Unpaid leave ?

[Geranium X]

You need to go to your nephews twice rearranged wedding in Italy in October, where all your close family will be in attendance and your daughter will be a bridesmaid . You have plenty of leave to take but are told that you cannot take it because there is no availability in your office for that period. Can you take it as unpaid leave ?

[Woody Guthrie]

If there's no scope for annual leave there's no scope for any kind of leave.
You can't on the one hand deny someone annual leave then on the other hand allow them unpaid leave, it doesn't make sense.

If you mean can you use statutory time off for dependents to force the leave then no, it doesn't cover pre-planned events.

Family events: There are often events where you have no control over their date or time, e.g. a wedding or school concert. In these situations you should speak to your manager who may be able to give you holiday, or arrange for you to make up the time, swap your shift or take unpaid leave.

Managers are....
Might be best to look for a possible swap.

[Geranium X]

Ok, yes thanks that’s an option, together with swapping days off. Very frustrating though to have to jump through hoops because the leave “system” is so inflexible and thatweeks have to be booked so far in advance. No wonder people go sick instead …

[jagger]

Ok, yes thanks that’s an option, together with swapping days off. Very frustrating though to have to jump through hoops because the leave “system” is so inflexible and thatweeks have to be booked so far in advance. No wonder people go sick instead …

Do they? No wonder Simon wants to attack our sick pay.

[twoloops]

If you work your day off, tell them you will no longer be working your day off until you get what you want, takes a 3 or 4 days before they crack, if you have no holidays, bank the hours to cover it, works every time for me.