My brother is getting married and can't get time off!!

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 14 Oct 2016, 11:29

k979aaa wrote:
postiewhite wrote:SO am I allowed to take unpaid leave for two days or will that get rejected too?
Cannot stop you state your reason give them a reasonable notice period ie a week or two in advance and bob's your uncle. So sorry it is a bitch to get time off in royalmail but it is not my fault the system is corrupt at best!

Sorry, but please don't give bad advice if you are unsure.

Any employer is allowed to refuse a request for leave either unpaid or paid. Their only legal responsibility is that you must be allowed to take your statutory entitlement.

https://www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement- ... -time-off-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

An employer can refuse a leave request but they must give as much notice as the amount of leave requested, eg 2 weeks’ notice if the leave requested was 2 weeks.

Although employers can refuse to give leave at a certain time, they can’t refuse to let workers take the leave at all.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 14 Oct 2016, 17:23

It's not a holiday it's special leave the kind of leave if someone dies/birth of a child/or other circumstance of which their are hundred's, Sometimes you get paid other time's not depend's who you know in the office. But no one can stop you not attending work if you have a valid reason or that would be slavery at best and against the law of the land.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 14 Oct 2016, 17:38

This is more like it https://www.gov.uk/time-off-for-dependants" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; As your brother may have kid's don't say anything on here about it you may need to look after them while is getting married. We need extended family's these days so what is the problem as I see it you probably will be taking it unpaid but why would you want to miss it and why should you bet the managers get when they want off and are probably paid as well.

daveyeff · Post by **daveyeff** » 15 Oct 2016, 11:57

if you can't get unpaid leave, you could ask someone who is off on the days you require if they would do it for cash in hand. its going to cost you either way so why not try it.

stephen.cal87 · Post by **stephen.cal87** » 15 Oct 2016, 16:49

This has happended to me on a few occasions in the new office im in. My old delivery office was brilliant never got annual leave turned down. Now anytime if I just need a day or two off I dont tell anyone & just call in sick provided your not on any stage warnings. Managers make up rules as they go so play the game as they do. Unfortunately in royal mail honesty doesnt pay when days off are concerned.

Post by **Lounge Lizard** » 15 Oct 2016, 17:11

TrueBlueTerrier wrote:
k979aaa wrote:
postiewhite wrote:SO am I allowed to take unpaid leave for two days or will that get rejected too?
Cannot stop you state your reason give them a reasonable notice period ie a week or two in advance and bob's your uncle. So sorry it is a bitch to get time off in royalmail but it is not my fault the system is corrupt at best!

Sorry, but please don't give bad advice if you are unsure.

Any employer is allowed to refuse a request for leave either unpaid or paid. Their only legal responsibility is that you must be allowed to take your statutory entitlement.

https://www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement- ... -time-off-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

An employer can refuse a leave request but they must give as much notice as the amount of leave requested, eg 2 weeks’ notice if the leave requested was 2 weeks.

Although employers can refuse to give leave at a certain time, they can’t refuse to let workers take the leave at all.

TBT,
Digressing from the specific question this thread is about, given that "Although employers can refuse to give leave at a certain time, they can’t refuse to let workers take the leave at all" does this mean that a DOM can specify during which weeks we each take leave, i.e. his decision when we're off not our choice ?

crazyshrew · Post by **crazyshrew** » 15 Oct 2016, 21:00

Lounge Lizard wrote: TBT,
Digressing from the specific question this thread is about, given that "Although employers can refuse to give leave at a certain time, they can’t refuse to let workers take the leave at all" does this mean that a DOM can specify during which weeks we each take leave, i.e. his decision when we're off not our choice ?

