London - It is an office scenario played out every year: trying to book time off work at Christmas only to find a particular colleague has beaten you to it – again.
But now workers who miss out are fighting back.
Some are so fed up at not getting the time off that they are using their own holiday entitlement to get their revenge.
A number have admitted to listening out for their colleagues’ holiday arrangements so they can book those particular days off and scupper their plans, just to spite them.
Holiday booking has become such a point of contention in some workplaces that people are routinely keeping quiet or lying about their plans in order to ‘double bluff’ colleagues and get the time off they want, a survey found.
One worker who took part in the research said booking holidays caused a ‘Cold War atmosphere’ in his office.
Online office experts officebroker.com asked around 500 office workers about their holiday booking habits in June this year.
The anonymous poll found that as many as one in 20 people had strategically booked their holidays to annoy a fellow worker.
Another 13 percent said they never revealed their holiday intentions for fear of co-workers booking the same time, while around 7 percent admitted lying about their holiday plans in order to “double bluff” colleagues.
One in ten of the office workers quizzed said booking holidays was the biggest cause of conflict in their office, with school holidays and Christmas the worst times of year for agreeing time off.
Overall, more than a third – 38 percent - felt hlidays were a potential source of arguments, but many felt they were able to get the holidays they desired.
One worker said: “The biggest arguments always crop up about who gets the extra days around Christmas and Easter. I’ve known people to book their Christmas time on January 1.”
Another added: “People are scared to mention their plans for the year ahead in case anyone books the same period off.
“For the last couple of years I have been pipped to the post by childless colleagues going on their 18-30 binge holidays to Ibiza.
“I work long hours and don’t get to see my children much so holiday time is extremely precious. I do believe that parents should be given priority when it comes to booking holiday during the school breaks.”
A spokesperson for officebroker.com said: “It is especially difficult when it comes to school holidays as every parent wants to spend as much time with their children as they can when they’re not at school.
“If colleagues talked to each other rather than scheming and plotting, conflict over holidays would not be caused.” - Daily Mail