Employer refusing annual leave

So, me and my GF are looking at a 2 week holiday next April/May, South East Asia likely.

Her employer is refusing to allow her more than 1 week holiday at any one time. I can’t seem to find anything on the citizens advice bureau relating to this, any advice?

Some companies have it in the employment contract that they expect the holidays to be spread throughout the year (I have such a clause in mine) some can be even more specific, but it is unusual. My holidays can even be cancelled once booked for operational reasons, but as my managers are not **** they will do everything possible to avoid that.

No allowing a 2 week holiday next year sound like they are ****, have they given a reason? I think they must give a reason for refusal, if someone else has already booked that time it in a small team that can be a reasonable reason.

Government website covers this, albeit probably not very helpful to you https://www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement-rights/booking-time-off-

ACAS also.
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4303

Holiday is taken by mutual consent usually. However I find it very odd to refuse more than a week at a time as most folk take a two week holiday

April / may is usually a time when there is not much competition for holidays so I don’t understand why they are doing this unless its a very busy time for the employer.

Have other employees taken 2 weeks at a time?

check contract / employee handbook and once again – join a union

One of the reasons I left my last job was their attitude to holidays. I won’t put up with it. I always book mine well in advance and make sure I don’t clash with anyone, which is fair and reasonable I think. Otherwise my holiday form is less of a request and more of “this is when I won’t be here” sort of thing.
If it’s not in the contract tell them to poke it.

my wife has to arrange her own cover, not sure what the role of HR is, if she wants a week or more. Not had a situation yet where every one has said no!

Week off, week sick. Sorted

Week off, 2 weeks sick. Sorted

Sorted, shower of shite.

Two weeks sick requires a doctors line. One week does not.

Not like a sick line is hard to get.

Not like a sick line is hard to get.

It is if you’re in asia trying to get hold of your GP

yeah, we’ll look into it, thanks for the advice.

Obviously, she is looking for a new job at the moment anyway, as you would with an employer who was like that.

Worst thing is, it’s not the employer, it’s her manager. She will escalate if nothing changes.

Ah – thats easier to deal with if its a manager making up their own rules

You need to find out if others have been allowed 2 weeks at once

You need to find out HRs position on it

How big a company?

Depends what she does, I’d not try and take 2 weeks off in april/may as we have a number of end of year reports that need producing for contracts that we are working on. Assuming nothing like that it seems a bit crap.

Is it because she is trying to take the main holidays off and others are also off at that time? Easter is much later next year compared to this year.

That causes issues for me as we’re a small team spread all over the world, other than that though can’t see why it’s an issue.

internal recruitment, and she isn’t senior, so really should not be an issue.

Think she will go above her head, not that it will every end well.

I can’t seem to find anything on the citizens advice bureau relating to this, any advice?

So you thought you’d try a bike forum?

I insist that people take a minimum of one 2 week holiday a year. It’s important to recharge the batteries. People still need to plan it properly thought and minimise disruption.

Hope you sort it out

not sure what the role of HR is

Simple, to keep the employer out of court

I’d ask for the reason for refusal in writing, and take it from there, as I’d consider it a genuine grievance if the best reason is ‘it’s not allowed’.

Requesting 2 weeks off is hardly an outrageous request – if there is a legitimate business need for refuasal, the ammount of notice is surley enough for the company to work around it, so it does sound unreasonable on the surface.

I insist that people take a minimum of one 2 week holiday a year.

Never heard of that before, and I for one hate having two weeks in one go, much rather have two separate weeks.

It’s important to recharge the batteries.

It only takes me until I get in my car to ‘turn off’ 🙂

I can’t seem to find anything on the citizens advice bureau relating to this, any advice?

So you thought you’d try a bike forum?

Is it in the wrong forum? Didn’t realise. Thanks for pointing it out in such a pleasant way

^ some financial places insist on a minimum fortnight, so that the employee’s books can be checked/audited.
Refusal in writing and push it up the ladder.

I *think* the employer needs to give a satisfactory reason for disallowing leave. They can’t just say no or make stuff up. If there is a legitimate reason then you are stuffed e.g to many people off work or the company is too busy etc. If its just they don’t allow 2 weeks off in a row then I would think thats unresonable. Even my crapy place of employment allows 3 weeks in a row

^ some financial places insist on a minimum fortnight, so that the employee’s books can be checked/audited.

