can your boss expect you to give up holidays because someone else if off sick

[lorndem]

over a month ago i was grant my annual leave, which is about to start this friday for two weeks. two weeks ago my line manager and who is meant to be covering me went off sick, and meant not be back for months. she is expecting me not to take me holidays until she comes back. can she do this?

[mollykins]

Is there anything in your contract about it.

[mccfluff]

a certain amount of flexibiltiy is required, its an unusual situation. We would honour your holiday if you had booked to go away. if not we would ask that you could be flexible in helping to cover, making taking part but not all of the holiday.

[brenda]

Sounds very unreasonable, to me , but I don't know if your contract says anything about flexible holidays, and short notice changes.
Read it thro and see.
You could also tell your boss that as you were given the holiday slot you have made arrangements to go away -- so you are not available for this emergency cover.

[factor-fiction]

Approval of holidays is almost always subject to business need, But I'm not sure where you'd stand if, for example, your employer said you could have time off, so you booked a cruise, and then the employer said "sorry you need to work even though you can't get your cruise payment back"

Lorndem, have you actually paid for anything?

The employer can't ask you to give up holidays- they are just asking you to postpone them. But if the absence drags on they can't stop you taking your annual statutory entitlement

[lorndem]

i have check my contract, this does not seemed to be covered. it is a small company the last time she was off with a similar thing it was 4-five months before she was back fully.

[buildersmate]

Because the request has been granted already, it is not reasonable that you should be expected to cancel, particularly if you have made plans and incurred booking costs. So the answer is that the employer cannot demand that you rescind it now.

However in a small company flexibility is required, particularly of more senior staff. You may feel it appropriate to agree that you take the holiday later, but you shouldn't feel pressurised or obliged to do so. Much depends on the give-and-take relationship you have with the employer - if it all take and no give, I would not be inclined to agree to cancelling. If you have incurred costs because you agree to work and cancel I would expect (and I have previously agreed with employees) that the company will pick up your costs. Everything in this life is negotiable.

[dzug2]

May be worth checking your insurance policy - a few cover cancellation due to the illness of a close business associate, not just relatives.

But yes unreasonable or not, in the absence of anything specific in your contract, your employer can ask you to do this - even insist. But I would expect reimbursement of any costs you have incurred.

And if there is anything specific in your contract, it probably will say they can do this but will be a bit more specific as to procedures and consequences.

[lorndem]

Spoke to my boss, have got holidays thanks for the advice

[buildersmate]

Good - o.