Booking holidays online, has anyone manage it yet?

[gomezz]

Have they fixed the software bug that was getting the displayed entitlement wrong?

[BritishRacingGreen]

Mines always been okay 

[trivi]

I've requested 2 holidays a month ago through the app, still pending and I never see my manager lol

[tobybeecher]

I've had a colleague refused Xmas day off on nights after being told by a manager they need to book Xmas day Boxing Day and New Year's Day off on the app now. Is that true?

[oldfashionedplayer]

you don't need to book it on the app, thats bs, if they've been refused it on paper and told to book online then they need to raise a complaint, the information is "Should" - Not must, colleague help say colleagues can still hand in paper forms and paper forms are supposed to be available whether from the usual open wall cabinet you can grab from, or by asking for it to be downloaded... If they make it a requirement to use the app, they then have to supply colleagues with a company phone as that would be a work necessity item... (which they won't do), hence the "Should" not "must"

Colleague help WILL back any colleague raising a concern with this, i've had a few raise it previously to prove a point, so hand it in, wait the 7 days, if its handed back as refused due to needing to book online then definitely as said, raise a complaint about it, tell your manager you are aren't required, and that you will be off those days, put it on a lets talk for them, if you get brought in for them they'll be the ones in the slaughterhouse for it.

[Andydoe]

Can anyone tell me can they make you work boxing day thanks

[Elly1519]

Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day are voluntary. It doesn't matter when you started working for the Company. The policy can be found on Colleague Help and it also shows on your contract. You can always ask for a new copy of your contract if you can't find it.

[Andydoe]

Even our union rep is saying its first come first served so only 2 can have it off

[oldfashionedplayer]

your union rep is unfortunately in tesco pocket then (like ours), cause even colleague help will tell you and quote this (meaning you can have all colleagues off if need be):


"Stores
If you joined Tesco before 26th January 2009, working on a bank holiday is voluntary unless your contract specifically requires you to do so.

If you joined on or after 26th January 2009 and there are insufficient volunteers to work on a bank holiday, you may be required to work on up to five bank holidays (excluding Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day) if you are normally scheduled to work on the day the bank holiday falls. Colleagues in Scotland also do not have to work on 2nd January if they don't want to and colleagues in Northern Ireland may select an additional day where they do not have to work if they don't want to.

If you don't have a fixed working pattern, you will be treated as if you are scheduled to work on the bank holiday. However, it will still be your choice whether to work the day or not, and the hours will be deducted from your holiday allowance if you don't work."

Union will also send out another piece of information closer to the time too like previous years, here's the information of last years:

What Are the Designated
Bank Holidays for Day Staff?
␁ Monday 26 December 2022.
␁ Tuesday 27 December 2022.
␁ Monday 2 January 2023.
␁ Tuesday 3 January 2023
(Scotland only)

What Are the Designated
Bank Holidays for Night Staff?
The night going into the Bank Holiday
will be classed as the Bank Holiday
(eg 25 into 26 December). Bank
Holiday Premium is paid on the
24-hours of the Bank Holiday
(eg midnight to midnight)

Do I Have to Work on the
Designated Bank Holidays?
No, working on all of the designated
Bank Holidays over Christmas and
New Year is voluntary for all staff
(whether day or night staff) in all
Tesco stores, irrespective of their start
date with the Company. You can choose to book off any
contracted shifts that fall on a Bank
Holiday using your holiday or Bank
Holiday allowance. If you don't
have enough holiday/Bank Holiday
allowance, you can take the shift as
unpaid, or arrange a shift swap if
possible.

What About Christmas Day and
New Year's Day?
Christmas Day and New Year's Day
falls on a Sunday this year, and in line
with the holiday policy, the designated
Bank Holiday is moved to the Monday.
Therefore, Christmas Day and New
Year's Day are not designated Bank
Holidays.
Tesco have agreed that working on
Christmas Day and New Year's Day
will be on a voluntary basis. Those
who do not wish to work can choose
to book holiday, arrange a shift swap
if possible, or take the day as unpaid
leave.
For night staff, this agreement applies
to the night shift going into Christmas
Day and New Year's Day.

[Andydoe]

Thank you for all your help

[tobybeecher]

What about stores on work and pay. Our staff are being told they need to book Christmas Day Boxing Day and new years as time off when they haven't had to before. Is this correct?

[Elly1519]

They did have to book them off before. They did it on paper forms instead.

[oldfashionedplayer]

you had to book it off if it was a contracted day whether on work and pay or through paper..... Same process still applies - Either hand a paper form in (paper forms are still accepted, managers are NOT allowed to refuse paper forms), or you can add in the request via My-Tesco app, if it's denied, inform your manager of the above holiday process and that you'll be taking it off anyhow - if you get any threats remind them that it's perfectly allowed and that by refusing it is going against policy and will just be taken further for a complaint....

