Nosy boss cancels employee's school holiday vacation over the flimsiest of reasons
After working for the company for 8 years, it was the first time she had an issue with leave approval.
Everyone needs a break now and then — it’s why annual leave exists, but one Mumsnet user, posting under the name Truffleshuffle84, shared how her new line manager tried to stop her from going on vacation simply because she didn’t approve of her return flight. The woman explained that she works for a medium-sized company in the UK and has been there for eight years without any issues over holiday requests. "Staff handbook says all leave must be agreed by your line manager and will be approved on the basis of business need and general staff numbers/work coverage etc. — all fine," she wrote. For years, that system worked fine, but things changed when her team got a new line manager from another department this summer.
When Truffleshuffle84 asked for a week off during the autumn school holidays, the manager started asking where she was going and when she’d be back. Thinking it was just casual small talk, she detailed her trip to Tenerife, but that only fueled the problem. "They've now rejected my leave request because they don't think I'll be fit for work Monday returning from Tenerife on a Sunday on a flight that lands at 10.30pm (at an airport 20 mins from home)," she wrote.
And she is not alone — a 2022 survey by Just Eat for Business in the UK found that 21% of office workers regularly or always have their time-off requests denied due to staff absences, and 16% repeatedly have their annual leave requests rejected because of workload pressure. Another UK survey by HR platform Breathe in 2024 revealed that 65% of workers aren’t using all their annual leave entitlement, with 41% citing staff shortages as a key reason leave is denied or discouraged. The poster was baffled and asked, "AIBU [Am I being unreasonable] for thinking it’s up to me how I spend my annual leave and it’s up to me to decide whether something is achievable whilst being ready for work the next day?" she asked the forum.
With 324 replies on the thread, most agreed that holiday plans should remain private, and bosses don’t get to dictate whether an employee will be rested enough after a break. Summerbay23 wrote, "Totally ridiculous. Absolutely none of their business. Can you tell them you’ve changed the flight and now arrive back on Friday? Or tell them you’re going to Skegness instead??? Bonkers." Merkins was stunned, asking, "WHAT?!! Absolutely none of their business, and they have no right to judge whether you’ll be fit for work. I’m astonished they’ve given that as a reason to reject the request. Utterly bizarre. Are you supposed to just cancel your week in Tenerife then?"
FancyBiscuitsLevel suggested, "I would email your HR, CC’ing in your line manager, explain line manager has declined your leave request due to your return flight at 10:30 pm the night before is too late, and ask how many hours before your Monday shift/start time you need to be back in the country as you are moving your flights and need to know what the company policy is." Truffleshuffle84 later updated that she pushed back, telling her boss she wouldn’t be canceling her holiday and that she’d be fine to work as scheduled. The manager eventually approved the leave, though she made a point of warning her not to slack off after returning.
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