holidays, why bother. (rant and a question)

GAC · 10 Feb 2016 at 00:10

ok a little background, i work nights doing 3 on 3 off rolling shifts along with another guy where i work.
i slapped my holiday request in 29th of nov last year to take nearly two weeks off started this sat the 13th and id be back in work the 21st.

up to last monday it was still all on then tuesday i get in work and theres an email sat there saying

I have just been checking the leave and cover sheets and I have no cover for the shifts you wanted off 13th Feb to 20th Feb.
As you only requested these on 09.12.2015 these are still only authorised subject to cover, so unless someone comes forward in the next few days you will not be able to take these off.
I won’t even be able to cover with 2nd line on call as we’ll be single covered most days from next week with Kirk leaving.
If you can find anyone to cover then by all means let me know and I can still authorise it.
Sorry

yes she signed it with a sad smiley face.

so obviously i was rather ticked off seeing as they had just given another guy the ok to book a holiday on the previous friday for the 21st of feb.

i eventually spoke with my manager monday morning and she's trying to get cover sorted and everything. so just woke up (the joys of crappy sleeping paterns) checked my works email and i find this.

I’ve not forgotten you, I’m still trying to sort. Once I know more I’ll let you know.
Thanks,

that was sent at 1024AM tuesday morning, the manager doesnt work wed so now il have to wait for thursday night.

so at what point does this go beyond a bit of give and take due to staffing issues and taking the urine royally, as iv booked time off end of year over christmas and when asked about it im already being told it could be iffy due to cover :rolleyes:

but yet she wont say one way or another if i can or cant have time off.

from what i can tell from the .gov site they are supposed to give you at least the same time as your time off as warning which tbh she sort of did emailing last tuesday but now i still dont know either way if im in or not, anyone got any idea where i stand as to say im spitting feathers is a understatement.

MissChief · 11 Feb 2016 at 03:32

It's not up to you to find cover. You're entitled to take holidays when you want/need them, subject to any stipulations in your contract about certain times of the year for example. It may be worth checking if there's a minimum notice required clause or anything like that. If you have a decent HR department it may be worth speaking with them separately.

If I were a cynical person I'd say your manager has only just realised, the **** has hit the fan and they're struggling to get any cover at such short notice. Also if your company can't manage with one single person being off on holiday then their work, staff and time management skills are pretty poor.

Also you said you requested them on 29/11 but the email states 09/12? 11 weeks notice should be more than sufficient I'd have thought if your date is correct. Even 9 weeks notice, going by the date on your email should be plenty of time to arrange cover.

Rifte · 11 Feb 2016 at 03:40

You can given more than enough notice and had your holiday request authorised (I assume that you were given the all clear from your manager when you did?, some form of signature etc?)

I would tell her you have made plans, you can't change them, and you won't be in.

GAC · 11 Feb 2016 at 04:20

its a small charity so not really much of anything, to give you an idea how hopeless they are the admin/hr monkey left her post for something else start of the year but they didnt advertise the post or anything internally till she moved. so gives you an idea of how brainless they are.

as for the manager yeah the penny dropped and rather than admitting she messed up and ask me to change she goes all out to pull them. as she did give the ok for the other night guy to take time off which overlaps with mine, and presumed he would cover mine without actually asking him. she's good like that.

since i posted the above i'am getting sat and sun off which me and the other night shift guys worked out but as for the shifts next week i doubt it.

as for my contract all it states is i have to give "adequate time" what ever the hell that is but the .gov site states it as twice the time off. and also the best line "holidays must be convenient to the charity" which to me means they can prat me about whenever they want.

thats the one rifte, they dont give the all clear half of the time, you put it in then it goes on the cover sheet and seems if no one covers it this crap starts up. hence im rather ticked off as i booked them end of november and yet it took till the 25th of jan to turn up on a cover sheet?! something i suggested the manager asks the idiot doing admin now as it will cause more issues down the line with other people.

Caged · 11 Feb 2016 at 21:14

Are they organised enough to actually do anything if you just take the time off anyway and come back and say you must have gotten confused about whether the leave had been approved or not?

Pudney · 11 Feb 2016 at 22:49

MissChief said:
You're entitled to take holidays when you want/need them

You're really not entitled to take holiday when you want. You're only entitled to have a certain amount of holiday per year not when.

Although it is pretty crappy of your employer. But since you updated it's a small charity I am not massively surprised their processes and controls are rubbish.

GAC · 12 Feb 2016 at 00:44

it gets better got a email update off of the manager today and im sure she thinks she's doing me a favour sorting out cover for this weekend even though its been myself and other guy on nights talking about him covering for me.

I need to book your next 1-1 in. Do you want to come in when you’re not working? I have Monday 22nd Feb free, alternatively you can stay on after your shift the morning of Thursday 26th and I’ll see you at 9am? Which would you prefer?
Still working on your leave for next week. the other guy is covering 13th and 14th so we’ve got a bit of time to try and sort the others.
Thanks,

first up, even if i get the days off next week il be in on the 21st till the morning of the 1st of march as i cover the other guys holidays which she already knew, although seem's she's forgotten about, so the 1-1 can go get stuffed.

as for the bit of time il be sending her a rather crappy email tomorrow night when im back in work asking what time i have as i cant sort out the stuff i wanted to do in the few days she's left me if i had the time off.

and no caged their not, god only knows what will happen now the other night guy is changing his job to a day support role, means they have to hire a new night worker. last time they did that it took them 6 months to find me.

Caged · 12 Feb 2016 at 01:05

Do you want to come in when you’re not working?

Nope

GAC · 12 Feb 2016 at 01:24

yeah, more so when im doing 12 nights straight, she really is an idiot.

a set of keys went missing at christmas, on said keys was a master key for every door and a security fob to get people in to the building and the office. she's still not got around to replacing it and changing the key fob and locks.