Alley
You need to refer to your contract of employment, if you haven't already. If you're on a 4 on 4 off roster pattern weekends don't mean anything to you. Usually, shift workers have a number of annual leave days that refer to a 'day off shift'- so if you apply for leave for a 4 day period of work, you can enjoy the days off prior to and after the leave dates- if your roster sticks to the pattern. But I have also know this to be contested in airlines I have worked for in the past. It's the same for 9-5 workers- if they apply for a week holiday- i.e. 5 days off M-F the weekend days off prior to, and after, don't come into the leave equation- but they enjoy 9 days away from work- do they not? Try that as an argument to support your issue.