Not allowed holidays

Marymoore

Hey guys,i just started temping on a short term contract of 11 weeks until end of September, I was planning to go away to Spain for a week end of august as my cousin is coming from Boston to go away with me. we had a meeting yesterday and were told that we are not allowed take any annual leave at all due to it being busy. Do I have any hope of getting this week away? I just feel I should Have been told this before starting the job as I had this plan for a long time

On the contrary, you should have informed the company of any planned holidays and clarified the rules about taking leave

Markus Antonius

Do you feel the company could be a potential source of future employment? Are you counting on getting a reference from them?

If no to both of the above why not just leave and go on the holidays? You'll only miss the last 4 weeks...

Like Niner said, if it's been planned for a long time, you should have brought it up with the company at the start. Ideally, at the interview stage.

You're entitled to time off or pay in lieu, but you're not entitled to take it whenever you like. Most companies request as much advance notice as possible, and it's now less than a month away from your trip. You're not giving them much time to plan around you.

That said, all hope is not lost. You can still ask. I would advise you do so discreetly and apologetically. I'd also advise you have a read of your contract, and if available your employee handbook/HR leave policy to make sure you go into any discussion properly informed.

Mrs OBumble

You're a temp on a short term contract: you're there to cover a need, not to swan off on holidays. You shouldn't have accepted the contract if you knew you couldn't fulfil it.

You won't be entitled to a full week of annual leave by the end of August. Do you mean unpaid leave?

If so, its at the company's discretion if they allow you take unpaid leave, but I can't see them allowing it.

Strumms

Given the circumstances of your employment there, it’s something that would have been wise to tell them at interview stage.

POBox19

"Hey guys,i just started temping on a short term contract of 11 weeks until end of September, I was planning to go away to Spain for a week end of august as my cousin is coming from Boston to go away with me. we had a meeting yesterday and were told that we are not allowed take any annual leave at all due to it being busy. Do I have any hope of getting this week away? I just feel I should Have been told this before starting the job as I had this plan for a long time"

So you knew about this plan for a long time before starting the job, but failed to tell them something that may have influenced their decision to employ you. They're busy which is why you got the contract. Any business would expect a temp to complete the term and not to be asking for mid-contract holidays a few days after starting.

Tails142

Tell them two weeks before that you're heading off on holidays and if they don't like it you can hand in notice or they can sack you, leave it up to them, you don't have any decision to make, it's a non-negotiable from your point of view.

Sonics2k

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117677815#Comment_117677815

Bloody hell do not do this.

You need to address this now with your manager to get the conversation rolling as early as possible. Ideally you would have told them before taking the offer or directly aftwards.

mondeoman72

I think your post is incredibly selfish. They took you on for an 11 week period. You presumably signed a contract for the 11 week period. Now you want to spring it on them you had a holiday planned all along and you don't want to do it.

You were brought in to do a specific job, in a specific time frame. You are taking the mickey even trying this crap.

airy fairy

Wow, you are employed for 11 weeks and you want a week off to go on your hollybops in the middle of it?

Seriously?

Why did you take the job if you knew this was planned? You should have said same during the interview process, but I guess you knew you wouldn't get the job if you did.

I doubt a temp job of 11 weeks can afford to let you off for a week even unpaid.

mondeoman72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117677938#Comment_117677938

I agree. I cannot work out if the attitude is arrogance or just stupidity. Harsh words perhaps but appropriate.

Marymoore

my Contract which the agency gave me said I could take annual leave as I accrued it. So it was a surprise to hear I can’t take any.. I hadn’t been told this before

Marymoore

Maybe I could suggest working weekends to make up the hours?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117678080#Comment_117678080

You won't have accrued enough by the end of August to begin with - won't even be two days.

Annual Leave is calculated in a few ways, its not accrued in advance, but is based on hours already worked.

See this info from Citizens Information on how to calculate your Annual Leave entitlement.

Annual leave (citizensinformation.ie)

When you can take the leave you have accrued is ultimately at the discretion of the employer.

If they are seriously busy they can refuse to approve any annual leave requests for a period of time.

If you don't get to take what you accrue by the time your contract ends, they'll have to pay you for it.

mondeoman72

You have to earn the leave. Then you request a particular date for holidays. It has to be approved.