Yes, Many employers have periods of shut down, for example over Christmas.
I used to work for one. 2 Weeks of our AL had to be saved to take over the festive season. It was seasonal work with 11-month contracts and only needed a skeleton staff to cover the last few weeks of the year, always knew who wasn't going to be kept on because they would suddenly be given all remaining A/L

Post by **Lounge Lizard** » 16 Oct 2016, 01:16

crazyshrew wrote:
Lounge Lizard wrote: TBT,
Digressing from the specific question this thread is about, given that "Although employers can refuse to give leave at a certain time, they can’t refuse to let workers take the leave at all" does this mean that a DOM can specify during which weeks we each take leave, i.e. his decision when we're off not our choice ?
Yes, Many employers have periods of shut down, for example over Christmas.
I used to work for one. 2 Weeks of our AL had to be saved to take over the festive season. It was seasonal work with 11-month contracts and only needed a skeleton staff to cover the last few weeks of the year, always knew who wasn't going to be kept on because they would suddenly be given all remaining A/L

So that's a bit like factories in some areas that 'shut down' for a week or fortnight during the summer which suggests that employers must be able to insist, at least to some extent, when employees take their weave.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 16 Oct 2016, 07:11

To confirm Crazyshrew:

ACAS http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1374" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Employers can set the times when workers can take their leave - for example a Christmas shut down.

TUC: https://worksmart.org.uk/work-rights/ho ... -they-want" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yes. You do not necessarily have the right to choose when you take your holiday, and your employer can tell you when to take your leave.

Government: https://www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement- ... -time-off-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Employers can:

tell their staff to take leave, eg bank holidays or Christmas
restrict when leave can be taken, eg at certain busy periods

P739 · Post by **P739** » 16 Oct 2016, 08:28

Had to take a full weeks leave for a family members wedding put in for the day off 9 Months in advance and still didn't get it off raging

cpsteve · Post by **cpsteve** » 16 Oct 2016, 12:42

Find out who is off that week and ask if they will cancel two of their days(not easy) if they agree the manager will have cover for you and should give you leave good luck.

mr hil. · Post by **mr hil.** » 16 Oct 2016, 13:01

You normally have two days off in a week, should you normally work on a rota that lets you know when your days off are in advance? If you do which days would you be scheduled to have off that week? If you're a reserve then I would be requesting in writing the two days off and request confirmation in writing any decision the DOM comes to, with reasons as to his decision. If you still do not get the days off I would follow up with a request for Special leave to be granted for family reasons for the two days, do not stipuluate that you want unpaid leave because the decision is the DOMS as to which leave he grants you and he has to inform you why he came to that decision.

If all else fails speak to your colleagues maybe one of them would be willing to work either for cash (against Royal Mail Rules) or as a banker day that they can ask you to work for them sometime either before or after the event, this is the best solutiuon because you don't loose any money and it generates a positive vibe in the office for you and the other staff member that helps you.

I workedmy day off on Christmas Eve one year so a colleague could get home for Christmas, he was always grateful and we regularly swapped days off after that when either of us needed to.

Good luck

CharlesSpooner · Post by **CharlesSpooner** » 16 Oct 2016, 19:53

If it was my brother's wedding I'd tell the manager I'm willing to bend over backwards for the time off I need but I definitely won't be in so it's up to him / her how they deal with it.

Or alternatively, try and find out who the area manager is and get in touch with them asking why your DO is so poorly staffed and why your DOM isn't given the resources he obviously needs. I've gone over my DOM's head twice regarding personal issues and both times the area manager has agreed that the DOM is incorrect and told him to rectify the situation.

I

peshwaarinaan · Post by **peshwaarinaan** » 17 Oct 2016, 10:10

Pay someone to do it for you. I've done that many times.

yellowbelly · Post by **yellowbelly** » 17 Oct 2016, 19:30

peshwaarinaan wrote:Pay someone to do it for you. I've done that many times.

Posties shouldn't have to go round begging or paying their colleagues for a days leave, this is just poor management,
a manager who can't organise somebody's leave months in advance is not worthy of the title 'manager'. It's all
about management of resources and keeping your staff happy.

No doubt the OP will no longer go 'the extra mile' they keep banging on about. Two things I learnt
in my working life are that if you keep people happy regarding their holidays and pay they will
do almost anything for you even in the most dire circumstances - mess with these two things
and they'll do the minimum amount they can get away with.....in my short time in RM I've seen
these are the two things RM management manage to screw people about with the most.......