Work holidays entitlement question

Dreadi · 5 Mar 2010 at 13:21

So i've just spoken to one of my managers and have been told that this weekend they have got me down 3 days off on holiday, although i haven't booked any time off. I have been told i have 6 days owed to me which have to be booked off by the end of the financial year (end of march) which is fair enough but surely they can't book the time off for me without my consent? They said they have no hours to give me this weekend (why take on several new staff then start cutting back hours!?)

Where do i stand with this? Are they allowed to book my holidays for me or is there anything i can do about this? The main boss who has done this is away till monday so i can't really get it sorted and the duty manager i have spoken to understands where i coming from but is powerless to make any changes...

Neodite · 5 Mar 2010 at 13:26

Thats what they do at my place too. Don't use them and they will choose days for you

Dreadi · 5 Mar 2010 at 13:29

Neodite said:
Thats what they do at my place too. Don't use them and they will choose days for you

But i have told them i want to use them and having had this discussion with another duty manager, was explicitly told that if WE don't book them, then we miss out on them. It seems just because they have taken on new staff and have been told to cut hours that i am losing myh holidays as i wanted them for the end of march to coincide with my girlfriends time off.
Keeping in mind as well that they only told me about this last week as i only started last december.

Neodite · 5 Mar 2010 at 13:31

They might be the only days avalible that they are giving you

Dreadi · 5 Mar 2010 at 13:37

I'm pretty sure it's just a case of they have taken 7 new staff and then been told by head office to cut hours. I guessing from the replies theres sod all i can do about it then?

Drunkenmassacre · 5 Mar 2010 at 13:39

As far as I'm aware, they can't book you off for holidays without your consent. They can offer you to take the weekend off as holiday, but you have to agree with it. Get in touch with Citizens Advice Bureau to see where you stand legally

tres · 5 Mar 2010 at 13:47

Your employer has every right to specify when you are to take holiday - good practice of course assumes they give you adequate notice. Always refer to your contract of employment though

Dreadi · 5 Mar 2010 at 13:54

yeah, CAB website says "Your employer can order you to take all or any of your holiday at a particular time, as long as they give you the right notice at the right time and take into account certain agreements between you." yet it was not discussed with me at all which has ****ed me right of as i seem to be the only person who has been able to choose when they get to take them from speaking to other staff...

tres · 5 Mar 2010 at 14:02

I haven't looked at the legislation for a while, but don't they have to give you twice the notice of the duration of your holiday?

ie. if they're forcing you to take a week off, they must give you two weeks notice

Again - check your contract of employment.

konicky · 5 Mar 2010 at 14:14

Dreadi said:
It seems just because they have taken on new staff and have been told to cut hours that i am losing myh holidays as i wanted them for the end of march to coincide with my girlfriends time off.

If you wanted time off at the end of March you should have booked it earlier!

Drunkenmassacre · 5 Mar 2010 at 14:17

Dude, be a man, get your gfs holidays to coincide with yours!

Freefaller · 5 Mar 2010 at 14:21

Neodite said:
Thats what they do at my place too. Don't use them and they will choose days for you

Neodite said:
They might be the only days avalible that they are giving you

Bang on.

You could ask them if they have any other dates to choose from - but they're perfectly entitled to do what they've done. I've done the same for my staff and managers in the past when they haven't been taking any holidays.

oneale90 · 5 Mar 2010 at 14:29

Is the law that screwed up that the company you work for can 'order' you to take your holiday. As the op said, he wants his hols at the end of march and thus should damn well be entitled to take it when HE wants, not when his ******* employer wants him to!

Dreadi · 5 Mar 2010 at 14:33

konicky said:
If you wanted time off at the end of March you should have booked it earlier!

I booked a day off for a wedding but only found out last weekend i had 6 days owed and trying to catch my boss is like trying to turn lead into gold, and even when you do catch him he's to highly strung and busy to talk to you, let alone help you out. Prime example, he was too busy the other week to stick his key on the till to sort me out discount for my lunch, too busy to give it to my team leader who could have done it, or even myself....

gv_of_e said:
Dude, be a man, get your gfs holidays to coincide with yours!

She works in a school, bit harder for her as shes gets all the term time off

Freefaller · 5 Mar 2010 at 14:52

oneale90 said:
Is the law that screwed up that the company you work for can 'order' you to take your holiday. As the op said, he wants his hols at the end of march and thus should damn well be entitled to take it when HE wants, not when his ******* employer wants him to!

Erm no. If there are too many people off on holiday, it's at the manager's discretion as to whether or not to grant a holiday. Of course mitigating circumstances come into play, furthermore, someone should never book their holiday until the holiday has been agreed with work. You cannot have your whole work force off on holiday at one time. It's often a 1st come 1st served, within reason, and provided the right division/allocation looking at previous holiday requests and the dates requested. I've had to reluctantly deny several holiday requests in the past. I managed to convince some of the guys to swap holiday times for convenience of them both and my own...

Surfer · 5 Mar 2010 at 16:14

Dreadi said:
I booked a day off for a wedding but only found out last weekend i had 6 days owed and trying to catch my boss is like trying to turn lead into gold, and even when you do catch him he's to highly strung and busy to talk to you, let alone help you out. Prime example, he was too busy the other week to stick his key on the till to sort me out discount for my lunch, too busy to give it to my team leader who could have done it, or even myself....

You can carry a few days over to next years allocation so no worries.

If you cant contact your manager to sort smt then either just send him the email holiday notification or whatever (with enough notice). If he doesnt get back to you saying no you cant take em it isnt your fault - just take them. Ohh and cc the emails to your union rep/steward.

Dreadi · 5 Mar 2010 at 18:29

Surfer said:
You can carry a few days over to next years allocation so no worries.

If you cant contact your manager to sort smt then either just send him the email holiday notification or whatever (with enough notice). If he doesnt get back to you saying no you cant take em it isnt your fault - just take them. Ohh and cc the emails to your union rep/steward.

They don't allow holiday banking as far as i know/have heard and don't know his email but thats a good shout as i booked the weekend off over valentines weekend as i had booked to go away. Booked it off a month in advance, told him repeatedly and he even wrote it down himself......still forgot and had me down for shifts and then rang me when i never turned up...

Stupot_ · 5 Mar 2010 at 20:39

I don't know why you're moaning so much. You've left it far too late.

gavinpoo · 6 Mar 2010 at 02:05

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandholidays/DG_10034711

As long as your employer has given you sufficient notice, in this case six days, then you have to take the time off as a holiday. If not you can't be forced to use it. However, if the days you want off aren't available then you may as well take this time off as you have no right to carry holidays over to the next year unless set out in your contract. In general you use it or lose it.

You're lucky they're setting the time off for you. You've had a whole year to use up to 28 days of holiday and yet you have six days left unbooked with only four(ish) weeks remaining in which to use them.