Part time annual leave help

[Niclia]

Help! I’m driving myself insane as I can’t decide whether I’m being unreasonable or whether my employer is being unreasonable about annual leave.

I work part time on Weds, Thurs and Fri. Christmas just gone, I didn’t work Mon 23rd Dec or Xmas Eve. I didn’t have to book it off and I didn’t get paid. I’ve been told that as I had these 2 days “off” this year, I will have to work the equivalent days at Christmas to make it fair to others in the team who couldn’t have it off last year. I get that annual leave can be refused and I get that if I’d booked it off, I possibly wouldn’t get it this year and that I should take turns but I feel really peeved that I’m being told I will make up for having those days off even though it was my own time/ not my employer’s time/ unpaid. I think if my employer had approached me and very nicely asked me if I could work it this year I would feel differently about it but because I’ve been told point blank that I will make up for it, I’m not happy. Am I being unreasonable or is my employer being unreasonable? Should they be telling me I have to make up for not working non contracted days?

My oh doesn’t think it’s right but that I should just accept it and carry on. I haven’t booked annual leave at Xmas since 2014 so I’m quite frustrated that I’ll have to work and not be considered when 4 of the other 5 team members have booked annual leave at Xmas in that time. It’s really niggling me and I don’t know what do! Do I just accept it as one of those things?

Any thoughts appreciated!

[Loftus]

I'm confused. When your say the equivalent days do you mean the Wednesday and Thursday, as Christmas Day is Friday this year? Are they saying you can't book leave for those two days that you are due to work?

[ClaireNJ]

Why would you have to book the 23rd & 24th off when you don’t work these days anyway 🤔

[Guest]

I am a bit confused as well. But I think all they are saying is that you wont be able to take off 23rd / 24th this year when these will be your regular working days.

That does not seem unreasonable or rather, I think it is your employer's prerogative. I think they could have worded it better however, I think what they really meant was that they would give priority to members of staff that had to work those days in 2019 if they want the equivalent time off in 2020.

I don't think either of you are being unreasonable, I think you are aggrieved by the way they put it but I also think your employer is trying to be fair.

[Dougie]

Originally Posted by Claudette

I don't think either of you are being unreasonable, I think you are aggrieved by the way they put it but I also think your employer is trying to be fair.

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This is how i saw it too.

I worked in a supermarket for 10yrs and always worked Christmas eve so staff with kids could have the day off/leave early but they always worked NYE so we could have the day off.

As this year 23rd and 24th are Wed and Thursday, i just think they are saying that its only fair others can book it first. I understand that last year they were your days off but i honestly think they are just trying to be fair.

[Hopefulholiday]

It’s a tricky situation and I understand your frustration but I think it’s probably just been handled badly. The overall outcome this year was that you had the Christmas period off due to the way Christmas fell. I personally think that if someone else worked last Christmas and wants Christmas off this year then it would be fair for the other person to have the time, although as you say it would have been nice for it to be a suggestion or ask you.
I’ve worked part time for a long time and at Christmas have swapped my days off etc to allow other people to have the days they want.

[Mexy02]

I work Monday , tues, weds and The bank holidays that occur during our leave year are pro rata and added on to my total leave , I am then expected to book the bank holidays off as full days leave if they land on my working days . They use to just reduce the amount of annual leave I was granted but changed it this year to this system. Either way I don’t gain with the bank holidays .
Is this what your employer is getting at ?

[lizzie145]

This year you will be working the 23rd and 24th and on leave on the 25th.
If others want leave on those days it is only fair that those who worked this year get first choice. If no one wants those days then it is reasonable to request them.

Some people become very flexible at Christmas with their days but the rest of the year they cant possibly change them ( not suggesting this is the OP)

[Floridag1rl]

I work Mon to Wed and when Christmas falls so the office is closed on the Mon,Tues and Wed I get three days off. This time comes off my bank holiday hours. The Thurs and Fri are not my contracted days to work so if the office opens them 2 days I don’t work as I am not paid for a Thurs or Fri. I think what your employer is saying is that if your office is shut the days you work you may get a percentage of the bank holiday cause you are not full time this is what I get, if after using all my bank holiday hours I owe hours cause I don’t get a full day being part time I take these hours off my annual leave. Your employer is probably thinking you don’t want to take any hours off your annual and is offering you to work instead.

[ely3857]

The 23rd & 24th are not ‘holidays’ officially so while they may be popular days to book off it’s completely irrelevant to your circumstances given you are not contracted to work Mondays or Tuesdays. I genuinely do not understand where your employer is coming from here at all.