Annual Leave

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Its called freedom of speech look it up.

We live in a country where you can air your views, but it sounds like you cant on here.

I didn't say you couldn't. I asked you to post only where appropriate.

I'll give you fair warning you are treading very close to getting a permanent ban for ignoring the rules and causing disruption.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

We live in a country where you can air your views

Are you really so naive?

Not naïve, just tired of some from the CWU with out dated views who will drive the company into the ground and the members out of jobs.

...... and you are entitled to those views, you are even allowed to post them in appropriate threads. But its against the ethos of RMC, and unfair on other posters, for individuals to take threads off-topic just because they want to make a point.

I'll make it simple. Disagree with someone wanting advice START A NEW THREAD - it really is that simple.

[greengiant]

Leave should be allocated in leave groups. However you may find there would be people happy to swap annual leave if they'd rather not be off during the school holidays. I know personally I'd rather swap leave so folk with kids can be off during school holidays.

It is pretty strange in this day and age staff can't login somewhere to book holidays / check leave entitlement etc without having to fill out bits of paper which the Dom forgets about.

Anyway to the op, perhaps a word with union rep may help. Good luck.

[SpacePhoenix]

It is pretty strange in this day and age staff can't login somewhere to book holidays / check leave entitlement etc without having to fill out bits of paper which the Dom forgets about.

I wouldn't be surprised if it were possible with PSP, if it is possible I've no idea what RM's reasons are for not setting it up to make it possible

[smok3y666]

Doing leave purely by seniority is illegal. Your office probably has everyone divided into leave groups.

December is Christmas Pressure, when there has always been a blanket ban on leave

Could you go into this more please as out office does leave purely by seniority from top to bottom despite what people who know its wrong say about it.

[postslippete]

I always find it staggering that we can only actually pick 2 weeks off in our office annual leave. The other weeks we have are already pre-allocated and so we have to try and swap with someone else because they are weeks in January and February that most of us don't want....unless you happen to be one of the looked after crew and you get weeks off and days off as and when you want

[97gaz]

I

[smartecosse]

Thanks for all the replies.

The annual leave sheets were posted on the notice board this morning.

No input from staff as to when they would like to be off....simply allocated dates.

If you don't like it then you are to try and swop it with someone else.

Not impressed :(

[awesomepenguin]

What you will very quickly find is there is very little explained properly in your job description or contract.

Most of the stuff is just agreed by the union then foisted on you.

Welcome to Royal Fail.

[ScousePostie]

Doing leave purely by seniority is illegal. Your office probably has everyone divided into leave groups.

December is Christmas Pressure, when there has always been a blanket ban on leave

Our office is divided into leave groups.

So, as an example;

Year 1: Group A has first choice, then B, C, D.
Year 2: Group B has first choice, then C, D, A.
Year 3: Group C has first choice, then D, A, B
...and so on.

I've been here five years now and always got the leave weeks that I've asked for first time. The most popular choice for week off in our office is week after schools break up for summer and week after Christmas.

[SpacePhoenix]

Doing leave purely by seniority is illegal. Your office probably has everyone divided into leave groups.

December is Christmas Pressure, when there has always been a blanket ban on leave

Our office is divided into leave groups.

So, as an example;

Year 1: Group A has first choice, then B, C, D.
Year 2: Group B has first choice, then C, D, A.
Year 3: Group C has first choice, then D, A, B
...and so on.

I've been here five years now and always got the leave weeks that I've asked for first time. The most popular choice for week off in our office is week after schools break up for summer and week after Christmas.

That's how it's done locally. To a degree it's going to depend on what % of staff on a shift have got kids, if it's a high % then you can expect the school holidays to be full or overbooked. Bank holiday weeks are always popular (partly because you get 5 days holiday for 4 days leave - assuming someone works Mon-Fri)

[Celgar]

Thanks for all the replies.

The annual leave sheets were posted on the notice board this morning.

No input from staff as to when they would like to be off....simply allocated dates.

If you don't like it then you are to try and swop it with someone else.

Not impressed :(

I am very surprised that you are not allowed any type of choice in which weeks of AL you can have in your office. I would suggest all the posties in your office get together with the union rep and ask for your system to be changed. If you have less than thirty staff as you mentioned in your OP it can't be that much work to sort out.
In our small DO of eleven walks we use the seniority system to allocate AL but it goes top to bottom one year then bottom to top the next. We usually choose two weeks then two then the last two as most posties either have the full allocation of 30 days(or how many hours as it is now)or have 'bought' the top up to get to 30 days. Not everybody gets the weeks they want all the time but it doesn't work out too bad. We do the extra absorption in June/July/August which enables an additional AL slot for each of the weeks in those three months. If we couldn't choose which AL weeks we wanted there would be a riot so you need to get together and sort your office out.

[crimson king]

Thanks for all the replies.

The annual leave sheets were posted on the notice board this morning.

No input from staff as to when they would like to be off....simply allocated dates.

If you don't like it then you are to try and swop it with someone else.

Not impressed :(

Blimey, that is a terrible state of affairs!

What does your Union rep say about this? Are they onboard with this unfair, Draconian allocation system? Are the manager's leave dates allocated the same way?

There is so much wrong with this I can't believe the posties haven't kicked off at your place. If they allocated leave in this way at my DO I wouldn't stick around for long.

Shocking. I hope you can get something sorted, best of luck.

[ArthurPewty]

It is pretty strange in this day and age staff can't login somewhere to book holidays / check leave entitlement etc without having to fill out bits of paper which the Dom forgets about.

I wouldn't be surprised if it were possible with PSP, if it is possible I've no idea what RM's reasons are for not setting it up to make it possible

Where I worked previously it was all done 'online'. you logged into your account, and could request leave from say a year ahead - it was blocked for requests before that time- then up to a certain time (about 6 weeks before the leave date I think) you'd book your leave and could see how many others had already booked the same week(s). If I remember it was a first come first served system. If the maximum number was reached you couldn't book the time, but you were added to a standby list so if anyone cancelled the next person on the list got it. It would then lock down the 6 weeks ahead. It was all automatic, no manager involved unless you asked if they could squeeze another slot if you were 1st standby. That was nearly 10 years ago, so even RM should have caught up by now. Got rid of all the favouritism, victimisation, arguments etc as it was all computerised, everything recorded and time/date stamped as to who requested what & when etc. Worked a treat.

[themailman]

Just checking to confirm what others are saying that annual leave is supposed to be all allocated by the END of October?
Is this a union agreement?