. DD replied saying that she’s been trying to book in the remainder of her holiday since April and it’s been declined 8 times. She also said if you are not going to allow me to take my holiday then legally i am entitled to the money instead and can you put me in touch with HR to get the matter resolved. Lo and behold they have found the days for her to take. They are rubbish days that she never would have picked herself but at least she has got them!

I’m proud that DD stuck up for herself and this has taught her a valuable life lesson; that it’s okay to be assertive (not rude) when you’re fighting for your rights. I think she’s going to sit down at the end of Jan when the new holiday year starts and request her holiday for the next 6 months, even though she’s planning on leaving around end of March/April to concentrate on her A levels.

OP posts:
Mistressanne · 20/09/2023 14:21

Well done your dd.
And when she does leave she should put on her leaving form that the treatment of younger pt staff regarding a/l is deplorable and needs addressing.

Comefromaway · 20/09/2023 14:25

Just make sure (because it sounds like they are going to be awkward about it) that when she books her holiday if she is going to leave that she pro ratas her entitlement.

Iloveacurry · 20/09/2023 14:37

Well done to your DD for standing up for herself. Sounds like they were trying to fob her off and for her to lose the holiday days …

Duckingella · 20/09/2023 15:15

Her line manager was obviously just attempting to take advantage of her.