Should I have responded to a colleague's comment about my annual leave?

[Madeinitaly]

I work in a small team and a new colleague will be starting with us shortly, We’re so busy it’s hard to get your own job done let alone a new starter as there’s the training side to do which we have to do between the three of us. When talking with my colleagues I reminded them that I’d soon be going in annual leave when she said ‘oh leave j]us with the hard work then’..

This has left me feeling a bit off thinking I’m somehow getting away with something, when I’m not. I ignored the comment, Should I have responded to this ?

She’s joking!

She was just joking

It's hard to say without hearing the tone. It could be a joke though I have worked in a small team where I came to dread colleagues annual leave for workload reasons. The colleague might not be blaming you but rather the situation though.

I think it's one of those half jokes/half truths. Ultimately, they're going to be busier because you're off, it's not that they don't want you to take your leave but they were probably semi pissed off at the way it's fallen and also a bit of office banter....
I'd have given a big smile and said "yeah sorry about that, I'll have a pint coloda for you" or whatever.... it's not a big deal.

I would assume they were trying to be funny, with maybe a slight amount of passive aggression! Think nothing more of it.

It's fine to have ignored it. I would have laughed and said "yes, my timing is impeccable!"

You're being way too sensitive and you're overthinking it.

If it's a one off then best ignored.

Whatever the feelings or intentions behind this comment I don't think that it needs a response.

This is the kind of thing people say jokingly in my team so I would ignore it. However, if this isn't a standard way of communicating in your team they might not have been joking. However, I still wouldn't get my knickers in a twist about it as it is their problem.

Oi would have just made light of it and laughed

I think it was meant jokingly, I wouldn’t dwell on it OP just enjoy your time off and remember this is something you are entitled to as is said colleague making snarky comments.

Exactly this. Sounds like standard work chit chat that keeps the place ticking along pleasantly.

I think pretty much everytime someone says they are going on leave someone else says something like this! It's just a standard comment. The response is generally something like 'yes I'll be thinking of you while I'm drinking cocktails on the beach'.

When I was still working, this was a fairly common remark when any of us went on holiday, usually along the lines of "don't you worry about us, we'll cope with all the work, you just have a lovely time"!

It was never taken as an insult but we got on very well all the time so no one took umbrage at having that said to them.

We were a very easy going group of colleagues I'm glad to say.

It sounds like a casual comment, you shouldn't over think it.