000000blue wrote:Also, if I were to 'buy' extra weeks, how much do they cost? And do they get listed on the 'standard' holiday list, or separately? Just thinking this might be a way around the problem?
I think you will find the purchase of leave varies from office to offfice

In our office and neighbouring offices the people who purchase leave actually pick after everyone has picked their allocation of annual leave i.e 23 1/2, 26 or 30 days dependent on time worked.... So all you get is the office's leave offs, you have more chance of winning the lottery than getting a full week together set aside school hollidays

. The purchase of leave is of no use to those of us who want extra time off with our children etc, but if you want odd days in the winter then you may be okay....
The cost..... If you purchase an extra week leave then you will pay back a full weeks pay (pro rata of course), the cost will be divided into 52 weekly payments deducted weekly.
In my opinion the scheme is useless.......
Most offices pick 2 weeks, then 1 week, then 1 week then odd days, lists are turned from top to bottom and other variants to attempt to make the list as fair as possible...... It's still crap

, if I get 2 to 3 weeks which I realy want I think I have done well.....