Message #80597

[raindance]

A lot depends on how the vacation was approved and the reason for denying it.  I would first broach this with your manager again.  If the response is not satisfactory, then I would take this to my manager's manager, and thence to HR as a formal complaint.  I had a manager years ago who would never say she declined to approve my holiday requests, but made things extremely awkward (including my having to check with seven other people whether they were on holiday at the same time!).  This bullying - which is what it was - ceased when I kicked up a fuss one day and pointed out that those seven people did not check with me, even though six of them were junior to me, whether I was taking vacation.  Sometimes, you have to be assertive.  And it works because bullies do not like anyone who responds assertively.