Told when to take annual leave

[ihatedogs]

"Use it or lose it", I've been told. Too many spares next week, at both my DO and the office I'm currently working at.
And if leave is taken during the rehab period, you're expected to carry on with the program while you're off. NOT happy.

We`ve got the opposite problem at our DO. Loads of people have AL to take before end of March, but the revision left us so short of staff that the manager won`t grant any leave and wants it all carrying over.What he`s going to do next year when people have all the extra leave on top of their allocation is anybodys guess.

[hotxbun]

You wont lose it!
Get your rep/area rep onto it.

Had a word with the (collections) rep at my "temporary" office (last day there tomorrow, so I'm told). I can't see the national agreement (membership's taking a couple of weeks so haven't a number to use on the union website) but he reckons it says you're entitled to carry up to 5 days over, with the manager's permission. Fat lot of good that is when the manager's insisting everyone (including him !) has to take it all by 27 March, not one single day can be carried over. "Budgets", he said.

I never see the delivery rep at my temporary office (he's always left by the time I get there), and apparently he's the area rep. I've left a message at the office asking him to call me but that's probably unlikely, and he doesn't know my situation and would take AGES to explain ! Don't see the rep at my DO 'cos I'm not there. Trouble is, 'cos this is all such short notice (plus the silly hours I'm working), I haven't a chance to sort it before Monday.

Do I just take a chance and turn up (though, where ??!!) on Monday then try get it back next year ?

[smokerjim]

HXB I would suggest you turn up as normal on Monday to the office ( and shift pattern ) where you were told you had to take your AL & when asked why you're there, tell them that you were not given sufficient notice about your leave, etc, etc so you would like it to be carried over to next year's AL & "...what area do you want me working tonight boss, the usual?"

[hotxbun]

HXB I would suggest you turn up as normal on Monday to the office ( and shift pattern ) where you were told you had to take your AL & when asked why you're there, tell them that you were not given sufficient notice about your leave, etc, etc so you would like it to be carried over to next year's AL & "...what area do you want me working tonight boss, the usual?"

At the risk of keeping saying "but, but, but" ...

I don't have a normal office or shift pattern at the mo'. I've been at one office the last 3 weeks, on rehab (which was s'posed to be 3 weeks but the Atos program's been ignored and hasn't actually happened), starting in the afternoon, and do have a "usual" task when I get in there. I'm due back at my DO next Saturday, starting in the morning but haven't a clue what I'll be doing. Never really have there, just been told "go there".

One reason I'm to have next week off is there's too many spares at both offices and there'lll be nothing for me to do at either.

Just had a word with the rep at my DO, he says leave isn't carried over at that DO. He's also never heard of this thing where they have to give number of days A/L x 2 notice.

[POSTMAN]

Carrying leave into another year

Annual leave should generally be taken in the year that it is due, and the business expects all employees to have at least four weeks away from work every year. However up to one week (or 5 odd days) may be carried over into the next leave year, and up to five days may be anticipated during the last month of the previous leave year. Transfer of leave in excess of these limits requires written permission from the line manager, except that leave that cannot be taken due to sick leave may be allowed in the following year. Where this is granted and would reduce the annual leave taken in a particular leave year to less than four weeks, the individual must also confirm in writing that they are willing to voluntarily forgo their statutory leave entitlement under the Working Time Regulations 1998.

[smokerjim]

HXB I would suggest you turn up as normal on Monday to the office ( and shift pattern ) where you were told you had to take your AL & when asked why you're there, tell them that you were not given sufficient notice about your leave, etc, etc so you would like it to be carried over to next year's AL & "...what area do you want me working tonight boss, the usual?"

At the risk of keeping saying "but, but, but" ...

I don't have a normal office or shift pattern at the mo'. I've been at one office the last 3 weeks, on rehab (which was s'posed to be 3 weeks but the Atos program's been ignored and hasn't actually happened), starting in the afternoon, and do have a "usual" task when I get in there. I'm due back at my DO next Saturday, starting in the morning but haven't a clue what I'll be doing. Never really have there, just been told "go there".

One reason I'm to have next week off is there's too many spares at both offices and there'lll be nothing for me to do at either.

Just had a word with the rep at my DO, he says leave isn't carried over at that DO. He's also never heard of this thing where they have to give number of days A/L x 2 notice.

