NHS recruitment timescale!!

[chassyp]

My employers, the NHS, are re recruiting posts. We have been given a timescale which is in November. They state that the recruitment timetable is not possible to accommodate leave, or holidays already booked by staff!! It seems that we are expected to cancel holidays booked and paid for, so that we can attend interviews. In the literature explaining the situation, they state that “The PCT cannot hold vacancies until staff return from leave. Can this be correct under employment law?? It seems like blackmail to some of us!!
Thanks in advance.

[buildersmate]

Unsurprisingly there is nothing in 'employment law' to cover this sort of detailed situation per se - it boils down to the reasonableness of the employers request.
For an employee who has already booked holiday time off and this has been accepted, it sounds very unreasonable - for others who might have been thinking about holiday, they will have to wait.
I suggest that the impacted staff raise a grievance.
There has to be simple way of interviewing staff who will away at the time a little before November.

[rowanwitch]

Contact your union for support, But when planning interviews it is normal to ask in advance for times when people will be unable to attend. i also suggest you contact the ACAS help line.