It depends on the company he works for - where I work we can "shift swap". Basically, that means that if I can find someone to work my shift (and the boss agrees) then I can repay them the hours at another time.
Good luck.

he works for a large distribution company that employs hundreds of people over 5 departments,in his department there is already 2 other people with holiday time booked then , but as it is 6 months away is there a complaints procedure he can follow, thanks!

He will need to check the terms and conditions of his employment. If he doesn't have a copy then he is entitled to ask for one. However, he may find that it says (as it does on mine) that holidays should not be booked until confirmation is received that the dates have been agreed. If two people are already off from a small department it may mean that there is no leeway for cover.

Unfortunately I think you will find that most companies who do not have set holidays for staff (ie the firm shuts down) have policies in place (check staff handbook, with a company that size they will have one) where usually you have to have permission (probably using a holiday request form) to take your holiday on a certain date. If two other people have already booked holidays on the dates you want then they have requested them first, and most businesses will run on a first come, first served basis.

You can probably change your flights for an admin charge and your hotel will probably change for free.

Unless he has changed jobs then its at the companies disgression.

If he changed jobs then the company has to hour the dates unless he has failed to tell them in the first week of employment. Otherwise it coudl be seen as pulling a fast one.

If this isnt the case then you shoudl always check the time you can have off before booking and paying with your hard earned cash.

Some advice HERE.

Pippy

Thanks for linking to that Pippy - was just about to link to the same article.

As a trained USDAW union representative, I can confirm that whilst you are entitled to paid holiday it is to the Company's discretion as to when you can take them.

Mark

thanks to everyone for their advice, hes going to try and appeal to there better nature and if all else fails then il have to work round it .

With all the goodwill in the world this will really depend on whether there are going to be enough people to cover the work if three people are all off at the same time from the same department. I doubt that he has a leg to stand on if they refuse - you'll just have to try and re-arrange things and pay any associated admin charges.

For the future it might be worth checking whether his employer operates some sort of 'in principle' system. I work within a very small team and at certain times of the year it's just not possible for any of us to take leave. At others we can cope with one person being away but not two and outside of the University teaching periods we can all go away at the same time if we want. So we have this system where you can 'flag up' that you want to take leave at a particular time which gives a manager time to check whether it will be possibly to arrange cover or not and also for the person wanting to take leave to check out what might be available etc. As long as your manager then says 'Yes' in principle, you can then go ahead and book knowing that your leave request will definitely be agreed once you've been able to make a booking but it doesn't commit you to definitely take that time off if in the end you aren't able to find something suitable. It seems to work well for us.

SM

yes i know i should have checked first but it has never been a problem in the last 10 years getting the dates he wanted , new manager in charge and because there is a few off on long term sick he has been refused. oh well il just have to wait and see what happens.

It's the long term sick that is causing the problem then, and that the other ones who wanted the same dates got theirs in first.

I would personally change the holiday because you are otherwise dependant on the long term sick returning to work before then, and you can't guarantee that will happen.

Had the same problem last year, asked at the beginning of the year for 9 days holiday at the end of July which I'd already booked but boss said no.
I then said nothing about it again, made sure I was on time every day and had no time off sick, then a few weeks before holiday I made an appointment to see a woman doctor 2 days before my holiday started. Turned up unshaven and gave her the ' i feel terrible, can't sleep, have no patience, i'm aggressive all the time, I've worked shifts for 10 years and never had a problem sleeping etc'. Told her I'd already been off work for a week and feel no better and that my wife is on about leaving me unless I see a doctor, gave me a note for 2 weeks 'stress', paid the £7 to get my prescription, sent the note to work and off I went on my hols.
Returned to work with a tan and my prescribed tablets, what could they say, had a doctors note to refrain from work (not holiday) and I'd only had 10 days of my 20 days entitlement off for the year.

Great story to which we at where I work wised up to.

A note in the diary is made of all holidays refused and those going sick during the period they were refused a holiday are being asked to attend a disciplinary meeting.

And with all sick pay being discretionary - guess what happens to those people
It is called fraud and/or theft. Not recommended

Mark

I think as long as you follow the works procedure of phoning in on your 1st day of sickness, send in a doctors note, the company will pay you. I've had no time off since so 10 days of my entitlement in 2 years is an excellent sick record compared to most.
Most places now you will have a disciplinary meeting but only after your 3rd period of absence in 12 months or more than 12 days off.
I agree its not recommended but as long as you can live with your conscience .....

I think that is really irresponsible advice. Many employers would have made a note of the date the leave is originally requested for and if the individual 'by coincidence' went sick on exactly those dates their employment contract could be at risk.

Just because you 'got away with it' and defrauded your employer of two weeks money it's not sensible to encourage another person to do this.

Their employers systems may be a lot more robust than your employers.

Personally I find the idea of HT members encouraging others to commit a fraudulent action off putting. And Dangerous. What about others who have been refused their preferred dates, you don't think they would be resentful?

Get caught out and you could be dismissed.

fwh

Totally agree with the last two comments.

Whilst dismissal is very unlikely (a doctor's certificate is supplied after all) sick pay may well be witheld as most - if not all - employment contracts will state that sick pay is discretionary.

Could you afford to loose two weeks money?

Not only that, but if a holiday is refused there is usual good reason for that. Most likely because it is too busy and with you skiving off for two weeks you put a lot of pressure onto your colleagues who could well be friends of yours.

Mark

calling in sick wouldnt be an option as they keep records of holidays asked for and refused, and hubby wouldnt take the chance of being caught.

The simple answer is to ask. If he explains that the wife booked the holiday without first consulting, thinking that so far in front would be OK, then they may relent. All you can do really.

fwh