Any advice on this?

[GothDetective]

I work in the NHS I've requested a certain weekend off next month as its DD's birthday and we've arranged a party. I hardly ever ask for a weekend off and work more than my fair share of them, in fact last year I had a 5 month block where I worked every weekend!

So I've been given the weekend off but put down to work a night on the Friday - which takes me to 8@00am on the Sat morning - so I haven't got the Sat off. My manager says it up to me to find someone to swop with me and if no luck I have to work it. Surely its not my fault they've messed it up?

How long ago did you request the Saturday off? Do your company have a policy for requesting lieu days?

If you want a specific day off the only way to ensure you get that particular day is usually by having an annual leave request accepted. However, for the sake of common sense and staff morale employers are usually a bit more flexible than that.

How well do you normally get on with your manager? Do you usually have a good working relationship? Did you get agreement for that Saturday off in writing?

Sorry to ask more questions but it's hard to answer without knowing a bit more.

I think it must be an NHS specific thing - we have something called "off duty requests" that you fill out saying what shifts you want/don't want and should within reason get them. You always get your days off request but not always your days on requests. So I asked at the normal time when the sheet for March was in the staff room.

We never have to use up a/l as you can't book a/l for a specific day, I don't really want to use a whole week's a/l for one Saturday.

I don't really have any relationship with the manager as I normally have nothing to do with her. I do ward work and she's in an office sorting out budgets, etc. My day off request is in writing as on the Sat and Sun next to my name it says "Day off". But then I'm working till 8:00am on Sat!

If they make me work this then I will have to cancel DD's party.

I would give your boss a note - handwritten, so it's less threatening (but keep a copy) saying you understand doing the rota is difficult, time consuming blah blah blah, but that as you had requested and had it agreed you have made plans for your daughter's birthday party. Now you find you are down as working until 8am on that day which was not what was agreed. Please could you resolve this as it will mean cancelling your DD's birthday party etc etc.

And put a reasonable deadline in for resolution if you can.

If you don't get it sorted out after that you could raise a grievance but that would escalate things significantly and you'd need to think carefully if you want that.

Do you have a union rep you could discuss the matter with informally?