Annual leave/work training.

[bobchumpkinsmedley]

You know when you are on your annual leave, booked a few months in advance and you have made arrangements to go somewhere, you know, book a coach trip for a day out and all that.

Then a week before you are due your annual leave work puts a notice up stating there is compulsary training to be attended for one day while on AL, do you have to attend. I was on AL last week, and a week before I went off a notice for CT was put up. Well me and the mother had made arrangements to visit family in Wales all the week, so I wrote a note for the manager stating I would not be able to attend, as prior arrangements had been made.

 

When I got back to work, she was not very happy, now I have noticed on a notice for new training for a few weeks time, it states "all must attend, even when on annual leave". This has never been stated on notices before.

 

I thought my annual leave was my own to do with as I want, I will gladly go on training any other time of the year. But we always go somewhere when I am on AL, we NEVER stay in town, we either visit family or book trips/ short breaks to go on, and do not see why I must forsake these trips just 2 attend a 2 hour training course in my AL week.

 

Are they allowed to do this, even when things are arranged months/weeks before any notices go up.

 

So, say I book my AL and book an actual holiday, months in advance, all paid up for etc. Then months down the line, work decides to put a notice up for CT for the week I am on AL and on this supposed holiday. Would I have to cancel my holiday, who will pay for the loss of deposit/ full payments etc and all that?

Edited June 3, 2014 by bobchumpkinsmedley

[citizenB]

What would be the situation if you were to have planned to go abroad.. say New Zealand/Australia..?

 

What does it say in your contract ?

[bobchumpkinsmedley]

They have never made an issue of it before, others have been on AL when training is required for a few hours, and not attended. Now they seem to be making a point of adding it to the notices now, highlighting it too with a highlighter pen. My house is all up at the moment, we are decorating, so god knows where my contract is at the moment, I shall see if a workmate can show us theirs.

[ericsbrother]

OK, the example already cited is covered by the Working Time Directive so you were entitled no to attend as they didnt give sufficient notice to you of any requirement to attend, nor did they make an offer for your losses if they considered it mandatory.

Next time, if you have booked holiday well in advance and something like this crops up tell the company they have to pay you for the losses you will incur by having to cancel your holiday and that includes all of you family's costs and point them in the direction of the WTD if they say otherwise. the idea of footing a bill for hundreds of pounds for a 2 hour course should make them think about their priorities. Also make sure that you get the time off in lieu or overtime as well!