An 11 week contract does not allow this. If I tell you I need someone to work until end of next month, and you say fine. You cannot turn around in two weeks saying I'm going on holiday August 15th.

Ash.J.Williams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058201251/not-allowed-holidays

i think you should have told them

James2020App

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679031#Comment_117679031

This is bang on.

marieholmfan

Quit with a weeks notice. 11 week contract through a temp agency; there's no relationship.

Don't do this if there's a proper job for you there etc.

marieholmfan

Quit with a weeks notice. 11 week contract through a temp agency; there's no relationship.

Don't do this if there's a proper job for you there etc.

Marymoore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679406#Comment_117679406

Thanks Marie,

the issue is that I don’t know right now if there’s a possibility of being kept on. Obviously some temps are kept and made permanent. Hard to know cos they don’t tell us.. what would be the best holiday excuse? Like can they refuse a wedding?

I was hoping for a reference from them at the end..

mondeoman72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679588#Comment_117679588

You need good relations for a reference. Trying to do what you are saying will seriously sour their opinion of you. You are entitled to a reference, but you may not get what you want. "Mary worked here for 11 weeks on a temp contract, then claimed holidays in the middle of it, her performance was satisfactory"

I have seen it done.

airy fairy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679588#Comment_117679588

Ah you're loosing the run of yourself now!

Not alone do you want to take a weeks holidays, you want to make up a good excuse to go there like a wedding or something?

And you expect a reference for a few weeks?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679588#Comment_117679588

They can refuse anything. And if you call in uncertified sick when you've been refused it is exceptionally likely to lead to the job ceasing.

Your due probably 4.5 days at the end of your 11 weeks. That's at the end of your 11 weeks as well if that's the employers wish.

Marymoore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679708#Comment_117679708

Is it not in my rights to get 1 week holiday after working 11 weeks… surely I’m entitled to holidays…

and I’m sure you can get a reference even on short contracts..

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117678080#Comment_117678080

If your contract is with an agency, then it is up to them to sort this out. If they told you, you could take annual leave and then turned around and contracted with the client company to supply a body for the full 11 weeks, then that is their problem, take it up with them. Don't put yourself in a situation where you are 'piggy in the middle' between them.

Marymoore

FYI I was told by agency I could take holidays

Girly Gal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117678087#Comment_117678087

No harm to try this, if it's possible, at least your employer will see that you are trying to come up with a solution, if you have the time worked up before hand, they may try to accommodate you, but, tbh, it's hard to expect to get a full week off when the contract is only for 11 weeks.

K.Flyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117678080#Comment_117678080

If it is in print on the contract for this work placement then refer back to the agency for clarity. If it's not written on the contract it doesn't exist.

But.. it will still most likely rankle with your current employer one way or the other, especially if they find out that this trip was planned prior to starting.

I personally don't see you coming out on top in this situation. Temp workers are just that temporary and in some instances a bit like a probationary period which gives the employer the opportunity to access your work ethic.

I would think at best you will probably end up with whatever holiday pay you are due and told your services are no longer required after your return.

As for a reference, hmmm, as Mondeoman72 says above, it will be basic at best.

Marymoore

It says in my contract I only need to give 3 hours notice to leave, so if I left before the trip, they wouldn’t be able to give me a bad reference as I didn’t break a contract correct?

AnRothar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679915#Comment_117679915

Let us know how this works for you.

😂😂

Stheno

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679915#Comment_117679915

Incorrect

Tails142

Lads, it's a temp job, no job is too busy that they can't work out how to give someone a week off in the middle of summer. Expecting someone to work 3 months straight with no leave is a big ask, especially when it's only being outlined at this point after hiring. If it was that important it should have been highlighted before hiring or in the person's contract.

Marymoore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679962#Comment_117679962

Thank you tails. At least there’s one person in the thread with a bit of compassion..

Tails142

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679970#Comment_117679970

Thread is full of wannabe Michael O'Leary's lol

mondeoman72

This thread is pretty much exhausted. Do whatever you want, but you are not going to get what you think. You are in fairyland with your ideas.

mrslancaster

Did you tell the agency you had holidays booked for August?

