RHU Question: Can Employer Choose Your Holiday Days?

Hi RHU, Bakery Bitch here again.

I still love my job, but I've also noticed a few things,and one thing has happened that's confused me.

I was hired at the same time as three other newbies, one of whom has since quit. The other two either chat all the time, never talk at all, or just do everything badly. In order to stop this messing up peak times, they get given the "good" shifts at non-peak times, which is pretty gutting on my part. On the bright side... I feel happy that I don't suck at my job. ^^

Now for the confusing part. It seems we've not got enough hours this month, I'm guessing cause it's an empty month really (though empty is definitely a relative term!). Fair enough, reduced hours. I can deal with reduced hours, being a weekend worker and all, as long as I fulfil my contract. Though the other week I didn't even get that tiny amount of hours...

However, they've told all of us weekenders (four of us) to take two of our allotted four yearly holidays this month. As I started partway through the year (we re-set our holidays at an odd time), I don't even get four, I get three. I was coincidentally on a pre-booked holiday when we were all told this, and so I've been put in as taking a holiday and only told about it today.

It may be an odd question, but I was talking to my co-workers and we're not even sure if that kind of thing is allowed - I mean, what if we needed to take our holidays at another point? It's quite gutting as I already had mine all planned out, though turns out the one day I DO want off I can't get anyway. But if anyone has any knowledge of this, it'd be really helpful to know. If our boss is allowed to force us to take holidays/book us as on a holiday without our knowledge?

Thanks everyone, and I hope retail hell is slightly heavenly for you all.

--Bakery Bitch

 

Comments

[Chris]

I'm fairly certain they can only tell you when you CAN'T take holiday, not when you're supposed to.

[?]

Yeah at my job when there are barely any ours they would ASK us if we want to use our PTO. They don't tell us we have to use them. Although one manager did tell an employee to use it and another told the employee that was not allowed. I think they spoke to her, I don't know if she still does it.

[AmigaTech]

There's usually quite a bit of free legal advice available a phone call or web search away, at your local Better Business Bureau or equivalent.

It's worth noting, of course, that standing up for your rights once makes it a lot more likely you'll get canned later for technically legal but practically horse-pucky reasons.

--AT

[WMDKitty]

I'm not a lawyer, but that sounds hinky. Almost positive it's bordering on illegal.

[ShipsaLot]

Unless you're in a position where you have to have x number of hours per week or you'll lose benefits, it seems shady. At my work, if you are full time position and work less than 35 hrs per week, unless you use PTO to put you up over 35, you become eligible for review and your benefits can be revoked. That's how our employee handbook is written, at least.

[Notabaker]

Well, despite what others have said, I know that for where I live it's allowed. I'm not in retail, but this happened to me as well, as the plant I work for was shutting down for a week due to machine upgrades/maintainance work and we were told that we were all on a weeks vacation pay (we get 3 weeks per year.) I called the Labour board about it and they said that yes, they are perfectly within their rights to dictate to us when our weeks are used. However the company did allow us to book an extra, unpaid, week if we really needed that third week at a specific time.

Also, for this years vacation bookings, if we don't have them all on the calander before the end of Feb. the managers will decide when our weeks are, based on availability. So it's almost a courtesy that we get to pick our weeks at all.

If you're really bent out of shape over it there are places to contact to be sure.

[LadyBelle]

A lot is going to depend on what country you are in, and if you are in the US, what state you are in. Your local labor board would help more then anything since you might be under very different laws then posters on here.

[Music Girl]

I guess it would depend on how the law is set up where you live, but it does sound a bit off.

My mom works for a daycare, and the couple of weeks after Christmas, a lot of parents weren't bringing their kids in. Since there wasn't any need for her there, the owner told my mom not to come in, but to take vacation days for it. We later found out she's not legally allowed to order her to do that, but mom's a pushover so she didn't say anything.

[grmrsan]

They might believe that most of you would prefer that to losing pay for those days. Perhaps if you talked to your manager and let them know that you preferred the option of not being paid that day and reserving your vacation for another time.