can my employer force me to book annual leave?

bigup

Hi,

I am wanting to know if my employer can force me to book annual leave? The new leave year starts in April, and they have just started issuing annual leave forms to book for next year. This really bugs me, as they expect us to book leave now for several months in advance, when circumstances can change etc. The current leave year has not even ended and current leave entitlement has not been fully used yet. So can they force me to book leave now for next year? or can i legally argue that they cant force me to do so?

Thanks.

Browntoa

we start booking ours for the summer after xmas, means staffing levels can be agreed and flights/holidays booked....those who don't want to book now just have to try and fit round whats booked

alanobrien

Check your terms and conditions of employment, they usually state that you have to give x amount of notice for holidays. X usually meaning the minimum amount of notice so you could give whatever that is.

C_Ronaldo

it was the same as sainsburys, we found it quite annoying, things change,we werent really forced t do it but we were told to get them in asap as it was done on a first come first servd basis, if u were last 2 hand ur form in then u may nt have much choice re ur hols, we had to book 2/3 weeks in the summer, 1 week in september/october time and 1 week february/march time but you just cant see whats gonna happen in the future

Mikeyorks

bigup wrote:

.... legally ....

Strange word to use. Be grateful they offer some flexibility - as a lot of people have to take works closure weeks - like it or not.

But I doubt they're forcing anything. If they offer flexibility - but still have a business to run, they're planning ahead, as many of your colleagues will be doing. So if there's a percentage attendance level set, you can't expect to suddenly demand 'next week' off - if those who do plan ahead have taken all the 'slots'?

They'll have a modicum of contingency for 'emergencies' - but your lack of planning shouldn't be allowed to create that - every time you want time off. What they're doing - is fairly standard planning.

molerat

Legally they can tell you when to take your holidays.

moonrakerz

In a lot of companies you have to take at least a week off in one go. That is a condition imposed on the company by insurance companies for employee cover.

jonesMUFCforever

Where I work you have to take 2 weeks main holidays in one go.
It is because I work in a bank and if I was on the fiddle it would be a lot more difficult to hide things if I was not there for 10 working days on the trot.

And yes we get holiday forms in October/November to cover the following year.
Whilst sometimes it is a pain at least I know when my main holidays will be as then I can book something whilst 'kids free' offers are still available.

nomoneytoday

Get something on the books. You can always change the dates slightly later

jazzyjustlaw

bigup wrote:

Hi,

I am wanting to know if my employer can force me to book annual leave? The new leave year starts in April, and they have just started issuing annual leave forms to book for next year. This really bugs me, as they expect us to book leave now for several months in advance, when circumstances can change etc. The current leave year has not even ended and current leave entitlement has not been fully used yet. So can they force me to book leave now for next year? or can i legally argue that they cant force me to do so?

Thanks.

Problem is if you dont book your annual leave now when you come to do so you may find that you end up not getting the time off you would have liked.

poppy_f1

my work asked in october for us to book our summer holidays for (now) this year, its purely cos of the amount of people who want certain weeks,
our holiday year runs from Jan to Dec but we arent allowed to pre book hols in december since its our busiest time but it may be possible to get holidays in december nearer the time
if we havent booked all our hols by october we will start getting emails saying book or lose the holidays as we cant carry any over therefore not getting paid for them
as much as i dislike the procedure its the way it is so gotta go along with it
and my hols for this summer got declined cos too mnay people had put in for it (first week in july) since its the start of the school holidays here