Holiday request process
Discussion
My employer (big global type) uses an automated system for holiday requests (SAP). I have a new boss who failed to see the notification email for my recent request so it was escalated to her boss and also provided a notification to me that it remained unapproved. I'm sure this will get sorted, no issue really.
But, within the body of the notification to me there was a statement that if the request was not approved within two (or maybe three) weeks the request would be cancelled and the employee (me) would be required to re-apply.
Does this fit within employment law? If the employee has complied with using the required process within the required timeframe then shouldn't the request stand, onus should be on the manager to reject the request if it doesn't suit the needs of the business.
No 'just be thankful you have a job' posts please I'm asking about the generic process, not the specifics of my request which I will deal with by the tried and trusted method of ringing her up!
But, within the body of the notification to me there was a statement that if the request was not approved within two (or maybe three) weeks the request would be cancelled and the employee (me) would be required to re-apply.
Does this fit within employment law? If the employee has complied with using the required process within the required timeframe then shouldn't the request stand, onus should be on the manager to reject the request if it doesn't suit the needs of the business.
No 'just be thankful you have a job' posts please I'm asking about the generic process, not the specifics of my request which I will deal with by the tried and trusted method of ringing her up!
Government says:
Booking time off
The general notice period for taking leave is at least twice as long as the amount of leave a worker wants to take (for example 2 days’ notice for 1 day’s leave), unless the contract says something different.
An employer can refuse a leave request but they must give as much notice as the amount of leave requested - for example 2 weeks’ notice if the leave requested was 2 weeks.
So, only book a week's leave two weeks before, and if they don't get back to you straight away your home free...
......not really.
Booking time off
The general notice period for taking leave is at least twice as long as the amount of leave a worker wants to take (for example 2 days’ notice for 1 day’s leave), unless the contract says something different.
An employer can refuse a leave request but they must give as much notice as the amount of leave requested - for example 2 weeks’ notice if the leave requested was 2 weeks.
So, only book a week's leave two weeks before, and if they don't get back to you straight away your home free...
......not really.
It essentially says that if your leave isn't approved, then it gets cancelled. But that's only valid if twice the period of leave requested is available between the cancellation date and the leave.
So if you book 2 weeks off, for a month's time, after three weeks your employer rejects the request - this wouldn't be legit because you only have one week before the leave left and therefore they missed the boat.
If you booked 2 weeks off in two months time, then they would be just in time after 3 weeks as you'd have 5 weeks left (roughly here!) and their notice would be 4 weeks worth.
So if you book 2 weeks off, for a month's time, after three weeks your employer rejects the request - this wouldn't be legit because you only have one week before the leave left and therefore they missed the boat.
If you booked 2 weeks off in two months time, then they would be just in time after 3 weeks as you'd have 5 weeks left (roughly here!) and their notice would be 4 weeks worth.
Thanks for the replies so far, but don't forget I am not talking about rejected requests (regardless of any notice period) but about a scenario where a request is submitted in line with process, but ignored/missed by the approver and auto-cancelled. From my perspective, if a request is submitted in line with process and not rejected then it should stand.
I don't expect there will be anything in my contract. It might be covered in a policy somewhere but thats not the point of my question.
My question is around the default position of a holiday request (within any employer using any system from conversations or fag packets or whatever) be cancelled if not responded to within a certain period. My thoughts are that the onus should be on the employer to reject in the agreed (or legal guidelines in the absence of anything else) timeframe or the request stands and I wondered if the law supported that.
Nobody has refused anything by ignoring, my situation is resolved.
My question is around the default position of a holiday request (within any employer using any system from conversations or fag packets or whatever) be cancelled if not responded to within a certain period. My thoughts are that the onus should be on the employer to reject in the agreed (or legal guidelines in the absence of anything else) timeframe or the request stands and I wondered if the law supported that.
Nobody has refused anything by ignoring, my situation is resolved.
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
Makes me glad I've always worked at places where this was typical:
"I'm off for a couple of weeks in a couple of weeks. All right?"
Our leave process is put an MS Outlook meeting in mine and my bosses calendar. "I'm off for a couple of weeks in a couple of weeks. All right?"
If he accepts it, he knows where I am when I am not there.
If he declines to accept the meeting, and then wonders where I am, he can "see" my calendar that shows I am away on leave.
If I can't take leave he tells me to my face and we work together to get a new date!
Simples.
Unfortunately the other 59,998 people in our company (pre CV-19 negative headcount growth scenarios, probably about 8 now) seem to use paper forms, Operations Managers and HR a bit like the OP in some "My SPS" software which is in reverse a ytaews lllab gab fo knaw".
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