Taking time off for holiday during traineeship

[AnnieM19]

Hi, I'm about two months into my traineeship currently, and despite my difficult director I've been enjoying it a lot. The only issue I have is I have a family holiday booked for October/November in America for about three weeks.

I'm nervous about telling my director as I'm still new and on probation. Since I've been at the centre, two other girls have gone on holidays for over three weeks, but they're qualified employees and not trainees. We are very short on staff, and when these girls were away we had to combine our 2-3 and baby rooms, which I know was difficult and annoyed the rest of us. My director is quite harsh and rude, and I fear that if I ask for that time off she will take it out on me for months, making me feel guilty and upset as she does for the other employees whenever they do something she doesn't like.

I have anxiety, and I know that if she starts making my time at work hard for me, that I will begin to dread going. I can't change this holiday but I'm worried about it affecting my job.

Can you legally take holidays on a traineeship? Is it irresponsible? What should I do? The whole ordeal is making me nervous.

[Lorina]

If you are working full time you have 4 weeks annual leave each year... This means that you can take up to 4 weeks off... I completely understand that it may be nerve wrecking telling your Director but I would suggest the sooner you tell her the better it is... If you leave it too late, it may be worse and then she will come up 101 ways to make your work life hell! You can send her an email with your holiday details such as a formal annual leave letter telling her that you are are requesting time off due to your holiday etc. Don't ever feel bad for taking time off... you are completely entitled to it and it's the law for you to have annual leave... so no matter what she says don't take it personally!

,
Lorina