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679915#Comment_117679915

They can give either no reference citing "company policy", and tell you to get your certificate of service from the agency.

Or they can give an honest one "Marymoore was hired for an 11 week contract. In week 6 s/he asked for a week's annual leave. This was not able to be approved because Marymoore was providing cover for other staff who were on leave. Marymoore then resigned at the end of week 7, and did not fulfill his/her commitment."

Potential employer: "And would you hire Marymoore again"

Client: "No".

That said - if you're an agency worker, the client should not have even been discussing leave with you. That's between you and the agency. Talk to your handler (whatever your agency calls them), and see what they say.

HalfAndHalf

This has got to be a wind up surely?

How can someone old enough to have a job not know the basics of how the world works!

I despair for the future when I read uninformed entitled drivel like this!

🤦‍♂️

HalfAndHalf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679962#Comment_117679962

It’s a temp job to cover in the middle of summer! Do you really think that it isn’t to cover a busy period while perm staff are on holiday!! 🤦‍♂️

they’ve hardly said ‘ah sure let’s hire some temps just for the craic’!!

The OP should have made the company aware at interview stage but probably had an idea it would go against the hire so didn’t!

As you rightly say, if it was that important it should have been highlighted before being hired!!

xhomelezz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679962#Comment_117679962

Expecting someone to work for 3 months with no leave is a big ask.... Lol seriously?

HalfAndHalf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679915#Comment_117679915

This is a prime example of this having to be a wind up!

Surely you understand that you have signed a contract to work for 11 weeks on a temp basis to cover a function.

Regardless, if you can’t even see out an 11 week contract it’s not going to hold you well when you go for a perm role, because you know, they’re more than 11 weeks.

qwerty13

The way I’m reading it, the client had an expectation that you’d be there for the full 11 wks, presumably with the exception of sickness/an emergency.

The client may not have explicitly said that to your agent at the time. I would’ve thought it was kinda implied for such a short term contract that they weren’t anticipating a full weeks holiday - maybe they weren’t clear about that to your agent, or maybe your agent assumed by holidays, you meant accruing days off and using them on the odd day or two off. To be fair,you should have explicitly said to your agent about a full week off. Sounds like none of the 3 parties involved were entirely clear.

The reality of the situation is that if you do take this week off, you can kiss goodbye to it becoming a permanent role, or a decent reference. They’ll do a ‘reference’ confirming the dates that you worked there, but if they get asked on the QT, my take is that they’ll communicate their non-happiness with you taking a week off at their busy time while on a very short contract.

So it comes down to choices:

• if you want to have a chance at being made permanent, you’ll have to ditch the holiday
• if want them to give good feedback about you, ditch the holiday
• if you really really want the holiday, accept that they’re most likely not going to offer you a permanent role or give good feedback about you

Can your cousin come to Ireland, and you hang out together after work, and maybe go away for 2 nights together?

MAULBROOK

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679915#Comment_117679915

You are ether unbelievably stupid or just taking the piss out of us. You have not got a leg to stand on, the lack of respect is staggering.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117680146#Comment_117680146

Second such thread I've read in recent weeks.

HalfAndHalf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117680219#Comment_117680219

I find it hard to tell nowadays if this sort of thing is a wind up or a genuine question from the next ‘generation’.

If the latter, that’s why I worry for the future….

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679915#Comment_117679915

Whatever agency put you forward for this contract is not going to be impressed if you resign before the 11 weeks and even less if you leave with 3 hours notice.

I can't see them wanting to offer you more work in the future, but its up to you to weigh the pros and cons.

The agency should also have told you that how you take annual leave during the course of your contract is at the discretion of your employer, not the agency.

qwerty13

Also OP, the ‘official’ reference is nothing more than confirming that you did work somewhere, between 2 dates.

The unofficial reference is generally a phonecall - normally by people with connections between companies, and if they know and trust each other quite well, a frank discussion is had. If you/the agency provide a contact as a reference where the person considering hiring you is not a friend / ex-colleague of your old employer, it’s not normally a long conversation. It’s “would you hire X again”. And in your case, if you proceed with the week off, that answer is IMO going to be a big old NO.