Colleague help WILL back you on that, Union will too (your store rep should but depends if they are more "can't be bothered" type), so if in doubt just throw up a colleague help ticket asking about it and then just give the managers the response, as the responses from colleague help can be quite sassy. lol.

[surlaroute]

Colleague help WILL back you on that, Union will too (your store rep should but depends if they are more "can't be bothered" type), so if in doubt just throw up a colleague help ticket asking about it and then just give the managers the response, as the responses from colleague help can be quite sassy. lol.

sorry but this is rubbish. both of these institutions have a record of letting everyone down here. why is everything, even on this site, geared toward making everyone feel like it's their problem by foisting the malfunctioning institutions upon them "this will work and if it doesn't it must be you". USDAW isn't a real union and why on earth would you expect the company's own support system to be any more on your side? it's an absolute sham.

[lucgeo]

This has come up every year for years...and the answer is still the same, no colleague, regardless of position, have to work Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day.
It's written, (or was) in your contracts of which you have a copy.

So you will get the usual managers pushing for you to do "one or the other"...""it's not fair on your colleagues, as they're doing one"..."you're letting the store down"..."the store manager wants a list of any that refuse" etc.

It's a load of bull, and unfortunately you always get the colleagues who offer to work and then expect you to follow suit. Those who blindly rush to book the best shifts before anyone else, thinking they have to do a shift! If no one agreed to work it, the store couldn't open, could it?


Everyone is given B/H allowances and these would be booked as used for people who said no to working in the paper days, during holiday booking meetings.

Check your contracts, find where it's written, highlight it, take into store and produce when hassled to work one, t'other or both!

How can you book Christmas Day off?  No stores are open Christmas Day!

[Elly1519]

Some express stores are open on Xmas Day.

And you do have to book the time off - holiday, unpaid, personal day or work a different day.

But nobody can be made to work Xmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day.

[Morris999]

To be honest if you had a half decent Wage clerk or Manager they should automatically book it off for you!
We all know they fall on the same date each year and know the store is shut on Xmas day, with Boxing and New years confirmed nearer the time for each store!
And I think the wages department gets a Comms come down stating to do it anyway, however I could have missed heard the wage clerk saying that.

[lucgeo]

Oh on a final note...any manager saying everything has been updated with the recent changes and it's now expected that all colleagues work over the Christmas B/H's...no!
Ask to see where it's written on your new contract which you haven't received, but until then it remains the status quo!

[Sherwoodforest]

@morris999 theres no automatic booking it off,it is employees responsibility so to avoid confusion on shift swap,unpaid etc

[oldfashionedplayer]

as sherwood said, there's never been an automatic book off, atleast for stores, it's always been colleague responsibility, if your store isn't open an you want to work theres usually plenty going around in the area... but Extra's and such with night still will usually just have asians working christmas and everyone else taking it off... I know for ours this year a lot of them plan to take it off instead as previous years they've worked it so they could have Eid off, but this time they've all mainly been refused it due to "too many off" - and had to try and challenge it.. so shall see how the store fairs lol.

[lucgeo]

When you say refused...Eid or Christmas Day 

[oldfashionedplayer]

Eid, though know it's just a normal day and not recognised, just usually been something allowed over the years, the day is allowed to be booked by non Asians... But recently seems anyone who is seems to get refused it whether anyone is off or not, seems more of a targeting thing with our recent management additions to be honest.. As we have definitely had issues with those who are  Asian asking for holidays and being refused it and the someone else aksing and it's approved instead.. Union has stepped in on that surprisingly..

[lucgeo]

Tesco used to be renowned for recognising different religious festivals, they had religious dates on the notice board. Mind you they used to have big wall calligraphies listing the Tesco core values!

Any colleagues wishing to celebrate Eid al-Adha ( feast of sacrifice) which appears to be the main one of the two Eid's celebrated between the different religious groups, should have their requests met.
Every manager should be aware of the upcoming religious dates which may be relevant to anyone in their team, and have a 1-2-1 to enquire if they will wish the time off and duly noted for future planning if so?

Let's not forget these same colleagues will more than likely be available for the B/H working over Christmas, allowing others to celebrate their festivities.

I'm not surprised the union are on the case!

[oldfashionedplayer]

Exactly, if you annoy those colleagues then they'll just take the time off at Christmas like everyone else and then call sick or have a sick note ready for nearer the time... Wouldn't be the first for someone to go that route to be honest.

[Andydoe]

I've booked boxing day off and new years day in the App twice now and been refused twice all the union says is don't come in but that's not right that our manager won't book it in as a holiday I have even said to our rep is this not a breach of contract that he won't book them off as its written in our contracts that we don't have to work them but still need to book them off .