Stop for a moment and reread these posts from redletter & teebs - very useful as they quote directgov

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/ ... G_10034711

If your employer wants you to take holiday

Your employer can decide when some or all of your holidays must be taken. For instance, they may require you to take some of your holiday to cover the bank holidays, or may require the whole company to take holiday during a Christmas shutdown.

This may be in your contract of employment, or it may be normal practice built up over time. An employer has to give the same amount of notice as you do.

and to expand on Red Letter they have to give you twice the length of holiday as notification. In other words if they wanted you to take 1 week next week they should have told you at the very latest last Monday (28 Feb)

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/ ... G_10034711" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you want to take holiday

You must give your employer advance notice that you want to take holiday. This notice should be at least twice as long as the amount of holiday you want to take. For example, you should give two weeks' notice for one week's holiday.

Your employer can refuse permission for your holiday as long as they give you notice which is at least as long as the holiday requested. So to refuse a request for a week's leave, they would have to tell you a week in advance.

Your contract may set out other rules about when you can take your holiday. This is allowed so long as the rules don't effectively prevent you from taking holiday at all.

Look a little further back in the thread and Postman will tell you that the idea of carrying AL from one year to the next goes back to the Way Forward agreement ( so if the office is Way Forward compliant, they're selling you a line, probably cos they can't be arsed to do it properly ).

If there are too many spares at your current office & your usual office that means your managers have FAILED to manage properly, and if they are giving people AL that is not wanted without the legal notice, they are still FAILING to manage, and if you want to carry your AL over then you will need to point out to your "managers" that they will need to do something to deserve their job titles and pay grades

[hotxbun]

Appreciate your replies guys, I really do. Must admit, I did mis-read the bit about carrying over in excess of 5 days needs the manager's written permisssion but, to be fair, I've had 2 separate reps, at 2 separate offices, tell me it can't be done.

Did speak to the DO rep this morning, he confirmed above (ie. "no") and that he also didn't know about the direct.gov.uk thing. I dropped a copy in to him on the way to work at the other office, along with a note asking him to show it the DOM and to call me. I also mentioned it wasn't so much the fact I had to take leave, it was the fact I need more notice, so I suggested the last week of March (though I'd still rather not). He was out when I called in (left it in the callers office, saying could they make sure he gets it today), haven't heard a thing all day. I'll have to ring him again, tomorrow. My day off.

So. If (when) they ignore the direct.gov.uk website, who do I complain to.
If (when) they ignore the Away Forward Agreement, who I complain to. No good going to rep ... still waiting for call from area rep ...

If there are too many spares at your current office & your usual office that means your managers have FAILED to manage properly, and if they are giving people AL that is not wanted without the legal notice, they are still FAILING to manage, and if you want to carry your AL over then you will need to point out to your "managers" that they will need to do something to deserve their job titles and pay grades

I was kinda hoping to hold on to this job for a little more than the few weeks I've already done ...

[chysun]

Sorry to jump onto thread but didnt want to start a new one can someone help....
I have asked my line manager for two days holidays in two months time and all ive been told is they will look into it .....I need to know to book flights but cant get an answer ....is there a reasonable time frame they are supposed to give me an answer I jusst want a yes or no ...Thanks in advance

[Lounge Lizard]

and to expand on Red Letter they have to give you twice the length of holiday as notification. In other words if they wanted you to take 1 week next week they should have told you at the very latest last Monday (28 Feb)

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/ ... G_10034711" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you want to take holiday

You must give your employer advance notice that you want to take holiday. This notice should be at least twice as long as the amount of holiday you want to take. For example, you should give two weeks' notice for one week's holiday.

Your employer can refuse permission for your holiday as long as they give you notice which is at least as long as the holiday requested. So to refuse a request for a week's leave, they would have to tell you a week in advance.

Your contract may set out other rules about when you can take your holiday. This is allowed so long as the rules don't effectively prevent you from taking holiday at all.

but that's "should" not "must"

[chysun]

Thanks for the quick reply ...you would think they would be able to give you a yes or no ans when your asking two months in advance ....its like they have you dangling on a string so they can puppet you on the maybe !

[POSTMAN]

Thanks for the quick reply ...you would think they would be able to give you a yes or no ans when your asking two months in advance ....its like they have you dangling on a string so they can puppet you on the maybe !

They should go straight to the holiday sheet to see if it's fully booked or not.
What a lot seem to be doing is hang on till the last minute so if you have a few off sick they then refuse it.

w*****s the lot of them.