My work won’t give me a day off work for my university interview

Yesterday I got my second imperial interview (woohoo) for the 22nd of February which starts at 1400 and ends at around 1800. However, this collides with my work (1400-1930), and I have been told that I cannot change the time of my interview within the email.

Yesterday, while I was at work, I went to ask my manager if I could have the day off and she said no, because apparently it was very short notice (despite it being 13 days away), and she told me to **** off by saying that it was a really bad time for her despite me trying to find her 2 hours before that.

I just thought she came off as very rude and I have been nothing but nice to her before this. I have never taken a day off sick and I have booked hardly any holiday since I started in October (I’m a gap year applicant).

She said that the only way I could take the day off would be to find a replacement but that’s quite hard since I work the majority of the shifts and the other people I work with want to reduce their hours (not increase them); all of them hate the close down anyways (of which I always do).

What should I do?

Yeah as above, I'd be inclined to put the interview first. Assuming she knows why you need the time off, she would need to be on a serious ego trip to presume you're just going to meekly accept no uni and cancel for the sake of her precious rota.

Did she actually tell you to **** off or was that just the tone? I wouldn't go in quite all guns blazing but I'd be approaching her again and underlining how important it is and if fobbed off again with 'not a good time/mood/go pressure other staff to cover' I'd prob just give my notice on the spot if that's how things will be. Push comes to shove I'd be going to the interview, she can either make civil allowances for this or work out how to fill a hell of a lot more shifts.

Thank you for the reply .

It was her tone (she didn’t actually tell me **** off). To be fair she didn’t know that I was looking for her for the past 2 hours. After talking to her I wanted to cry (I haven’t cried since my mum got diagnosed with terminal cancer like 5 months ago).

Yeah, I really don’t know what she thinks is going to happen if I can’t find someone to cover my shift.

Thank you, I will approach her on Monday when I go back in and explain (again) the importance of it.

I just don’t get her problem with it. It was 13 days notice, isn’t that a normal amount of notice for an interview?

She's trying to demonstrate her power, ie she's a bully.

Which is more important to you, your job or getting into Imperial? If it's the latter then just tell her that you won't be working that day and let her take the next step.

How long is your notice period at work if you decide to resign?

An update: they did allow me to take a day off work (after I asked about 4 times). However, it will be unpaid, and I might have to do an extra shift to make up for it; so it's fair enough.

I think I just caught her at a bad time.

I don’t think “catching her at the wrong time” is an acceptable excuse for her conduct. The demeanour of your senior tells something about the establishment you work at. Professionals should never take out their anger or frustration on other work colleagues.

I understand if there aren’t other job opportunities but I don’t believe working there is beneficial for you (have to do close up, unpaid day off, may have to do overtime).