Its also allows you to check how indispensible the indispensible really are!!! 😉

I advise anyone who thinks that 3 weeks off is a good idea to consider the above carefully. It isnt….

^ some financial places insist on a minimum fortnight, so that the employee’s books can be checked/audited.

You have to be an FCA (or PRA – not sure which) regulated person for it to be a “Rule”.

Doesn’t stop loads of employers adopting it for everybody as “Policy”.

given that you’ve let them know well in advance it does seem poor, as others have said, it may well be worth pushing a bit to find out why. And “because we’re busy” isn’t really a good enough answer. You may have to go above the line manager’s head.

2 weeks isn’t spectacularly unusual, and unless it’s specifically in the contract, or habitual for the work they do, there’s no good reason for not letting your missus have the time off as far as I can see.

thanks all for your help

Requesting 2 weeks off is hardly an outrageous request

Especially with several months’ notice, that’s just ridiculous. I’d be considering that as a Holiday Notification rather than a Holiday Request.

Arsey managers aside, her employment contract should detail holiday policy. See what it says in there in the first instance.

Book it and plan a new job?

Book it and plan a new job?

Yep I agree, life’s too short to be dictated to by work!

when i worked in industry we where only allowed 2 weeks off last week july first week august. rest had to be a few days at a time to aid production schedules.

Worst thing is, it’s not the employer, it’s her manager. She will escalate if nothing changes.

then i went to work in the nhs and a lazy worker same grade as me would always book holidays at school holidays, despite never going anywhere, and never seeming to have any intrest in his child, yet the weal jobswsworth manager ALWAYS said he could take the time off, and i had to rebook another week.

As said there’s no obligation for them to give 2 weeks of or the weeks you want, check her contract though for a clause and look for other staff who have had 2 werks off but that’s easy for employers to get around.

Don’t let her go sick you’ve just told told them you’re going on holiday. Don’t spit the dummy just because you can’t take your holidays when you want, they’re paying you to provide a service you can’t just please yourself.

I advise anyone who thinks that 3 weeks off is a good idea to consider the above carefully. It isnt….

I’m just coming to the end of 6 weeks off, and i’ll probably take another 3 over Christmas and new year.

What sort of dictatorial cockwombles do you work for?

Worst thing is, it’s not the employer, it’s her manager

Usually the case. People don’t leave companies, they leave managers.

In this case with this amount of notice, I’d say it’s wholly unreasonable. Plenty of time for them to arrange cover if necessary.

Though we’re generally lucky in the UK or with UK companies. American companies would likely refuse two weeks and few people in America consider taking that much time off in one go.

If she’s looking to move jobs, can she go freelance? Do what you like then with holidays 😀 . I’ve not even been keeping track of mine in the last few years. I just bog off on holiday if I want. Though holidays aren’t considered holidays, they’re days of no profit. So tempting to not take any.

THIS
Check T & C of contract
Check for usual practice – ie is she being discriminated against?

I advise anyone who thinks that 3 weeks off is a good idea to consider the above carefully

Even the teachers you claim to employ or have you forgotten that claim?

Have you mentioned this to MP’s over lunch yet?

a plan.. get pregnant.. year off.. and 18 years of joy..

I do not believe there is any legal reason for the employer to give 2 weeks together nor is there any actual legal need for them even to be reasonable over this

The only out is if the contract (unlikely) or employee handbook / HR policies say two weeks can be taken together or if others have had two weeks together.

Don’t spit the dummy just because you can’t take your holidays when you want, they’re paying you to provide a service you can’t just please yourself.

Stuff that. If they want happy staff, an element of “pleasing yourself” should be encouraged, otherwise the best staff will find a competitor who puts a better focus on work-life balance.

Don’t spit the dummy just because you can’t take your holidays when you want, they’re paying you to provide a service you can’t just please yourself.

Kind of agree with the sentiment of not going sick, but I’d be proper annoyed if I were denied 2 weeks leave, particularly with the amount of notice given on a whim. Escalate, go to the bosses boss but tell boss you are doing so (don’t go behind their back) Boss might suddenly have a change of heart.