Staff holidays request

[westMidlands]

Dear all,

Our nursery is mostly busy term time and am sure a lot of you folks probably are in the same boat as me. Recently, the company's policy became stricter requesting term time staff not to take any holidays during term time and only in exceptional circumstances (medical, sickness etc), they can have a day off. This is because of the pressures it put on the rest of the staff.

 

Yesterday, one of the term time staff came to ask for half a day off before may bank holiday. The reason was that she can leave early to go to her holiday place. I declined the request owing to the above. I explained to her gently that she needs to take holidays outside term-time.

 

Today, we had another term time staff requesting 3 term time days off because she has to take her mum to the doctor. I have asked her to see if she can re-scheduled the appointments to non-term time, but also understand the need for her to be with her mum. Obviously, I do not want to be enforceful but at same time term time staff need to understand their availability is paramount in term time.

Any thoughts peeps?

[Foreveryoung]

As we are term time only we too ask the same, I think it's hard to decline but needs must just becareful over the mum one as she can fall under dependant leave, you can ask to see appointment letter off top of my head not sure how many days are 'norm' but leave is to be allowed, unpaid.

 

It annoys life out of me all the holiday buisness x

[Guest]

Hi,

 

This is a really hard one, It depends on a bit of give and take really as you don't want to lose the good will of your staff (if they show any!) I think with the staff member who needs time off for their mum health if there is no one else to take her then I would grant on medical grounds of a close family member. As for the other member of staff I think you were right to decline if it is company policy. The hard thing is that if there is no option ever to swap days or time off you risk staff just phoning in sick at the last minute putting more pressure on working staff or added to staff cost if you have to find cover at short notice. Probably not been much help sorry.

[BroadOaks]

We have the same arrangement with staff holidays for the same reasons. This is not easy to manage at all. I don't have much more advice than already said, and i just hope you can sort things out. A little give and take can cause problems when other staff ask for similar time off.. it's a tricky one

[lashes2508]

Our contracts state no holidays in term time but we do make discretionary allowances , one of my staff turns 21 this summer and wants to go away to celebrate , I said I would ask committee as they are the employers and if we can cover it , we have agreed this .

I think each circumstance has to be judged on its own merit .

[westMidlands]

Thanks everyone for all their suggestions.