holidays for parents with school age children

[granny grump]

Is there for a well known firm of bakers with a large number of stores in the north east and has been with them for about 3 years. As all the other members of staff have been there for longer and have school age children all of the school holidays are taken and she cannot geet any time off with her 11 year old son. Is there anything that she can do about this? She isn't looking for any preferntial treatment but even a week with him would be good

[cazzz1975]

has she discussed this with them? maybe they can come to a compromise? maybe not the main weeks but maybe a half term week?

[granny grump]

She has tried and they say that it is company policy - I just thought that mothers of school age children had a few more rights now

[granny grump]

She has tried and they say that it is company policy - I just thought that mothers of school age children had a few more rights now Even a half trerm week would be good

[buildersmate]

There is no legal right to demand a holiday at a specific time, if that was your question.
It is for the employer to decide what their policy is, given that the business will wish to remain open at all times with a minimum number of staff.
Many employers make it a 'first-come-first-served' basis when it comes to booking holiday - but it would be unreasonable if you are saying that EACH year those staff with the longest service have the first pick of the school holiday weeks. Is that what you are saying?

[granny grump]

Yes builders mate that is the situation where she works. All of her holidays are taken outside school holidays and this year she has had to take her son out of school for a week just to have a weeks holiday with him - somehting she is very loth to do and has never done before

[caththecrazy]

If it is a well known firm of bakers with a head office then she should try contacting them -it could be the policy of the local store not company policy????

Tell her to ask them to put it in writing for her - bet they won't

[craft1948]

Years ago when I worked for the then GPO Telephones this was also the policy.....longest serving got the pick of the holidays. I resented this as I was the only one in the office with a school age child. However, when I became one of the longer serving ones I loved it so you must look at it from both points of view.

[caththecrazy]

What a load of mean people she works with if they can't see she would love to have a week off with her son.

Knowing that the only way she will have time off when she wants is if someone leaves - not a lot of comfort now though is it?

[Ice.Maiden]

A child's only young once. Myself - I'd put him first and leave the place.

[granny grump]

Thank you all for your advice. Yes it is mean but they don't seem bothered - she is an 'offcumden' not a local so I think that there is a bit of closing ranks. I have suggested contacting head office but she is worried about losing her job and there aren't a lot of other jobs avaialble in that area. Myself and his other gran and his dad- when he's home on leave - cover the holidays but that isn't the point. Thank you again for taking the time to post your comments.

[wolf63]

WHen I was a civil servant we had a list which was in basically first in at the top of the list where the people with the longest service were always at the top.

But to try and make everybody happy (joke) it was changed so that whoever was at the top one year was put back to the bottom the next - a rota for leave.

There was still moaning and bitching but such is life.

[granny grump]

thank you wolf63 I think that she is justgoing to have to grin and bear it